A Bicycle Tour of the Harbor Islands
Castle Island to Deer Island
Sunday, July 22, 2007

Miles	Turns
0.0	Start at Castle Island concession stand
0.4	Bear Right on 1st St.
1.1	Right on Summer St.
1.6	Right on Drydock Ave. (after crossing Reserve Channel
1.7	Left on Harbor St.
1.9	Left on Northern Ave.
2.4	Bear Right on Northern Ave.
2.8	Cross Fort Point Channel on old Northern Ave. Bridge
	(This bridge is open to pedestrians and bicyclists only!)
2.9	Right along Rose Kennedy "Greenway"
	(Someday this stretch of roadway will be greener than it
	 is now, but don't expect it to look parklike.)
3.7	Bear Right on North Washington St.
3.9	Cross Charles River on grating bridge
	(Watch the road surface carefully!  The sidewalk is smoother.)
4.2	Cross City Square to Main St. in Charlestown
5.4	Right on Route 99
5.6	Cross Mystic River on grating bridge
	(All of the bridges on the ride are less than bicycle-friendly.
	 Maybe we should campaign for smooth right shoulders for bikes.)
6.1	Right on Dexter St.
6.2	Left on Robin St.
6.6	Right on Beacham St. (Everett-Chelsea Grayway)
	(I call this a "grayway" because it is the underbelly of Boston.
	 There aren't pleasant views but this is the source of the food
	 and oil and gas which keep our region alive.)
7.5	Straight on Williams St.
8.1	Right on Pearl St. (at light)
8.3	Cross Chelsea River on McArdle Bridge (grating)
8.4	Right on Condor St. (at light)
8.5	Left on Border St.
9.3	Right on Maverick St.
9.3	Left on New St.
9.4	Left on Sumner St.
9.7	Right on S. Bremen St.
9.8	Left onto East Boston Greenway at blue caboose
	(The first half-mile opened 5 or 6 years ago, but the second half-mile
	 opened informally just last month.  Last year, we lifted our bikes
	 over Jersey barriers to ride on the already-completed paths.  It has
	 taken over a year to find an agency which will maintain the park,
	 since the Boston Parks Department didn't want to.)
11.0	Right on Bennington St.
11.5	Right on Moore St.
11.6	Left on Cowper St.
11.7	Right on Byron St.
11.8	Left on Coleridge St.
12.0	Straight on path behind Constitution Beach
	(We'll stop to swim and eat here on the way home.)
12.4	Straight on Barnes Ave.
12.5	Left on Saratoga St.
12.6	Right on Bennington St.
13.3	Right into Belle Isle Marsh Reservation
	Follow crushed stone loop counter clockwise
14.1	Right on Bennington St.
14.5	Right on Winthrop Ave.
15.1	Right on Winthrop Parkway (MA 145)
15.4	Straight on Revere St. (MA 145)
15.8	Straight on Crest Ave. (MA 145)
15.9	Straight on Winthrop Shore Drive
16.9	Right on Beacon St.
17.0	Left on Shirley St.
17.9	Bear Left on Tafts Ave.
18.3	Cross causeway to Deer Island
18.4	Right onto path through parking lot
	(We'll stop for a photo at the big sign here.)
19.6	Stop at tip of Deer Island to view Harbor Islands
	Continue on path clockwise around island
20.6	Left on Tafts Ave.
20.7	Return to mainland
21.0	Bear right on Shirley St.
22.6	Bear right on Beach Rd.
22.8	Left on Locust St.
23.1	Right on Revere St.
23.3	Left on Argyle St.
23.4	Left on Winthrop Greenway
	(This path has been complete for several years, but this is the
	 first year we'll try to find it.)
24.1	Straight on Pleasant St.
24.2	Right on Main St.
24.3	Cross Belle Isle Inlet to Saratoga St.
25.0	Left on Bennington St.
25.3	Find lunch here and cross footbridge to beach
	(There are many fast food restaurants, both chain and local, from
	 which to acquire food.  There are picnic benches between the Blue Line
	 tracks and the beach.)
25.4	Follow path right along beach
25.6	Straight on Coleridge St.
25.7	Right on Wordsworth St.
25.9	Left on Saratoga St.
26.2	Right on Curtis St.
26.4	Right on Chelsea St.
26.5	Cross Chelsea River
26.6	Left on Marginal St.
27.5	Straight on Williams St.
27.9	Straight on Beacham St.
28.9	Left on Robin St. (after oil tanks)
29.3	Right on Dexter St.
29.4	Left on Broadway at light
29.8	Cross Mystic River on grating bridge
30.2	Around Sullivan Square rotary
30.3	Right on Main St.
30.4	Left on Medford St.
	(The railroad right of way on our left could be either a bike path
	 or a truck route to make the street a nicer place to ride.)
30.9	Left on Terminal St.
31.5	Right on Chelsea St.
31.6	Left on 13th St.
31.7	Right on 1st Ave.
32.1	Straight through Charlestown Navy Yard
	(The guard always has let bikes through.  Be nice!)
32.3	Straight on Constitution Rd.
	(Go around chains and watch for pedestrians.)
32.5	Go under Washington St.
32.6	Left through Paul Revere Landing Park
	(This is the first park of the New Esplanade funded by the Big Dig.)
32.7	Walk bikes across New Charles River Dam
	(Wait for locks to close if necessary.)
32.8	Straight on Accolyn Way
32.9	Right on Causeway St.
33.0	Left toward North Station
33.1	Straight alon Nashua St.
33.3	Right onto New Esplanade
	(Just west of the Spaulding Rehab Hospital)
33.4	Straight across O'Brien Highway
	Straight on Charles River Bike Path
33.9	Straight under Longfellow Bridge
34.3	Left over Arthur Fiedler Footbridge (the first one)
34.4	Straight on Arlington St.
35.0	Bear left on Herald St.
35.4	Right on Albany St.
35.5	Left on Traveler St. under Southeast Expressway
35.6	Straight on west sidewalk of Broadway bridge
35.7	Right on ramp around and under bridge
35.8	Right on Foundry St.
35.9	Straight on South Bay Harbor Trail
	(This section of a trail, which will eventually connect to the
	 Southwest Corridor AND the Emerald Necklace, was completed in 2006.)
36.6	Up steps through building
	(or Right on alley, Left on A St.)
36.6	Right on Summer St.
37.8	Straight on L. St.
38.4	Left on Day Blvd. (or sidewalk)
39.1	Left on Day Blvd. along Pleasant Bay
	(or if there aren't too many pedestrians, Right on causeway)
39.8	End ride at Castle Island concession stand