2026 Middletown Road Meet (with a Side of Borscht) – June 6, 2026

[Roadgeek Adam]

Back when I used to announce road meets six months in advance, it was looked at with shame. Now it seems to happen all the time. I've made hints at this and will finally announce a road meet held in Middletown, New York on Saturday, June 6, 2026 (rain date June 13, 2026 if necessary and I don't mean rain, I mean if necessary.) The date is also because it's doubling as a party for my girlfriend Toni's 36th birthday. I got a party for my 34th birthday this year and Toni deserves her own party (her birthday is the next day.) I thought the best way to do it was to host a road meet that I was already planning (6x6=36 ).

This meet will be a mix of urban roads, suburban roads and a taste of the Borscht Belt. Borscht is a sour soup that was very popular in eastern Europe and in the Catskills. The Borscht Belt was a nickname for many places along Route 17 from Rockland County to Sullivan and Delaware Counties that often featured Jewish comedians performing at numerous resorts that operated throughout the area. Many people came from NYC and areas around to take vacations. Members of both sides of my family made visits to Grossinger's, the most famous of the Borscht Belt resorts. Nowadays, the Borscht Belt is gone, and what remains is often abandonment. The resorts are either demolished or in a state of massive decay. The Jewish comedians are mostly dead and the area is struggling to hold on to its old history.

The major part of this meet will be visiting the collector–distributor roads under construction between exits 120, 121E–W and 122 in Middletown and the town of Wallkill. They are currently building what will be the THIRD iteration of exit 122 of New York State Route 17 in Quickway form. It is part of slated upgrades related to Interstate 86 that have been occurring since the 1990s (and I make no qualms I am opposed to the designation of). This section of 17 does need widening, though. After that, we will visit some of the interchanges that have seen changes over the years as part of upgrades: 119 (NY 302 in Wallkill, there's abandoned pavement sections); 118A (former western end of NY 17M; totally abandoned, two full ramp rights of way); 117 (Tarbell Road; abandoned).

After that we will take NY 17 west to exit 114 and then follow Shawanga Lodge Road (named after an abandoned Borscht Belt resort that has nothing left to see and is preserved as open land) to the Roosa Gap State Forest. There we will see an old 19th century alignment of the Newburgh and Cochecton Turnpike that has been preserved as a part of a local trail. Then we will reach the peak of the meet (literally) and visit the open to the public Roosa Gap Fire Tower (operated 1948–1971), which has incredible views in every direction (and where I want to take the group photo). From there, we will follow Ferguson Road down to Summitville, where we will take U.S. Route 209 (and its old alignment) to Spring Glen, where we will visit a mostly intact abandoned Borscht Belt resort, the Homowack Lodge. From there we will take 209 to Ellenville, where we will reach NY 52, which is on a two-way pair in the village. We will take 52 through the Cragsmoor area, with another quick overlook that gives spectacular views before descending into Pine Bush, where will take NY 302 back to 17. From there we will return to the designated parking area (likely the Middletown–Town of Wallkill Metro-North/NJ Transit station).

Now, because it is a road meet I host, you know there will always be a railroad aspect to it. In this case, that is the restaurant. My expectation is to host this at The Switch Inn, a local restaurant next to the former Erie Railroad Middletown–Main Street station. The building the restaurant is in was one of many railroad hotels opened by the Erie in the days before there were Pullman sleeping cars. The restaurant would serve as a hotel for riders and as a restaurant. Those who know me know the Erie Railroad is my specialty railroad and I want to put it to my advantage. While the Erie Railroad main line is gone, the trail parallels the restaurant.

I hope to see you people there.

In summary:

The Switch Inn
126 East Main Street
Middletown, New York 10940

Date: Saturday, June 6, 2026
Time: 11 am

[Alps]

Will there be punch and pie? More people will come if there is punch and pie.

[Rothman]

I much prefer shchi to borscht, but I will plan on being there.

