Heading South, y'all

Trek Day 3

Today was described as one of our epic driving days, where we have covered around 375 miles as we head South-West into what is commonly known as the Bible Belt.

I woke feeling pretty good after a considerably better night's sleep (no gunfire), packed chaotically and helped take our tent down.

We were on the road not long after 7:30am and began the long journey out of Maryland, through Virginia and into Tennessee.

The vast majority of the day was on the road, with only a brief lunch stop and shopping expedition to buy group food supplies on the way.

Rain Check

The only minor disappointment of the day was that the planned trip to a Minor League Baseball game at the Bristol Sox. We had arrived at camp, pitched tents at full speed, headed to the Baseball field only to find that it had been cancelled earlier that day due to pitch conditions.

So, back to camp, and time for us to cook our first meal for ourselves. I was paired up with Kelly from Maidstone and we made a very successful and highly praised Pasta Bolognese. Scrumptious.

Up to date!

And there I am, all up to date. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep with my newly purchased pillow, no 12 lane highway... Oh, but there are Raccoons and Bears to worry about.

Goodnight.

Stats - Day Seven

Distance Travelled - 347 miles (as the crow flies)

States entered - Virginia, Tennessee

Total states count - 6 + DC

Meals cooked - 1

Campsite count - 2

DC by Daylight

This entry is from a campsite just outside Bristol, Tennessee. 11Mb wireless broadband in the middle of nowhere... fantastic.

Trek Day 2

After our tour of the major monuments by night, we returned to Washington DC for a day of Museums and other sights we'd not seen the previous evening.

The White House completes the triangle of major locations in DC, the other two being The Capitol Building and the Washington Monument. Obama's residence is, as expected, smaller than you might initially think, but it's an impressive building none the less, and it's good to have seen the home of the "leader of the free world". Barack was out though, which is annoying because he owes me £20. Never mind, I'll get if off him sooner or later. He's good for it.

Museums, Museums, Museums

The Smithsonian Institute is the largest collection of museums in America, covering all aspects of life, earth and culture.

I went around the Museums of American History, Natural History and Air & Space, as well as a stop at the Sculpture Garden. All these sit along the sweltering National Mall and all have great Air Conditioning.

I spent much of my day on my own again, as I lost the group I was with midway round the Natural History Museum. Not a problem though, I'm happy on my own.

Sleep Tight

A make-shift pillow made of clothes stuffed into a bag made my night's sleep far more bareable, and I slept pretty much through to when we needed to wake up.

Stats - Day Six

Distance Travelled: 0 Miles, stayed at Cherry Hill Park for second night

Total state count - 4 + DC

Pizza Count - 2

Wagons Roll

I’m writing this blog entry off-line in the back of the Trek America van (14 seat minibus). Here’s what’s happened so far...

Trek Day 1

My room-mate, and subsequently tent-mate, Carlinde and I headed down to an early, hearty breakfast at the departure hotel in New Jersey. We packed our bags, myself still nervous about the amount of stuff I have with me and whether it would be acceptable on the van, and went down to the conference room where our own and three other departing tours were assembling.

There are two “Southern Sun” tours running in parallel with 11 in each group plus one leader per group. We sat around on the floor, cross-legged, faces showing varying degrees of jet-lag, nerves and anticipation.

The group breaks down into: 2 Aussie girls travelling together and a 3rd Aussie on her own... Aussies travelling, who’d have thought it? A Japanese girl, two girls from Maidstone, both teachers, a German guy, my tent-mate Carlinde is a student from The Netherlands, a guy from Essex who has also just been laid off, a loud chap from Huddersfield who booked the trip on a whim 3 days before departure and me.

We got the introductions and admin stuff out of the way then dragged our varying size piles of baggage out to the van and its capacious trailer. It was with more than a little sense of relief that I realised all my stuff could be easily accommodated, even including the tents, cooking facilities,

food, utensils, pots, pans and sleeping mats.

