Day 1: Hackensack NJ, NYC.

Well, after the trailer's blowing-fuse problem was finally solved and after having paid the State of Maryland a fortune (same as a car) for the privilege of driving the trailer 11 miles on Maryland roads, we got 'er on the road and set out this AM.  The FJR pulled the trailer effortlessly:  I really couldn't feel the trailer at all.  We drove through PA on I-81, I-78 and I-287 to NJ.  The 240 mile trip took about 5 hours with pit stops.

Everything worked well, for the most part.  The intercom was inaudible at speeds over 40 MPH and I couldn't read the GPS in the tank bag that was made specifically for it.  There was a glare that made the screen virtually invisible.  The bungee cords that we used to tie down the baggage on top of the trailer frayed badly and we were lucky not to have lost our luggage. That said, we made it to Steve and Cynthia's beautiful 17th floor high-rise apartment in Hackensack in one piece with everything in place.

Frayed bungee cord.

 

Hackensack was founded in 1693 and is located on the Hackensack River just 15 minutes from NYC.

Steve and Cynthia were fabulous hosts.  They introduced us to their three cats (one invisible).  The latter  may be a one of Steve's "pretend friends."  Then they drove us to Manhattan.  That was a wonderful experience.  I have not been to Manhattan in 40 years.  What I remembered of it was not pleasant--dirty, crime ridden, unfriendly.  Today it is beautiful, bustling, but not as overcrowded as San Jose seems.  It was sparkling clean and I felt safe everywhere.

We drove along the Hudson and the East Rivers and saw wonderful pathways where people would walk, jog, or cycle along the river.  We saw a gizillion high rises built by Donald Trump,  We saw Yankee stadium across the River in the Bronx, and Roosevelt Island where there used to be a leper colony.  We walked across the upper level of the Brooklyn bridge, where we could see the Manhattan and the Williamsburg bridges too..  When the Brooklyn bridge was first built in the 1860's, the bridge was the largest suspension bridge in the world.  It remains a tribute to American engineering.

View of NJ from Steve and Cynthia's 17th floor apt.

On the Brooklyn Bridge NYC, Manhattan Bridge in Background

Steve and Cynthia took us out to dinner at an Argentinian restaurant in Manhattan where we had a fabulous dinner and desert.  I think they bought part ownership in the restaurant because the bill was more than Jo Ann and I spend on food for a month.  They say that the best way to leave New York with a small fortune is to come in with a big one.  Money evaporates at the speed of light.  We stopped at a bagel shop to pick up breakfast for tomorrow.  6 bagels, cream cheese, and a 1/4 pound of lox ran about $30.  While we were leaving the bagel bakery, a 65 year old man rode his bike next to us on the pavement.  He was a nice fellow, probably Latino by his complexion, with a broad smile.  He was wearing a statue of liberty tiara, with a matching pink two piece dress.  Steve exclaimed, "Only in New York!  This is what I love about New York!"

We'll have an early breakfast tomorrow before starting out for Cookshire-Eaton, near Sherbrooke, Quebec.