My New Zealand Saunter
By Linda Manco
Two years ago I set out to walk and explore every street and avenue of Manhattan, 818 km in all, starting with the 52 km perimeter walk (for me four days and 84 km because there was so much to explore!) in a month. I walked a total of 583 km, through Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and places in-between. My 800 km Manhattan walk is not finished yet! Every May, Shorewalkers holds the Great Saunter, when people walk Manhattan’s perimeter in one day. I had hoped to do it this year but Covid said no. Instead, I’m walking the 52 kilometers of the Great Saunter in Auckland over 3 days.
Yesterday I walked the Coast to Coast Walkway, literally across New Zealand from the Waitemata Harbour (Pacific Ocean) to the Manukau Harbour (Tasman Sea). Although it is just a 16 km walk, I managed to extend it to 29 km because I explored, climbed, diverted and got a bit lost once or twice. Day 3 was a cold grey day of spectacular views, diverse natural as well as man-made landscapes, surprising lovely finds in one of the oldest parts of Auckland, three grumpy cats, and Te Ara I Whiti (The Lightpath) a pink, disused motorway ramp, now a bike and walking path (with lighting which changes color at night) 20.61 km today. A total of 72.59 km (45.10 US miles) in three days, enough for a Great Saunter certificate!
Keeping the Torch Lit
By Angel Marzan
As another birthday passed for me this August, I decided to walk along the entire length of Broadway, from Broadway Bridge to the Battery. It was during the planning of this walk that I heard about your organization and the Great Saunter.
It’s enlighting to read about Cy’s creation of this Saunter his many accomplishments as well as in the restoration and accessibility to Manhattan’s shoreline. It’s a beautiful legacy. The fact that he was connected with my family in any way makes me feel blessed.
Cy Adler and his wife were good friends with my mom and lived in my neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. My mother was very politically active and Cy and his wife, like most of her friends, shared that passion.
A few years ago, Cy and my mom ran into each other and he gave her a copy of the Batt to Bear book and he inscribed it to “Keep Walking”. My sister gave me the book and I carried it with me on my successful Semi Saunter down the Great White Way. This has inspired me to one day do the Great Saunter.
After reading about your Virtual Great Saunter, I felt saddened that the annual tradition Cy started will be broken because of COVID and although I understand the current concerns and precautions in the world, I believe someone should actually walk the Great Saunter route. I mean no Olympics and no Saunter? As I’ve lived and worked in the area I plan to do so carefully, responsibly yet boldly. I hope to keep your Saunter going and I pray that I can do it in under 12 hours. This unsanctioned attempt will go up the east shore and down the west. I plan to begin at a sunrise and hope to have a beer and at Fraunces Tavern at the end.
My goal is to keep the torch lit for Cy and to let those who come from around the world to walk the rim of Manhattan that the Great Saunter lives.
Saunter Déjà Vu
By Robert Johnson
My saunter was in two sections. The first half of my walk, on October 3rd, was a 14 mile stretch from the World Trade Center to 207th Street. On the second half of the walk, Oct. 8th, I took the number 1 Subway train to the 207th. Street subway stop. From there I walked down the Eastside following the Great Saunter route. Directions were good until I came to a detour that I walked around as best I could. The distance from the 207th Street subway stop to the WTC is 18 miles which is my 32-mile virtual saunter walk.
I have now walked 33 Great Saunters. Hope to see you again at the next Great Saunter.