Hit the Road Jack

At this early stage I was amongst the perkiest of the group so when it was clear that everyone else was being reserved, I called “Shotgun” for the first leg from New Jersey to Washington DC. This gave me the opportunity to get to know Kate, our tour leader. She’s from Minnesota and was very surprised to learn that Minneapolis is going to be one of my most eagerly anticipated destinations on my upcoming tour. She says she’ll give me a few must-see sights for when I am in her home state.

There were a few stops for refreshments and lunch on this first leg. From New Jersey, we passed through Delaware and Maryland before arriving in Washington DC. DC stands for District of Columbia and sits outside the normal state system.

Our campsite for the first two nights was “Cherry Hill Park” . Kate had made good time on the journey and we’d stayed ahead of the other Southern Sun trip meaning we got the better camping spot. Down in a wooded section and with a wooden covered “pavilion” with benches around the edge and picnic tables in the middle.

With the van unpacked, it was time to learn how to pitch our tents... in the rain, of course. The tents aren't as difficult to put up as many had feared and Carlinde and I had ours up in pretty short order.

The camp site had a pool, so some of went for a splash and shower before dinner, prepared by Kate, but only because it was our first night. Cooking responsibilities will be shared out, along with washing up, food buying, and van cleaning. We've also got two assigned van-loaders who are exempt from other duties, but do have a labour intensive morning on most days when they have to load all our stuff into the trailer.

Dinner was Burritos, and once we’d fed our faces, it was all aboard the van for a night tour of Washington’s major landmarks.

In Memoriam

We started at the Capitol building and looked down the huge national mall where people had gathered in their hundreds of thousands when Barack Obama was inaugurated earlier this year. From the Capitol, we went to the Washington Monument, the huge obelisk built in memory of the first US President, George Washington. It’s very impressive, and dominates the centre of DC. Next stops were, the Jefferson Monument, for third president, Thomas Jefferson then a short drive to visit the Korean War Memorial, a very moving tribute, featuring bronze statues of soldiers walking through undergrowth. The names of all nations involved in the conflict are engraved around the path alongside. The atmosphere was enhanced by the dark and high heat and humidity.

From there we walked along the National Mall to the World War II memorial, a larger area with pillars marking the 56 US States and territories involved. Back up the Mall to the opposite side of the Korean memorial is the Vietnam Memorial. I long, open V shaped path stretched down into the lawns with one side of the path lined with a wall of black marble with the names of those who fell in the conflict. The names are quite small, and the wall stretches to around 1 feet tall at it’s highest. The sheer volume of names is almost hard to take in and this way of presenting the names of the fallen forcefully presses the point home. Shame we didn't learn more from the conflict.

Last monument of the night in DC was the Lincoln Memorial which is a huge, temple-like structure with a huge white marble statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting inside.

American Monuments

I might be doing Britain an injustice but, by comparison, the American’s really know how to build a monument. The sense of the messages the War Memorials convey feels more graphic and powerful for the more literal presentation. Similarly with the commemoration of past Presidents, they are big, bold and unashamedly celebratory.

There is also a difference in the respect paid to them. The monuments were all busy, even at the late hour we were visiting. There were as many American voices in the crowd as foreign accents. You could hear them speaking with authority, respect and knowledge, frequently explaining the significance to their kids.

Maybe it’s the relative lack of history that means the US is so proud to mark what it has.

Under Canvas

Exhausted, we returned to the camp site, immediately headed for our tents and the stifling heat. Sleeping Bags were slept on, not in and we struggled to sleep through the background noises of a 12 lane Interstate Highway, crickets, some unknown creatures which made a sort of ratcheting chirp all night and, most alarming of all, two horrendous bangs which we all believe to have been gun-fire.

I slept terribly with the main problem being the complete inadequacy of my tiny camping pillow. A full size pillow immediately made it to the top of my shopping list.

