New York ... the calm before the storm.

I must repeat the proviso that this Post is backdated.  We spent the weekend of 12-14 October in New York.  The weather was glorious. There was no hint of the devastation to come in the areas that Trevor and I visited 2 weeks ago.

The RV park in Jersey City is also an active marina and yacht club. It was very busy with lots of RV's. Thankfully we had booked ahead.  We would not have wanted to run the gauntlet of interstates, highways, traffic and tolls! only to find that we couldn't get in.
On Friday after setting up, we walked to the river front and there before us was Lower Manhatten just across the Hudson river. It was a lovely evening. We explored the Ferry docks and the subway stations to get a feel for our travel tomorrow into the city. We found a bar and stopped in for a drink. It was very nice to be amongst a lot of people again!!  We feel safe walking back through the streets to the RV park.

Saturday morning was cold - about 5 degrees.  I didn't sleep well.  I cut my finger yesterday and it throbbed all night!  Wuss! We set off for the city at about 9am taking the PATH subway under the Hudson river to the World Trade Center. The area is so changed since I was here in 2003.  Lots of building going on. We get passes (free) for the 9/11 Memorial; queue for some time; security checks and then we are onto the Memorial proper. It is quite something! The words that come to mind are 'solemn', 'dignified', 'moving' and 'peaceful'. The memorial is defined by 2 enormous reflecting pools that sit in the footprints of the Twin Towers, a grove of trees and the names of nearly 3000 people inscribed in bronze. The Memorial is a national tribute of honor and remembrance to the victims of the terror attacks of February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville PA and at the Pentagon. There are 2 rising towers - 1 World Trade Center and 4 World Trade Center.

We spent more than 2 hours walking around.  We talked for some time with a security guard who was there on 9/11.  It was very moving to hear what he had to say.

We then took the subway uptown to 125th Street. Harlem. We had come too far so back on the subway to 110th Street - the top of Central Park. We walked all the way down to 59th Street, the entire length of Central Park. It was a beautiful afternoon and the park (843 acres) was green and leafy and so spacious. We continued walking down town. Bought a hotdog from a street vendor.  It was delicious!

We had dinner at a lovely restaurant - Edwards Steak House - on Marin Boulevard, Jersey City on our way home.  We are both a bit tired!!

Next morning we were up early and off again; today we are going to explore a little more of mid Manhatten. We visit Grand Central Station and then have coffee.  We join thousands of New Yorkers who  lined Fifth Avenue to watch the 47th annual Hispanic Day parade. 10,000 took part in the parade which trailed from 44th Street to 67th Street and featured floats, bands and musical groups that celebrated Latin America, Spanish and Latino culture. Flags from dozens of different countries lined Fifth Avenue showing New York as a true melting pot. It was a beautifully warm day.
A late lunch on  The Avenue Of The Americas. We walked to Times Square and mingled with so many people - you just have to wonder where they all come from.  I explored Macy's briefly while Trevor sat in a park watching the world go by!

Grand Central Station

The Chrysler Building

The Empire State Building

Times Square

Opening of Parade

But then ... the wheels fell off!!  I had my wallet stolen!!  It was pickpocketed out of my handbag probably when we were in Times Square as I had  it at lunchtime when I paid for lunch. Yes I had one Visa card, my Drivers Licence and other cards.  Fortunately we were able to stop the Visa immediately we discovered the loss and no transactions had been made on it. I had some cash but not a lot.  It could have been worse. But it was a buggar of a way to end such a great weekend.

New York! New York!

PS   I know that the date of this post will be confusing.  I am behind with the blog. Actually about 2 weeks behind!! Apologies!  In light of the current situation and Hurricane Sandy I will make every endeavour to bring 'you all' up to speed quickly.

We stayed at Cuddebackville, NY for 2 nights. Spent a day doing chores - washing, cleaning, paperwork.

