EMPIRE STATE AIDS RIDE :: TRAVEL & HOTELS

Log In | Contact Us

Niagara Falls

We are moving this year to the new Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls, in Niagara Falls, NY, just a short walk (or bike ride) to the American Falls, the Seneca Casino, and the Rainbow Bridge to Canada.

This newly renovated hotel features modern, luxurious rooms and is in a great central location. The room charge includes a free full pre-ride buffet breakfast on Sunday, Aug. 16th. (There will be a $12 per person breakfast charge if you are not a guest at the hotel.)

Book your room now!

Rooms are available for Aug. 14 and 15, 2009 for the ESAR7 rate of $199 a night, double occupancy. There is a $10 per person charge for more than two people. Call the hotel at 1-800-Crowne and request the Empire State AIDS Ride convention rate.

The ride rate is available until July 4, 2009. There is a 5% bed tax and 8% sales tax on rooms.

If you must cancel, be sure to do so by July 4 or you will be charged the full amount.

If you are shipping your bike to Niagara Falls, the hotel will securely store luggage and bicycles in boxes or in hard cases for up to three days before registration. Your shipping label should read:

Attn: Empire State AIDS Ride
Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls
300 Third Street
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
(716) 285-3361

On the road again...

Your registration fee includes new tents roomy enough for two and overnight accomodations at campgrounds. If you prefer a mattress and a TV to earth and the sound of crickets, limited hotel and motel spaces are available most nights. You are responsible for booking your own room, for the cost of the motel room, and for transportation to and from camp.

I vant to be alone...

Prefer to bring your own tent or sleep alone in an ESAR tent? Camping spaces are at a premium in August, so we have to pass along a $100 surcharge. We need your reservation for a private tent and your payment no later than July 1st. Mail your check to ESAR, P.O. Box 26, Piermont, NY 10968. Be sure to write SOLO TENT on the memo line of your check!.

You want me to sleep where??

For the camping adverse, there are limited motel rooms available along the route. You are responsible for the cost and for getting to and from the motel (don't count on cab service either!) Post a message on the bulletin board to find a kindly volunteer who's driving to their room.

August 16 - Holiday Inn Express/Irondequoit, 2200 Goodman St. North, Rochester, NY USA 14609
4.5 miles from camp. Reserve a room by calling 1-800-Holiday. Discounts are also available online.

August 17 - Yale Manor B & B, 563 Yale Farm Road, Romulus (315) 585-2208. Four miles from camp. They've waived the two-night minimum for us. Rooms range from $90 to $140. They have six rooms, two with private baths.

August 18 - Fairfield Inn, 864 Front Street, Binghamton (607) 651-1000. 11 miles from camp via Interstate 88.

August 19- TBA

August 20th - Sullivan Community College. Bunk beds are available indoors for a fee of $20 per person. The rooms sleep two people each.

August 21 - Bunk beds are available indoors at the Black Rock Forest Lodge to the first 50 riders who request them for a per person fee of $20, which supports the science program at the forest. There are six to eight bunks in a room.

Reserve your NYC hotel room now!

We once again have reserved a block of rooms at the end of the ride at Club Quarters, 52 William Street in lower Manhattan. If you're not familiar with the chain, it's a members-only corporate hotel which caters to business travelers. It's an 8-block walk or quick cab ride from Robert Wagner Park. Past ESAR riders loved it and requested it again.

The rate for 2009 is $224. You must reserve your room by July 2, 2009. The hotel will also extend the special rate for participants who wish to extend their stay.

To reserve, call (212) 575-0006 and give the group code, ESA816. There is a $15 per extra person charge per night. NYC tax is 13.38-percent and $3.50 per room per night.

Other options are available, including the Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park, which is directly across from our closing ceremonies. It has a fabulous terrace bar with views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbour (worth the $15-a-drink charge just for the great views and ambience!) We do not have a group rate here. Travelocity, expedia and hotels.com are your best bet for a discount.

For a discount bed, go to www.hiayh.org to reserve a bed at the Ameican Youth Hostel at 103rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Just three blocks from the C train and one block from Broadway, the hostel is clean, cheap, safe, and convenient.