Goodnight... NOT

Stats - Day Five

Distance Travelled (as the crow flies) - 196 miles: Secaucus New Jersey to Beltsville, nr Washington DC

States entered - Delaware, Maryland (plus Washington DC)

Total States Count - 4

Campsite Count - 1

Au Revoir New York City

I took it easy this morning. The guided tours were all done which meant I was free to do something I really love... wander around an unfamiliar city, following my nose. Going wherever the fancy took me.

Where it took me first was to Times Square, where I dropped into the AT&T store to buy a SIM card for my mobile. I now have my very own American phone number... oddly, it doesn't start with "555".

From Times Square I headed to Park Avenue. Park is unusual in New York as it is double wide and the traffic runs in both direction. The other avenues are one-way heading either Up- or Down-town. Another reason to check it is Grand Central Station which is at the Uptown end.

Grand Central is a huge rail terminal building which, despite the general disdain the Americans have for rail travel, is kept immaculate and has a very beautiful main concourse, covered in marble.

I carried on down Park Avenue, and was very pleased when I realised I was getting a grip on the Street layout and knew that I'd be able to cross over to Madison Avenue and walk down it towards the Flatiron District.

Tribute to Kirsty MacColl

It also meant that I could finally be "Walking Down Madison", a lyric which has been going around my head for two days! I don't know the song well, but I'll download it so I can relive the moment.

When I reached Madison Square Park (as opposed to Madison Square Garden which is several blocks away, round and the fourth building to have the name) it was lunch time so I went the the reknowned "Shake Shack". I waited in line (trans: queued) for 30 minutes before I got my 5 dollar shake and double cheeseburger which I ate sitting in the shade of a tree surrounded by tourists, sun-bathing New Yorkers and business types on lunch. Both burger and shake were delicious...though I just realised they forgot the onion on my burger. Too late now.

I schlepped around lower Midtown as far as Union Square before heading back towards my hotel. They were storing my baggage for me so that I could be free to enjoy my last day in New York... until October of course.

"Sorry Lady, I don't got time to go to Jersey..."

In London, asking a taxi driver to go "South of the River" can get you a rude answer. The equivalent in New York, apparently, is asking one to go to New Jersey.

So, having flagged down and loaded my bags into one Taxi, only to be thrown out a block later, then have a second one refuse to even entertain the idea, I walked with all my luggage to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 42nd and 8th (which makes Victoria Coach Station look nice by comparison) where is got the 320 Bus from gate 231.

To be fair, the service was pretty bloody good and, like the vast majority of New Yorkers I met, the staff were helpfull, kind and direct. Plus it only cost me $3.10 instead of $50 by cab.

A word or two about New Yorkers

I really like New Yorkers. I do. They are good people. From what I have seen and felt from them, they love their City and enjoy sharing it. They are blunt, but rarely rude. They are in a hurry, but will stop to help. I was the glad recipient of many acts of kindness, especially today, including a wonderful guy who carried my 20+ kilo bag up a flight of steps at the Bus Terminal. He was warm and friendly and pointed out "that's some weight you got in there!".

They are also keen to know what you think of their City and are happy when you enthuse about it to them.

Thanks guys. I'll be back.

New Jersey

New Jersey is just the other side of the Hudson River. The guy in the AT&T shop asked me not to judge Jersey by first impressions as I came out the Lincoln Tunnel. Don't worry I said, I judge New Jersey by Kevin Smith movies, a reference that he appreciated.

And New Jersey is where I am right now, quietly completing this Blog entry. Quietly, because in one fo the two beds next to me, is my trek room-mate, sleeping soundly. She is from The Netherlands, 23, has perfect English and is sweet, engaging, warm and funny. I hope we continue to share as I think we've hit it off very nicely. She flew in from Europe earlier today so has stayed up as long as she could to beat the jet-lag, but didn't make it past 8:00pm local time... 2:00am Euro time.

I too will get an early night as I had no mid-afternoon rest today and I covered a good few miles of New York sidewalk today.

Goodnight.

