Day 156 - Dingmans Bridge, PA & Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, NJ

We had heavy rain last night and the tent was soaking wet when we woke up. Thankfully it was only the outside of the tent that was wet, the inside netting has remained dry along with us inside it. The wooden platform was a little uncomfortable to sleep on compared to the ground, we probably should have used the camp beds but at least being on the platform had kept the bottom of the tent dry and I think it probably kept us a little warmer at night.

The rain had stopped but we still managed to get very wet putting everything away. It was a fairly windy day and each time the wind blew, water came of the trees making it feel like it was raining again. We packed up the tent, leaving the soaking wet fly for last, and then hit the road. I had wanted to do a couple of hikes around High Point State Park but the good ones with the incredible views involved climbing over boulders; this was too dangerous to do in the wet and we knew we weren’t going to see much once we reached the top as it was still very foggy.

We hit the road and headed out of High Point State Park and towards to Delaware Water Gap, a recreation area run by the National Parks Service which is supposed to be really beautiful in the fall.

We travelled along the scenic Old Mine Road until we reached Dingmans Bridge, an old fashioned wooden bridge with a $1 toll each way. Crossing the bridge meant we were also crossing from New Jersey into Pennsylvania. After a quick stop for coffee and to have some fruit for breakfast in Dingmans Ferry, we headed back over the bridge, paying our $1 and entering back into New Jersey.

Our coffee stop was at a small locally-run gas station and convenience store. On the wall behind the till was a beautiful photo of a sandy coloured bear. Lee began asking about the bear and we found that it used to visit the village often and its unusual colouring gives it its name - a Cinnamon Bear. We asked what happened to the bear and were sad to hear that it was shot dead by a local hunter who saw it as a trophy that he needed to add to his collection. It was interesting to hear the different opinions on hunting from the locals in this small countryside store where the young girls behind the tills thought it was disgusting yet the older men listening nearby accept it as a fact of life.

Back in the car and back in New Jersey, we headed back to Old Mine Road. We had planned to continue along this road but it turned into a single track unmade road with some very big water-filled potholes. We decided it wasn't worth risking a blown tire or worse still, getting stuck in the mud, so we decided to head back to the main road instead.

The drive through Delaware Water Gap was secluded and very pretty. There were lots of trees covered in red leaves which were falling in front of us as we were driving along. We didn't meet anyone else on the road, I guess it’s now off season and there aren’t many tourists visiting on a wet Tuesday in October.

Throughout our journey through Delaware Water Gap, we kept seeing old frontier houses and barns. We assume they were preserved as a reminder of the past but they were not lived in and they don’t always appear to be very well maintained. We went past the village of Walpack where there was a number of these buildings and then we saw a sign to the Buttermilk Falls.

Buttermilk Falls was on our list of things we wanted to see whilst in the Delaware Water Gap so we followed the signs to find the start of the trail that would take us to them. Lee wasn’t impressed when we turned onto an unmade road, he was even more unimpressed by the large potholes and boulders in the road but I kept telling him how amazing they falls were going to be so he persisted.

We arrived at the falls and they were good, not as spectacular as other falls we’ve seen but the water appeared to be white as it was falling (like buttermilk, Lee said). We hiked up the steps to the top of the falls which were a little slippery in the wet so we had to be really careful. In the summer, I think the hike to these falls is really busy but today, we were the only ones here and it was nice to have them to ourselves.

We jumped back in the car and continued down the road hoping we’d reach the main road again soon. We crossed a couple of single-lane bridges and even went through an area with some tarmac although it was so damaged, it was worse than the road without the tarmac.

We eventually reached the main road and our next stop, Milbrook Village Historic Site. This is another ghost town with frontier houses but the National Park Service and Volunteers use the buildings to demonstrate 1900s century trades, crafts and chores. It closes weekdays after Columbus Day so we had missed it (by only by 1 day!) but we still got to walk around the old buildings.

We picked up Old Mine Road again which now had tarmac and was in good condition and followed it to the Kittatinny Visitors Center. This too was also closed but we stopped anyway to take a look at the river and to have some lunch, we’re still eating left over pizza from New Haven!

We weren’t ready yet to start the journey down to Atlantic City yet so we headed back over the water to Pennsylvania to three scenic pull outs we had seen on the park map.

All three pullouts were a disappointment. Two looked out at trees blocking the view of the river and one just looked at the road we were on. A bit confused as to why they would be called scenic pull outs when they weren’t very scenic, we hit the road again and decided we might as well head towards Atlantic City.

