From Long Island · Merritt Parkway

This full-day version starts in Long Island (Melville). The first 47 miles take the faster roads (the Long Island Expressway, I-695 and the Hutchinson River Parkway) to reach Greenwich, where the good part begins. The core stretch, Merritt Parkway, runs 52 miles to Milford.

The ride home is the quick way: 83 miles on I-95, the Long Island Expressway and I-695 back to Long Island. All in, it's about 182 miles and 4.5 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 Long Island: 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.