[jpi]

As for me I will definitely keep this in mind if I have nothing else going on that weekend

[cockroachking]

Construction on the bridge replacement of NY-17 over NY-17K at Exit 116 should be well underway by that point as well, assuming the contract is awarded on schedule (letting is next week).

[Roadgeek Adam]

Construction on the bridge replacement of NY-17 over NY-17K at Exit 116 should be well underway by that point as well, assuming the contract is awarded on schedule (letting is next week).

I'll have experience with that given I go under that bridge twice a day every weekday. I've not written the final documents up.

[jon12791]

I'll try to make this one. Do you recommend any hotels for both Friday night and Saturday night?

[Roadgeek Adam]

I'll try to make this one. Do you recommend any hotels for both Friday night and Saturday night?

There's plenty of hotels at exit 122, which is what you need to get to the restaurant.

[baugh17]

My attendance will be dependent on the timing of me returning home from Virginia for my niece's high school graduation.  I should be back by then, but I'm putting it out there just in case.

UPDATE (2/7): I'm most likely returning from Virginia that preceding Monday.  As long as it's on the 6th, I should be there.  If it does get bumped to the 13th, I do have a commitment in Buffalo that day.  We'll cross that bridge if/when we get there.

[hotdogPi]

I will be there. I must be back at the Middletown rail station at 9:14 PM, which is about an hour walk from the start point.

[jpi]

Still keeping this in mind, if I don't have any toy shows that day and if Steph is working I will probably be there

[Roadgeek Adam]

I have posted the invite on Facebook as well.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Construction on the bridge replacement of NY-17 over NY-17K at Exit 116 should be well underway by that point as well, assuming the contract is awarded on schedule (letting is next week).

The VMSs appeared today. 4/1/26 is the beginning of construction. As I said, I'm on this piece of 17K every day for work, so I'll know where it is at by June.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Adding of note, the new NY 17 exit 122 westbound opens April 27.

I will have a full meet guide up in May.

[vdeane]

Adding of note, the new NY 17 exit 122 westbound opens April 27.

Well, that's a plot twist!  I thought the project wasn't supposed to be finished until fall?

[Roadgeek Adam]

The VMS that marked the April 27 opening vanished yesterday. I will look again this afternoon.

That said, the new 122 opening does not mean the project is over, because more is involved, including the 121 ramps, which are not upgraded. (121E is still dirt compared to the paved 122.)

A bridge on 17 between 122 and 122A is not finished yet either.

[Roadgeek Adam]

The VMS is apparently closer to exit 122A than I thought. I probably just missed it yesterday. Can confirm it says MON APR 27 on it. (Also, if you've driven 17 in the last couple years, you'll know there had been a fallen BGS for exit 122A westbound. That has been replaced with a new one this week that just says GOSHEN rather than Fletcher Street GOSHEN with an exit tab that is not NYSDOT standard.)

That said, Route 17 is far from finished in the widening. Even if the new 122 opens, it's mostly gonna help with construction of this new collector-distributor.

Construction is present in both directions and the plan is to shrink it to 1 lane in each direction to facilitate work.

Also, at exit 116, bridge demolition has begun on NY 17's overpass of NY 17K, but not a ton so far. We'll see what changes in 7 weeks.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Exit 122 wb opened this afternoon. It was not open in the morning, but by 2pm,  it was open to traffic and old 122 was closed to traffic.

[Roadgeek Adam]

As promised, here is the meet guide for June 6. It is 11 pages long and also subject to changes, I will notify if that happens.

[jpi]

Looks like I am 100% going. I plan to spend the night in Clarks Summit, PA the night before

[Roadgeek Adam]

Another minor update: exit 121E on 17 westbound opened this week and now old 121E is being torn up, along with old 122.

[BMACS001]

I'll be there!

[Roadgeek Adam]

Right now I'm planning with the expectation of 16 people, but with only 14 confirmed. Leaves room for any changes.

[74/171FAN]

I am almost certainly going to be there.

[jpi]

Hi everyone, as you all know I have a mini van and will be able to up to 6 people besides myself for the meet tour, this will help with car pooling.