I was also continuing a personal battle with public bathrooms! I have always had an aversion to public change rooms. At home I prefer to go to the beach in my bathers (yes - Trevor is reminding me that it is only once or twice a year) and then drive home in wet bathers. Imagine how I felt when I realised that for 12 months I would have to run the gauntlet of the public bathroom! I have tried. In fact some of the bathrooms in RV parks are very nice;  one the other day had a heated floor!!  On the other hand some of them are a bit ordinary. Then there is the problem of how to dry yourself and at the same time not put any part of your body on the floor including your feet! In fact how do you manage to shower and not put the soap or flannel anywhere but in your hand. How do you get your track pants on without putting your feet on the floor or at most ... standing on one leg?Some showers are timed; you put your money in and then race to get the shower done in the time you have. There is also the constant struggle with  privacy!!! And you think this is all easy???? I far prefer to use the shower in the RV.  Although a bit small it is lovely. Trevor only has to say  'I guess they are OK'  for me to stay in our own bathroom.

At  Cuddebackville I decided to use the public bathrooms.  Trevor said they were great! There were only a few RV's in the park and not many people. But they had me fooled.  The toilet was blocked and the door would not lock in the first one;  there was no hot water in the second so back to the first. But the hot water ran out before I had rinsed off the hair conditioner; the light went out mid shower as I hadn't turned the light timer far enough; then a man walked in as I was dressing!!









Trevor spent the day working out how we could, most economically, spend some time in New York. He has come to the conclusion that the best way is to drive in!!  We will then have our own accommodation. We will save not only on bus/train fares but also a hotel for say 2 or 3 nights plus the cost of an RV park for the motorhome.  Too easy! Has he forgotten that he was never ever going to drive anywhere near New York City???? He's determined and has even booked the closest RV park to New York City, the Liberty Harbor Marina and RV Park in Jersey City, just a ferry ride across the Hudson River from Lower Manhatten!

Delawere River

We left the Deerpark RV park at 10am.  It was cold. Minus 2 degrees minimum, but it had warmed to 5 degreesC.  We crossed into Pennsylvania at Port Jervis.  We then crossed into New Jersey at the Delawere River onto Hwy 206S.
New Jersey has an industrial image earned largely by its manufacturing and railroad towns of Newark and Hoboken. But outside the industrial corridor that lies across the Hudson River from New York City, New Jersey is a gentle country of green and orderly small towns, dairy farms, rolling hills, pine forests and white sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. It is quite beautiful with the countryside clothed it fall colours. Neither of us say anything about what is to come.

We then travel on Hwy 15 to I-80E, a 4 lane highway.  It is now midday. The traffic is moderate but becoming serious.  We are seeing road signs to New York! Off  I-80E to 287, then 24 and then I-78.  Decisions!
We have a problem at the toll plaza; we get in the wrong lane and cars and trucks are swerving around us as we manoevre to the right toll! ****! ****!   All sorted and we are on the New Jersey Turnpike to Jersey City.  The streets are fairly tight (narrow) as we make our way to the RV park. However the position of the RV park could not be better. We are so close to everything.  The Statue of Liberty is almost within touching distance!

I take my hat off to Trevor.  He did it all so well.  There was just a moment - I think when we were on the first Interstate with 5 lanes in each direction and he looked at me and said "Oh shit....!"  And of course the profanities at the toll! But we are here!

News Flash!!!

28 October 2012.

We noticed today in The West headlines that Trevor checks regularly, reference made to approaching US Hurricane Sandy. Now I know that I am still trying to catch 'you all' up on the blog. I think we are some 2 weeks behind. But we thought you might be interested in our current whereabouts in relation to Sandy.