Airlines

Buffalo International Airport is 23 miles from the city of Niagara Falls, N.Y. A taxi ride to the Days Inn at the Falls is between $50 and $60 and taxi vans are available. Post a message on our yahoo message board to find other riders and share the cab fare.

* JetBlue and US Airways both fly to Buffalo International Airport. Book early at www.jetblue.com.

We make bike shipping easy

Our gear truck will be pick up bikes in Manhattan on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 at the Bike New York headquarters at the American Youth Hostel, 103rd Street and Broadway. The cost for bike shipping is $50 from Manhattan to Niagara Falls. We recommend wrapping your frame and derailleur with bubble wrap to prevent scratches or damage in transit. We will cover each bike with a blanket and secure it in the truck, so you do not need to dismantle your bike. Your bikes will be delivered intact to the Days Inn at the Falls. You may pick them up during registration hours from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

We will also deliver your bikes after the ride to a local bike shop to be disassembled, boxed, and shipped home via FedEx or UPS. The base price is $40, which will be billed to you by the bike shop, plus the UPS or FedEx delivery charge. We recommend having your bike shipped directly to the shop you will use to reassemble your bike.

If you are using a hard case we will carry it for you at no charge from Niagara Falls to NYC. We strongly recommend that you pack your bike in the case before handing it over to us for transfer to the bike shop.

The gear truck which will transport your bikes will be conveniently parked adjacent to the closing ceremony Aug. 23th, 2009 in Robert Wagner Park (overlooking the State of Liberty at the southernmost tip of Manhattan).

Each rider will get a bike shipping form by email approximately six weeks before the ride.

"I’ve ridden a bike to fight AIDS for over 10 yrs. Dramatic advances have been made but there’s still no cure, so I’ll keep pedaling. Research is expensive but now I can fuel the spark of creative science by funding seed grants awarded from the ARI Breakthrough Fund. In the ESAR, I’ve found a cycling event that’s intimate yet challenging, where a small, determined and loving group of people can push their limits, contribute to a breakthrough and end AIDS once and for all."
--Tracy Daugherty (left)

"I continue to come back to ride the ESAR, year after year, because it's challenging, unbelievably rewarding and there is no more of a caring and loving group of individuals I would rather spend a week sweating, hurting, struggling, laughing, and loving with than the ESAR riders and volunteers. This ride raises an incredible amount of much needed funding for several very deserving AIDS agencies and the clients they serve. ESAR will guarantee you seven days that you will treasure forever and many new friends who care as much as you do about this cause."
--Kevin Judge

"The most amazing thing is witnessing my fellow riders, as we climbed those hills, looking at their faces in utter pain, but with eyes, legs and souls full of determination and commitment. You can feel the energy and spirit bounce off the trees and fill the camp site at the end of the day. And, I wonder how do I leave these "super" human beings? -- So I came back for another ride!"
--Lucy Prieto

"Having been a part of the Empire State AIDS Ride since it's inception, I can tell you that each one leaves me even more speechless in describing the camaraderie, strength, and compassion of the people this event brings together. This small but powerful group is making a difference! It has truly become a family affair--with spouses, partners, siblings, parents and kids supporting us. All others who are not related to us become part of the tightly knit ESAR by the end of the week. People think we are doing a selfless thing (and we are), but I receive so much more out of this amazing, life-changing week than I give."
--Paula Silvestrone, Executive Director of AIDS Rochester

"There are lots of reasons why I love this ride--my teammates, the wide open road, and the beauty of New York State in the summer. But I DO this ride because it is something meaningful that I can do to help people with HIV/AIDS. Funds we raise work towards preventing HIV, caring for people with AIDS, and conducting research to end the epidemic. You can add to the expanding legacy of ESAR by committing to doing what most people say they can't even imagine. Move beyond your comfort zone. Push yourself to higher levels of fitness and health during training. Spend a week on the road pedaling your bike that will enrich the rest of your life with the goodness and humanity of fellow riders, family, and donors. Make a difference in the lives of people affected by HIV/AIDS!"
--Tobie Olsan

"ESAR 5 was probably the most physically challenging "vacation" I could have imagined, but in return it was the most mentally relaxing and emotionally rewarding week of my life. For seven days, I was surrounded by gorgeous landscapes, amazing people, and nothing to worry about but riding my bike."
--Cindy Beyer

Web Design by Deirdre Reznik