During Americas' Sail '98 at Glen Cove and the 5th Annual Founders Day Celebration, bicycle riders will not only be able to exercise their bodies; they'll also be able to give their mind a workout when they participate in the narrated Bicycle Tour covering many of the Gold Coast Mansions located in the city of Glen Cove. These tours are scheduled for the first four days of the Tall Ships stay off Morgan Park. The tours all start at Thayer House (adjacent to Glen Cove High School) on Dosoris Lane - Saturday July 11, Sunday, July 12 and Monday July 13 starting at 10 a.m. and Tuesday, July 14 starting at noon.

The Pratt Family Manor House, once the home of John Peele Pratt Sr., his wife, seven sons and one daughter, at the corner of Dosoris Lane and Old Tappan Road is the first stop on the tour. The Manor House, now used as a conference center and hotel, was the first of the Pratt Mansions to be built in Glen Cove on the 1,000 acres of land purchased from John and Charles Coles, decendants of one of Glen Cove's founding fathers.

Next stop is at John Peele Pratt, Jr.'s former home, less than a mile down Old Tappan Road from the house in which he spent many weekends and summers. Continuing north on Old Tappan Road, on the left, behind an elegant wrought iron gate, the Pratt Family Mausoleum can be found. And, at the end of the road, the church JP Morgan built for family and retinue, St. John of Lattingtown.

Heading south, on Lattingtown Road, you'll see a golf course. Turn right to reach the Pryibil Family home, Bogheid by name, originally occupied by one of JP Morgan's executive employees. The word Bogheid means "a marshy meadow around the bend" —appropriate because Pryibil's house was just a few acres around the bend from Morgan's Mansion and is situated near the marshy lands adjacent to Dosoris Pond. The house is now privately owned.

Now you'll peddle about two miles before you reach another Pratt Mansion, Popular Hill, first inhabited by Frederick Baily Pratt, today a health related senior care facility. In all likelihood, you'll be able to see the public areas on the main floor and get a glimpse of the water view behind the house. If you look to the left on your climb to FBP's former home, you may get a peek at Killenworth, the George Dupont Pratt estate currently used by the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations on weekends and during the summer.

Riding downhill behind Popular Hill, you'll quickly reach New Woods Road and shortly thereafter, on the left, you'll be able to see the old clock tower from the Pratt Estate. After turning right onto Crescent Beech Road, you'll come to two stone pillars flanking the wooded drive which leads you to Welwyn, Harold Irving Pratt's residence. This recently became Nassau County's Holocaust Museum.

If you listen carefully as you bicycle through the shaded acreage, you can sometimes hear Matinecock children stalking the foxes, rabbits and other wild game that still can be found there today.

Adjacent to Welwyn is The Braes, Herbert Lee Pratt's stately mansion, overlooking Hempstead Harbor. Now, a small number of young men and women learn about naval architecture here, in The Braes Estate's new name, Webb Institute. You'll be invited in to see the high ceilinged, paneled rooms where Herbert Lee and his family dined, relaxed and listened to music.

After a short ride back up Crescent Beach road, you'll arrive at the last stop on your itinerary, Winfield Hall, part of the Woolworth Estate. In addition to the stately exterior and the formal gardens behind the residence house, you'll be permitted to go inside to see the staircase which cost $2 million to build, as well as original parquet floor and crystal chandeliers.

To make certain you'll be able to join one of the Bicycle Tours, we suggest you get an application from the mayor's office, 3rd floor at the Glen Cove City Hall, 9 Glen Street, Glen Cove, NY 1542 and mail it back with a $2 registration check ($1 for kids 12 to 18) drawn to Americas' Sail 98 at Glen Cove. For an application by phone or more information, call 676-7097. Do it now; tour groups are limited in size and will fill up rapidly.