We were up early – this was a big day. We were on our way to New York City. We headed back onto I-95 and merged with easy traffic until until 11ish, then things got hectic with traffic volume.
Regardless of the time of day, people were frantically rushing somewhere in their cars, and then we faced a series of tolls as we navigated towards or destination.
After the cooler weather in New Brunswick and Maine, we appreciated the warmer weather, and the change from coniferous trees to dense deciduous trees and undergrowth.
The traffic volume increased exponentially the closer we got to New York City, our progress slowed to a snails pace. Our GPS took us on the fastest route to avoid traffic congestion. At first it seemed a round about way, but our progress was easier than anticipated.
We arrived early afternoon, checked in, took Chloe for a walk, then had supper at Surf City across the parking lot overlooking the Marina.
Then the walking began…
On our First Day in New York, we took the ferry past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Next, we took the subway up to Times Square and had lunch at the Olive Garden while people watching from the comfort of an air conditioned dining room. Next, we visited Gulliver’s Gate and Grand Central Station, then walked back to catch the PATH subway to Grove Station. Gulliver’s Gate was fascinating. With the advancement of 3D printing, the exhibits take on a proportional and realistic scale, with unprecedented detail when you stop and examine the models. On our way back to camp, we stopped in at the Grove Market, then finally returned to the trailer….exhausted after a long walking day.
On the Second Day we rode the PATH subway to visit the World Trade Centre Museum. What a moving experience seeing all the names carved into granite around the site where the North and South Towers once stood. I had a heavy heart seeing a white Rose left at each name on their birthday of those who died on 9/11. We took the subway back to Times Square, visited the Rockefeller Centre “Top of the Rock” and had a 360 view of NYC. We returned to Times Square for a pint of Guinness and some chicken wings at O’Donnohugh Irish Pub. Nourished, we walked to Madame Trusseaud, then back to 33 and 6 for a direct PATH subway ride back to Grove street. Susan’s back was sore after our second marathon day of walking.
On the Third Day we rode the PATH subway back up to 33 then rode the orange line subway up to the Museum of History. This to me was the largest collection of exhibits I have ever seen housed in one building. We stopped for a picnic lunch in Central Park and fed the pigeons. After lunch, we walked to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space museum. what a pleasant surprise to see everything housed on an aircraft carrier. I was in my element. Unfortunately, the confined space triggered Susan’s claustrophobia. Needless to say, Susan didn’t join me for the rest of the walk through the aircraft carrier or the Growler Submarine. It was very tight, with a series of water tight hatches that I had to squeeze through, and short narrow passages between each section where my shoulders rubbed against the walls. We left the waterfront and headed back to Times Square for supper at Olive Garden, then rode the red line subway to WTC and transferred to the PATH subway for our return trip to Grove Station. We walked back to our campsite feeling cooled off by the steady rain.
On our Fourth Day we had very unstable weather and stayed at the campground. We bathed Chloe, then we finished three loads of laundry in machines that had an insatiable appetite for coins. It was a good time to catch up on some of the trailer chores before we hit the road again.
With fresh water tank topped up and batteries fully charged, we were ready for boondocking on our way through Pennsylvania.