2018 Riding Course

Today, we went on a brand new ride! First, we learned about the word of the day, architecture, meaning the design and construction of buildings. Georgia demonstrated why most pillars are circular by stacking books on top of paper folded into triangular, square, and circular “pillars.” The triangular pillars supported 1 book, the square pillars supported 3 books, and the circular pillars supported a stack of books plus a full water bottle! (The circular pillars distributed the weight of the books and water bottle more or less evenly, enabling it to withstand more weight.) After learning about beam, truss, and suspension bridges, two teams competed to build the most stable bridge out of spaghetti and marshmallows.  Team 1 built a beam bridge, while Team 2 built a truss bridge. In the end, Team 1 beat Team 2 (1 book to 0 books), earning the bridge badge!

Then, it was time to hit the streets. At J Hood Wright Park, Maydelin found a tricky geocache that was hidden in plain sight. We kept biking to Fort Tryon Park and stopped for lunch at a scenic viewpoint with two new friends, a black squirrel and a stink bug! After a quick lesson on the history and architecture of the cloisters, we split into our bridge groups to explore the museum. Some of the highlights included the Unicorn Tapestries, the Moreau Altarpiece, the Glass galleries, the Cuxa Cloisters, the intricate dresses on display from Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, and of course, the gift shop. On our way back to school, we biked along the Hudson River through Riverside Park, past the Little Red Lighthouse, the last lighthouse in Manhattan. What a great way to end week 2!

Ride Statistics:

15.9 miles biked

613 calories burned biking

.929 miles walked

153 calories burned

Total Calories Burned: 766

(Plus walking around inside The Cloisters Museum!)

*http://www.mapmywalk.com/improve/calorie_calculator/
Estimates based on 100lbs, 5′ 2″ ht, 13 yo, average between male and female.