We are in Pigeon Forge, Smoky Mountains, Tennessee.  One guess????? Dolly Parton country!
There is talk of snow here.  It is already snowing in the higher elevations.  It is cold. The maximum temperature today was about 7-8 celsius!  We took a shuttle bus up to Gatlinburg; a pretty mountain town where the autumn colours are still evident on the hill sides. It was freezing!  There was continual light rain. It felt as if it should start snowing any minute. It is predicted to be even cooler in the coming days.Apparently the 'cool' change in weather is unseasonal - more than a month early. There are lots and lots of people here as tourists obviously, like us, following the fall colours and not anticipating winter so soon. But combined with the anticipated hurricane, the cold weather has certainly sent people home as there has been a major exodus from the area.

We are watching the weather channel with great interest. As well as the impending hurricane there is an intense cold front approaching from the northwest. There are major issues predicted when they meet!
They are saying that the combination of such conditions could create the storm of the century - a perfect storm! Thousands of people have been evacuated from coastal areas further north with threats of flooding, extremely high winds, power outages and the cancellation of plane, train and bus services. Even the subways in New York have been closed due to the threat of flooding.

We have had beautifully warm days for the last week. It was in the low 80'sF on Wednesday and Thursday.

We are back in somewhat familiar territory in the Smokies ... in an earlier life we hiked  the Great Smoky Mountains as the Appalachian Trail covers the mountain range as it heads north along the stateline between Tennessee and North Carolina. We have returned to some of the places we previously hiked through. But we are now greatly limited by this weather.
Although it is cold outside we are cosy and warm in our home on wheels. I brought over 2 silk sleeping liners which we used inside our sleeping bags when hiking in the snow all those years ago. It still amazes me how warm we are without electric blankets, fleecy sheets or even bulky doonas.

Where has everyone gone???

Tomorrow we are taking the RV in for its 10,000 mile service; 7400 miles of which we have driven since we bought it. It is booked in for 8am at an RV service centre in Knoxville about 25 miles away. An early start in the dark! Hopefully the roads will be OK to drive on. Then we will head southwest to Nashville and Memphis, again weather permitting.

So - in a nutshell, we are fine.

Further South!

Yes ... on the move!  9 October (I know, I know!)  We leave the coast of Massachusetts on an overcast day. It's 12 degrees C.  We have a lot of miles to cover and hopefully will find warmer, sunnier weather.
We take Hwy 44 west from Plymouth. We had intended to go to Newport, Rhode Island but decided to get a bit further south. Ended up driving across Rhode Island - all 35 miles on 44 and across the State line into Connecticut still on 44. We run into rain by mid afternoon.

No Way!

We have talked about New York since Coralie's
visit. Trevor says  'no way am I driving the RV anywhere near new York!' We have been to New York a couple of times before, but it is such a great city and ... we are here.

Perhaps we could park somewhere out of town and commute in?

We stayed a night at Aces High RV Park in East Lyme Connecticut.  A very nice park but we can't stay longer.  We have places to go.
It is a pity, as we pass close by New Haven the home of Yale University,  Mystic Seaport and of course the capital city, Hartford.
We set off the next day in light rain with poor visibility. We are in for a day of highways: I 95 then CT 9N; at Middletown we go off 9 onto Hwy 66 ( a small highway); then onto 691W and at Waterbury we go onto I 84.  At 12.30 we cross the state line into New York State.

The weather is lightening up and the roads are very colourful with beautiful fall foliage.

There are lots and lots of trucks on the highway and we are seeing more RV's than we have for a while. The uncertainty of the last few days is behind us as we head south. A bit like birds that fly south for the winter ... it is time.

We stop at a place called Fishkill! Yep! We do some shopping at a Sam's Club store.  Incredible savings if you want enormous amounts of things. We have lunch in the RV and I make a coffee - very low on
caffeine and I can feel a headache coming on!!



The sun is out!! We plan to stop  at the KOA Deerpark/New York City RV park at Cuddebackville which is close to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey borders.  They are expecting us. Then we run into a traffic snarl at least 20 miles long. It takes us more than an hour and a half to get going. It is way past dark when we arrive at the park. I did ring ahead with news of our dilemma. All is good.