Hello all, sorry for the delay (again) been somewhat hectic the last week and we’ve finally paused for breath in a campsite in Connecticut, more about that next week. So, we left you in Waynesville in the rain.
Day 8 – Missouri – Illinois – 277 miles
Apart from the terrain being hilly for our run first thing I can’t really remember a lot about the drive apart from diverting around St Louis on the I-255 to avoid traffic before getting on the I-70 into Illinois (it was that exciting!).
Day 9 – Illinois – Ohio – 273 miles
Another unmemorable drive across the US along I-70 bypassing Indianapolis, of which I can remember nothing apart from skyscrapers in the distance.
On arrival, we decided to go for a walk around the area and set off, all OK on the pretty residential road across from the campsite, however as it got darker we turned onto busier and busier roads until we were walking alongside a dual carriageway with a small torch to warn approaching cars we were there.
When we got back to Reg we discovered the water had been turned off and on turning it back on discovered why, we had a flood in our outdoor storage area that the water pump lives in because the water filter fitted had sheared off. We learnt from our neighbours the next day that they had heard a ‘pop’ and immediately afterwards water began gushing from the side of Reg! They had turned the water off to stop him flooding.
We couldn’t fix the problem there and then so emptied the gear; our walking shoes, lifejackets, toolkit etc. onto the picnic table beside Reg. This was all OK as long as it didn’t rain …. At 1 a.m. we heard the patter of raindrops on the roof and rushed out to bring all of the gear inside to stop it getting even wetter. Suffice to say not a good night’s sleep!
Day 10 – Ohio – Pennsylvania – 318 miles
The day dawned without any water to Reg, and consequently no shower, washing up or even teeth washing. Fortunately, we had a five gallon water container we’d purchased in case of not being hooked up and were able to wash our faces, breakfast bowls and brush our teeth with. We rang around to see if anyone locally had a replacement part for the water filter and were quoted 10 days for a warranty repair in the nearest RV shop. So, plan B was put into action and a local RV mechanic called to effect a bypass of the filter to enable us to hook up again.
After our repair we set off, later than hoped, around 1 p.m. for Pennsylvania and Burnt Cabins (this really is the name of the town we were headed to). Thankfully the traffic was light and we had no major cities to circumvent and we arrived not too late in the evening.
The scenery had improved a lot from Missouri and Illinois and we were in rolling green farmland with the farm buildings also becoming older and more attractive.
Day 11 – Pennsylvania – New York – 299 miles
We detoured to come into New York state higher than Manhattan and had one of the most pretty drives we’ve had all trip. Although the scenery doesn’t match the majestic buttes and mesas of New Mexico, nor the mountains of Wyoming and Montana, it is beautiful green valleys between low hills and, in the morning it was often filled with mist. The small towns seem as if they have remained the same since Pennsylvania was founded in the 17th century and we saw several Amish buggies out and about. A far cry from the monster trucks in the mid-west and south.
We had made it across the US in eleven days through eleven states, covering 2,792 miles at an average of 254 miles a day with only one major mechanical failure and no major arguments. Woo hoo!
We had booked into Croton Point Park which is a Westchester county park north of New York City but featuring close proximity to a railway station at Croton-Harmon. The park itself sticks out into the Hudson, is very green (including the grass mound over the landfill the park was originally!), and very quiet for being only 40 miles north of Manhattan.
Friday 18th August, New York day one
An early start with a train to catch at 8:30 to meet up with Hanna in New York later in the day. We caught the train into Grand Central and walked along Sixth Avenue to our hotel, the Hyatt House, on 6th Avenue and 28th Street. Turned out to be a great choice as our room on the 30th storey looked out at the Empire State building and along 6th Avenue, a great view day or night.
We met Hanna at the hotel and after a welcome bottle of rose headed off to enjoy New York on a Friday evening. We had a good meal at the Spotted Pig in Greenwich Village then went drinking at a weird restaurant club, the Bagatelle, where the men were in their 50’s and the women in their 20’s, I think I was more weirded than either Alex or Hanna who both seemed to enjoy chatting to the old gits while I was no interest to the 20 year olds it seems (sigh …), then onto the rooftop bar at the Gansevoort Hotel where we met a couple from London (as you do) and a group from Washington Heights who we went off to a bar with until the early hours.
Saturday was a bit blurred and after a bit of a lie in we went for lunch near the Hudson Yards in Chelsea on an old light ship then went for a tourist cruise out to the Statue of Liberty which was interesting for the information the tour guide gave on the districts of Manhattan and also on Ellis Island and the statue itself. We ended the day in a nice Italian restaurant, L’Amico, before a restrained bedtime of midnight.
Sunday, we walked to and from Central Park, said our farewells to Hanna, walked the Highline park (a must as it gives a different perspective on the areas it goes through) and had a light lunch at the Chelsea Market before we headed back to Reg who had been left on his own in Croton Park.
All in all a very good week finishing with skirmishing around New York with a lovely friend and meeting new ones. Next week we go away again to Fire Island with some of our new friends from the trip but Alex will be giving more information on that adventure soon.
M
Travelling Bradburys 