Stats - Day Four

Distance Travelled (as the crow flies) - 4.2 miles: Midtown Manhattan to Secaucus, NJ

States entered - New Jersey

Total states count - 2

Hotel count - 2

Burgers eaten - 2

5 Dollar shake count - 1

"If you look over to your left..."

I am officially toured out.

Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed the tour routine, but 3 in a single day is a lot. Here's how my second full day in New York went.

First call was just around the corner from the hotel where I bought myself a Softball Glove. I was lick a kiddie in a sweet shop... story, in a Candy Store (I'm going native, already). I bought a lovely Rawlings one with a 13" basket. I'm losing you aren't I?

Right, first tour of the day was the Uptown Bus Tour. Uptown New York is beautiful. Central Park is as impressive and tranquil as I imagined and more so. The condominiums overlooking the park are extraordinary. It's also surprisingly hilly when you head Uptown. We had a good tour guide for this part, but sadly he didn't know where Tom's Diner was so I'll have to add that to my list of things to do when I return here in October.

All aboard!

After the riches of Uptown I headed along 42nd Street to the Circle Line Boat tour. I had a free 75 minutes cruise as part of the package I bought yesterday, but had just missed it, but was able to upgrade to a 3 hour cruise for $10.

Several people had recommended the boat tour and I wasn't disappointed at all. To go around the entire island of Manhattan is an education in itself and with a very knowledgeable guide I saw many of the landmarks I'd seen already from completely different perspectives as well as many things I'd have otherwise missed.

Again?

With a numb bum from 3 hours on a plastic chair, I headed back to the hotel only to have the heavens open on me again. Another near tropical thunder storm turned to gutters into gushing streams and people in summer gear looked like survivors from a sunken ship. When I got back I showered, cooled down, went to dinner and then ventured out into the moist evening air for the night time bus tour.

This time there was no rain intervention and the tour took us downtown once again, then over the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn to give a taste of one of the other 5 boroughs which make up New York City and for some nighttime snaps of the Financial District.

Pooped

So, it's late now and I'm pretty darn tired. Tomorrow I move from this hotel to one in New Jersey ahead of the departure on the TrekAmerica Tour. Not sure whether I will have connectivity there... nor what my Room-mate will be like? Wish me well for both.

Goodnight.

Stats - Day Three

No new states

No additional burgers

Pizza Count - 1 (whilst standing in line for the Boat Trip... not the easiest thing to do... stand and eat very hot pizza from a flimsy box whilst holding a cup of diet Coke in the other hand)

"It's not the Heat, it's the Humidity"

When I was asking friends and family about things to do in New York, two people, Phill and Dan recommended that I get up bright and early and go to the top of the Empire State Building.

I can walk to the Empire State in 5 minutes from my hotel, so it was the obvious thing to do today. On the way, I bought a 2 day Open-Top tour-bus ticket which also included admission to the top of the Empire State. I was at the top shortly after 9:00am.

Now, given that I am afraid of heights I was pretty impressed with how calm I managed to be. I had a couple of moments when I felt a bit giddy, but the views more than made up for any colly-wobbles.

As you can see from the photo which a kindly fellow tourist took of me, it was a little misty in New York this morning, but there wasn't a breath of wind, making it less scary. I made two circuits of the observation deck before heading back down, via the gift shop where I managed to successfully resist all the items for sale (though I was sorely tempted by the Lego model of the building.

Flat Iron Building

Having taken my fill of the tallest building in the City, I hopped onto the bus to start the tour. First stop was the Flat Iron Building. Though it was never the tallest building, the Flat Iron is certainly one of New York's most unusual. Built on a slender triangular plot created by the way Broadway angles through the City, the building is covered in incredibly ornate carvings and is one of the many landmarks I really wanted to see.

Hopping back onto the next bus, I continued the tour through the West Village and Greenwich Village. Funky and Bohemian as advertised, I enjoyed the tour guide's comment that "you can try to be too strange for The Village, but it won't work".

Where were you when...

In marked contrast to the Hippy Chic of the village, the next part of the tour continued into the Financial District. I took another break from the tour here to go visit Ground Zero.