The drive took two and a half hours and it was mostly on large freeways going past the NYC commuter belt. Lee did all the driving and I’m glad he did, freeways should be renamed free-for-all-ways as no one follows any rules on them. After the second stressful journey of the day for Lee, we pulled up in Atlantic City.

Since Maine, we had both been wearing jeans and jumpers as the temperature has mostly been around 50F (10C). Slowly as we have moved south, it has started to get slightly warmer and more humid but today during the drive to Atlantic City, the temperature jumped up suddenly to a huge 82F (28C). I packed all our summer clothes into longer term storage, I’m going to need to dig them out again!

Day 155 - Part 2 - High Point State Park, NJ

We arrived at High Point State Park just as the weather started to get worse. It had been drizzling all day but up until now, we had mostly been in the car so hadn't got too wet. It was now pouring down and we needed to pitch a tent and cook some dinner.

We parked up outside the visitors center and ran inside to check in and pick up some trail maps. We were given a number of warnings about bears and ticks. The bears were getting ready for hibernation and there had been a number of sightings of them around the campsites where they were trying to cram in the last few calories but it was the ticks that worried me more. The number of ticks in this park was very high and there had been several cases of Lyme disease already this year. We were told to wear long trousers, avoid walking through long grass, stay to the trails and check ourselves for ticks, they apparently likes particularly hairy parts of the bodies.

We left the rangers station and headed off to our campsite. We were in luck, just as we arrived, the rain stopped just long enough for us to put up the tent and cook some food on the fire, even if it did take Lee a while to get it going in a wet fire pit.

We had a lovely premium campsite located right next to Sawmill Pond and as you will see from the video, it was a very secluded site although by the time it went dark, we were the only ones left camping in the park anyway.

We decided to put our hiking plans on hold as it was a little too wet and instead watched the sun set through the fog and our fire slowly die out in the rain.

Despite the weather, it was nice to be camping again.

Day 155 - Part 1 - Sleeping Giant State Park, CT

We woke up and it was grey outside this morning, typical that the night we stay in a hotel it’s lovely blue sky, warm weather and pleasant to sit outside in the evening yet the day we camp, it rains! I am starting to really miss Lee's cooking on the fire, especially his chicken and corn! I hope we manage to have one nice evening camping before we fly back.

We hit the road out of New Haven and headed to Sleeping Giant State Park where we were hoping to see two miles of mountaintop resembling a large man lying down. We arrived to find the park closed, a quick check on google told us that it was severely damaged by a tornado in May and was still being repaired. The entrance which used to be covered in trees was completely open now and there was still a lot of dead wood on the ground yet to be cleared. Disappointed but also slightly glad in case another tornado was coming this way, we hit the road again.

The drive from Sleeping Giant State Pack back onto the interstate took us along a countryside road where we got to see more of the fall colours, some beautiful houses and oddly, a bike sticking out of a tree. 

We eventually reached the Interstate and the first thing we did.... find a rest stop for a quick toilet break! 

As far as Interstates go, Interstate 84 is one of the more boring ones we had seen on our trip. There were lots of cars, trucks speeding past in the fast lane, roadworks, traffic and basically concrete everywhere. I had a very close eye on the map and the mile markers checking how close we were to the borders and making sure we got snap of the state signs. I wasn't very good at this and we did manage to miss one or two which did involve Lee turning off at the next junction, going back up the interstate and then rejoining it again so I could have a second attempt! 

We went over the border into New York State, then into Pennsylvania briefly before crossing over into New Jersey where we came off the interstate and towards our campsite for the night in High Point State Park. More on that in the next blog!

Day 154 - New Haven & Yale, CT

We left Newport and headed towards our next destination, New Heaven in Connecticut. We decided that rather than jumping on the interstate straight away, we would take the scenic route. Our first stop was a little island just outside Newport called Jamestown. 

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a dreary day but we were determined to see the beach so we followed the signs and ended up on a road that run alongside the coastline. On one side of the road was these huge summer houses with towers and balconies overlooking the beach. We parked up, crossed the road and headed down a short footpath to the beach. On a sunny day, this place must be stunning and probably heaving with people. 

We didn't stay for long as it was a bit chilly. We jumped back in Fin and continued driving towards the very tip of island where we reached Beavertail State Park. 

The weather did not do this park justice, on a clear day, the views are supposed to be some of the most beautiful in New England. It was free to enter the park and even though it was cold and cloudy, there were a lot people here. 

