From Danbury · Merritt Parkway

This full-day version starts in Danbury. The first 38 miles go out on back roads, mostly NY-121, NY-22 and US-6, to Greenwich, where the good part begins. The core stretch, Merritt Parkway, runs 52 miles to Milford.

The ride home is the quick way: 36 miles on I-84, CT-25 and CT-15 back to Danbury. All in, it's about 126 miles and 3.5 hours in the saddle, before any stops for gas, food or photos. There's time to take it easy.

Full-day version that starts in Danbury: it adds the ride there and back to Merritt Parkway. Here is what you'll find on the core stretch:

The Merritt Parkway end to end, from Greenwich to Milford: a historic tree-lined parkway with no trucks and dozens of art deco bridges, each one different. It's the most pleasant way across Fairfield County and the gateway to the rides in the east of the state. Lanes are narrow, there's barely a shoulder and the ramps are short: keep your spacing and avoid commuter rush hours.