Still poignant after nearly 8 years, the building work takes place under the gaze of hundreds of near silent onlookers. For me, 9/11 is the "where were you when moment?". On that fateful day in 2001, I had taken a random day off work when I got a call from Paul who was in London and saw a passing headline on the big screen at Victoria Station. I switched on the TV and remember that I didn't move from that spot in the middle of med living room. I didn't even sit down. I just stood transfixed, remote in hand flipping from one news channel to another.

Eight years later I stood next to Ground Zero. A humbling experience.

Excuse Me Officer?

After a quick break watching boats on the Hudson from Battery Park City whilst eating a cup of cookies-and-cream Ice Cream, I rejoined the tour as it headed to South Street Seaport. Again, I disembarked, and took a stroll around this very touristy, but very pretty part of town. I also took the opportunity to kindly ask one of New York's Finest if he would be comfortable with me taking his photo. He was, and what a fine example of a Law Enforcement Officer he is.

I stayed on the bus as the tour turned back towards Midtown where I got off for a walk around the foot of Rockerfeller Centre and St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The tour finished with a loop around the Theatre and Garment Districts, through Times Square and back to the start at the Empire State.

BLAM!

I returned to the hotel for a pit-stop, sent a few Tweets and then decided to have a quick nap to restore some energy ahead of taking the Night Bus Tour in the evening.

The weather all day had been threatening something. It was very hot, very humid and very occasional clouded over. At 6pm I was woken by rain on my window. By 6:15pm, the rain had turned torrential and a Thunder Storm began to slowly and spectacularly crash through the City.

I love a good thunder storm, but this was different. The rain streamed down and swirled around the high-rises outside of my rear facing window. The furthest skyscrapers disappeared from view as the cloud turned thick grey behind the curtain of rain. The lightening cracked across the sky but the most remarkable thing was the thunder. The Skyscrapers act like giant chasms, funneling and reverberating each monstrous clap. I sat on the floor by the open window with my mouth gaping. It was breathtaking to behold.

As quickly as it came, it went and the sky turned blue and clean above the freshly soaked City. I took this picture from the window of my hotel room as the cloud receded.

I'll come back for my Dessert

I had dinner in the hotel, Roast Lamb with Rosemary Gravy and Mashed Potatoes, but time was getting on so I decided to have Dessert after going on the Night Tour.

I headed out into the night-time to find that the clammy, humid conditions had returned. By the time I got to where the tour began the ticket sellers and tour guides were convinced that the rain would return. The bus arrived and moments later so did the rain. I was game, and armed with a rain proof coat and a poncho over my legs, myself and a very few others were all set to go. Sadly, the remainder of the top deck were not and made a quick getaway even before the bus had pulled away.

We made it two blocks before the driver called in to the depot and bus was recalled. I was told there was another bus waiting at 47th and 7th, when I got there, that one too was recalled and Night Tours were abandoned for the evening. Light-weights.

Apple Pie, Coffee and Baseball

So, by this point it was raining steadily and I was 12 blocks North of the hotel. I tramped back through the warm, delicious New York rain, watching the sky flash with lightening. Back at the hotel, I went to the bar and ordered my Dessert. Upside-down Apple Tart, Cinnamon Ice Cream and a cup of Coffee. I ate this slowly as I watched the Baseball (the Tigers lost 1-5 to the White Sox).

I am now showered and ready for bed.

Tomorrow I'll be taking the Uptown Bus Tour and amongst many sights, I hope to see Tom's Diner. Made a bit famous by Suzanne Vega and then a lot famous by Seinfeld.

Goodnight.

Stats - Day Two

No new States to add

Burger count remains at 1

Ice Cream count - 1 (the Ice Cream with Dessert was "on the side" so doesn't count in this total)

First Contact

I'm here. I have arrived. The Dee-Dee has landed.