One of the attractions in the park is Beavertail Light House. We were a little 'Light Housed Out' by this point and with the view being so poor due to the weather, we decided to skip the tour. Instead we headed down onto the rocks where people were fishing, taking pictures and just chilling out. We sat for a while watching a fisherman who had caught a fish, once he had finally reeled the fish in, he measured it and realising it was too small, threw it back into the water. Only, his throw was terrible and instead of hitting the water, the fish hit a rock and bounced into a rock pool. Lee quickly pulled me back to the car as I started to get upset about the poor fish, who whilst still alive, was now swimming on his side. I like to think that he survived and if not, maybe he helped another animal survive. I just hope that fisherman learns to throw a bit better in future. 

The original location of the light house

There was a little museum next to the light house which was free to enter. The museum explained the history and the science behind the lamps and lenses in light houses. I found it a little boring but Lee loved it. As well as infographics, there were a couple of touch screen computers you could play around with to learn more about how the light is projected so far with the different lenses and how the lenses have changed over time to be safer and more energy efficient. I still can't believe that whale oil and kerosene were some of the original fuels used, it must have been a stinky and dangerous profession back in those days.

We headed off the island and picked up the scenic Route 1A to the town of Narragansett. 

We parked up at Narragansett Bay Beach where we headed out of the car to do some exploring. This is a small tourist town which doubles its population in the summer months. We had arrived in October and in one of the parks was a scare crow display. Around the edge of the park were around 30 different scare crows, some scary, some real people and some representing the people who had made them (for example, a doctor for the local hospital and a chef from a restaurant). 

Opposite the park was the bay and whilst there wasn't anyone sunbathing on the beach, there were a lot of people surfing. We watched for a while, eventually getting bored as most seemed to just be paddling over the waves rather than riding them. Either it's a lot of fun sitting out in the cold water or you have to wait a long time to get that perfect wave to ride. 

We continued walking along the shoreline where the sandy beaches turned into rocky beaches, much more like the ones we are used to back home.

We picked up Route 1 and headed through Charlestown, which had we had more time would have been another cool little town to stop in, to our next stop at Misquamicut Beach. 

 Misquamicut State Beach is a public recreation area in the town of Westerly and during the summer months, is packed full of beach goers and tourists. When we visited, there were only a couple of walkers and shell combers around. The beach is a 3 mile long barrier island (a sand island) with tourist attractions, hotels and various tat shops lining one side of the street and with access to the beach on the other. Going to this beach is not free in the height of summer but it was free to us in the off season, another bonus of going in October!

We were now nearly at the Connecticut border so headed back in-land towards the freeway. 

Halloween ghosts

Beautiful fall colours 

We arrived in New Heaven during the early afternoon and quickly checked into our hotel before heading out for a walk around Yale University. 

Yale was founded in 1701, making it one of the oldest universities in America. It had the old buildings and the grandeur of Harvard but being a campus with students living, working and learning all within what felt like dedicated streets of university only buildings, it felt more like the type of university community I was used to. It was also nice seeing actual students going between lectures, studying on the laws and even protesting around a fountain whereas at Harvard, we saw more tourists than real students on campus.

Unlike Harvard, we didn't feel like there were any buildings we could just walk into as a visitor so we only saw the outside of the university. I wasn't that bothered by this as I expect the students don't want strangers walking in and out of their buildings, watching them in classes and getting in their way when they're trying to catch up with friends. We were treated to an organ practice which we could hear from outside one of the churches. When we eventually decided we'd drawn enough attention to ourselves standing on the street listening, we headed off to get some food. 

There seemed to be lots of options for food in New Haven and being a student town, it was reasonably priced. We found a place called BAR not far from our hotel which did brick oven pizzas and in-house brewed beer. 

The pizzas were in three sizes - small, medium and large. We were both hungry but wanted different ingredients on our pizzas, Lee was going to a spicy chicken pizzas and I wanted an anchovy and prawn pizza. We asked the bar man what size we should get, his response was "if you're hungry, go for a medium, if not, go for a small". We decided we were both hungry and any left over pizza would be polished off the next day so we went for two medium pizzas. When the pizzas arrived, they were both huge, we could have shared one of them and still had loads to take home with us! Most of the people in the bar started laughing about how much pizza we had and the lady next to me even said "we made the same mistake our first time". We ate as much as we could but still ended up boxing over half of the food. 

We enjoyed our time in New Haven but really the only attraction is the university which you can walk around in half a day. It was ideally located to break up our journey but I don't think it is somewhere we would come back to, not unless we had a reason to visit the university again.