Journal Comments

Rode the bus from Southfields Township (the north part of Tuxedo) back to the New York City Port Authority Terminal just yesterday. The cost was $14.25 and, as the company makes clear, MUST be paid in cash ONLY. The driver will make change, but will not accept any bill larger than $20. These are inter-city buses, so they are restroom equipped.

Bizarrely, while I waited for the Shortline Bus here, I saw three of these company's buses, all labelled "New York," going NORTH along this stretch of highway -- the last one going by at the exact time (6:16 pm) that their schedule said a bus would be coming through the town. This gave me the idea that I should have been waiting on the northbound side of the highway. About ten minutes later the bus I actually wanted came (no surprise) on the southbound side of Highway 17.

After reading the original post, I got worried about WHERE to stand to get picked up. The Shortline URL
http://www.coachusa.com/shortline/
lists the pickup point as "Rt 17 & Old Orange Tpk." This statement was problematic because (1) "OLD Orange Turnpike" does not exist in any map software and (2) this description pretty much fits the entire township. Thus, I e-mailed the company to get an exact idea of where the bus stops. I'll give credit to Shortline Bus Company: they answered promptly and intelligently, stating the pickup point was at the "building which is boarded up." When I responded with a question on whether THIS was the building they were referring to
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8488/8...c5f93a4e_z.jpg
To their credit (again), Shortline promptly and accurately stated that the building in that photo was NOT the building where the bus stops, but was instead the one across from the beauty salon. A quick check (I mean, HOW MANY beauty salons can exist in a place the size of Southfields?) gave me this place
http://www.bellatestabella.com/
which is right at the intersection of Route 17 and Orange Turnpike (aka County Highway 19). When I used the Street View feature of Google Earth{R}, both Bella Testa Salon and a grey store called "Corner Deli" were clearly visible. The latter is on the southbound side of the highway and has a large parking lot, so I presumed this is what they were referring to.

When I got to Southfields yesterday, that grey building was clearly abandoned, with a locked door and "For rent by owner" sign on the front -- but not what I would call "boarded up." Also, there was not the slightest indication that this is where the Shortline Bus would stop. Nevertheless, I waited here and, despite the impatience I noted above, the bus did indeed stop when I waved it down. The Valero station and Tuxedo Motel noted in the original article are still there, but standing at the former Corner Deli would probably make you more visible to an approaching bus. Despite the place clearly being abandoned, there are still picnic tables along the highway (if it's pleasant) and an awning over the front (if it's raining, like it was yesterday), so you could stay there for a while in some degree of pleasantness. If you check the schedule, you can get your junk food at the Valero -- a three minute walk away -- and not get ready for the bus till it's about time for it to arrive.

One SMALL bit of advice: when you start to flag down the bus, try to be certain it is, indeed, the Shortline Bus coming south towards you. They have their logo on the front of the bus, so it should be easy to identify. The driver of a white, charter bus gave me a funny look as he zipped by while I was waving furiously for him.

The A.T. crosses Highway 17 at Arden House Road, over which it is easy to cross Interstate 87, the Rampo River, and the railroad tracks. When you get to Highway 17, you can go 1.6 miles north to the Harriman Depot and ride the train into Penn Station, or 1.9 miles south and ride the bus as I noted above. I've done both, and each is adequate for getting back -- your choice basically comes down to which schedule is more convenient for you. The train does accept credit cards for ticket purchase, and you DEFINITELY don't have to flag down the driver to get the train to stop.

If you have trouble telling north from south, just remember: if the interstate and the train tracks are on your right as you walk along Highway 17, you're going north; on your left, you're going south. This highway is four-lane and undivided, so traffic moves pretty quickly. Fortunately, visibility for drivers is excellent and the shoulder is wide.

Nothing for nothing ............. do some research on the Port Jervis & Mid-Hudson train lines / they'll put right on the outer edges of the park