My flight touched down at New York's JFK Airport an hour and a half late, after a reasonably dull 7 hour flight chasing the sun. I've had 4 hours extra daylight today but am staying up till bedtime to beat the effects of jet-lag. As I type this it is 4:20am in England, but a warm, clammy 11:20pm on the East Coast.

Immigration have it in for me

So, what can I tell you about my first few hours? Well, the adventure began at JFK immigration desk, where after taking my prints and taking my photo (they do that to all visitors) the guy behind the desk quizzed me on how long I'd be staying."89 days" say I, cheerilly. "Hmmm" he says, then types some notes and plonks my Passport and accompanying paperwork in a special red folder and sends me to "The Office".

"The Office" turns out to be where the suspicious, dubious and nervous people are quizzed in further detail on the purpose, length and means of your visit. The people who quiz you have guns. I was very polite... they let me in. However, I have a card in my Passport reminding me to get the hell out of the USA by 23 October.

New York was Misty

I caught a Hotel Transit bus into the City (which I somehow neglected to remember to pay for) and it was just before we got a view of the skyline that I saw my first "Landmark". The 1964/65 World's Fair was held in Flushing Meadows, New York. The remaining structures are some UFO looking things on towers and the huge Unisphere globe. If you have seen the first "Men In Black" movie, you'll recognise them from showdown at the end of the film.

I was very pleased to have a landmark ticked off so early into the trip and was grinning happily when we rounded a bend in the Freeway to catch my first glimpse of the New York skyline, romantically veiled in a thin mist. It was stunning, and somehow enhanced by the lack of blazing sunlight. Seeing the unmistakeable outlines of the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings was quite moving for me.

Dolphins and other Myths

I love Skyscrapers. I'm not good with heights, but I love emblematic tall buildings. There are taller structures then the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings, but I can't imagine there are any more beautiful. I hold them in the same regard as Dolphins, Whales, baby deer and Unicorns. Somehow they have taken on a near mythical status in my mind... and now I've seen them. In fact, I could walk to my hotel window right now and see The Empire State. No, really, I can... I just did.

Bam!

Nothing can prepare you for New York after dark. It's not just the fact that you are in possibly the most famous city in the world. It's not that it's still bustling and awake so late. It's all of that plus the smells. The smell of the Subway blowing up through grate; of smokey-steam billowing from man-hole covers in the roads; of Pretzel, Hotdog and goodnees-knows-what meat-that-is carts; of people; of the grass in Bryant Park; and a hundred other smells that smother you.

No Pickle

And as my day drew to an end and I started getting the hang of Streets vs Avenues and how East / West is dictated by which side of 5th you are on, I found that I was hungry. Now, I know I should have gone for something of the city from a New York Deli, but I needed comfort food. So I went for a MacDonald's. Terrible isn't it, but I tell you, that was the best tasting Quarterpounder (No Pickle) I have ever tasted.

Goodnight

Well, the A/C in my window has brought the temperature down from the low broil it was a few hours ago and I am getting properly tired.

Stats - Day One

Distance travelled (as the crow flies) - 3,542 miles: Dursley-Heathrow-JFK-Manhattan

States entered - New York

Total states count - 1

Burgers eaten - 1

T'was the night before departure

I hate packing.

It's not just that I find it an intollerable bore, but it's also that I am rubbish at it. Appauling. Dee + Packing=Epic Fail. It is therefore with extreme gratitude that I thank my Mum for helping me through the logistical trial of organising the bare minimum needs for a 3 month trip in such a way as to meet the exacting standards of both Airline and Tour Operator van load limits. Tee-Dee-Us!

However, it's now 11:40pm on the day before I fly to The USA. In 24 hours from now I will be settled in my New York Hotel, just a stone's throw from the Empire State Building.

Before then I have a well earned , in my humble opinion, night's sleep. In the morning Mum drives me to Heathrow where I will check-in followed by 3 hours wandering around Duty Free wondering why people think it's a good idea to buy things for more than they'd pay on the local High Street just because they are saving "Duty". Then a quick 7 hour flight to JFK Airport.

Look out USA. I'm coming!