Pennsylvania
MB. I-76 exit 226; I-81 exit 52A (northbound), exit 52 (southbound). (Messy. I thought this part of the country was settled by Germans.) Park at Flying J. Appalachian Trail. Head east on US-11. The path to the trail is on the left (north) side of road just before the pedestrian overpass. It’s not much of an entrance, and it’s very easy to miss.
New York
C. New Jersey: mile marker 17? Vince Lombardi service area, Ridgefield, NJ. New York, NY.
Bus 321 into NY costs $3.75 and driver will even make change for you. Bus 321 at gate 214 back to New Jersey will cost you nothing – but first you have to get thrown off, then find a supervisor, and with your NJ Transit schedule in hand point adamantly at the section that says “driver will make change.” Then when the supervisor says, “That only applies to New Jersey,” laugh self-deprecatingly, and pretend you’re willing to go back downstairs, purchase a ticket, and get in line for the next late bus. Hesitate before stepping away and ask, “when’s the next bus due?” This seals the deal because the supervisor would rather let you board than let you know how late the buses are running. Or, save the drama and purchase a ticket.
Back to our adventure. The New York bound bus arrives on 42nd street, a block away from Times Square. If you made it there, you made it across the Vince Lombardi Service Area and into the adjacent park & ride. It’s that easy; twenty minutes (depending on traffic). Just before diving under the river you’ll get a spectacular view of the city, which if you want to blend in, you’ll ignore. (Bah! Seen it.) Get off the bus, follow the crowds to daylight. Disoriented? Ask a cop. They occupy every corner and seem happy help.
After seeing the bright lights you may want to head to Zuccotti Park and agitate the Occupy folks. Don’t bother, they’re hibernating. Take the subway anyway, let your mind wander a bit, and you’ll be in Brooklyn before you know
it. So, I missed my stop and landed on the other side of the river. Serendipitous, ‘cause it’s a damn good place to view the bridge and Manhattan. After you and the complete stranger finish taking pictures of each other, hike back to Manhattan on the Brooklyn Bridge (it has both pedestrian & bicycle paths). Once in Manhattan, plunge forward, or rest and have a beer. I chose the
latter. To call it a day, aim for the Port Authority Bus Terminal, gate 214, and jump on bus 321 back to NJ (it’s all on the schedule).
Bus 321 into NY costs $3.75 and driver will even make change for you. Bus 321 at gate 214 back to New Jersey will cost you nothing – but first you have to get thrown off, then find a supervisor, and with your NJ Transit schedule in hand point adamantly at the section that says “driver will make change.” Then when the supervisor says, “That only applies to New Jersey,” laugh self-deprecatingly, and pretend you’re willing to go back downstairs, purchase a ticket, and get in line for the next late bus. Hesitate before stepping away and ask, “when’s the next bus due?” This seals the deal because the supervisor would rather let you board than let you know how late the buses are running. Or, save the drama and purchase a ticket.
Back to our adventure. The New York bound bus arrives on 42nd street, a block away from Times Square. If you made it there, you made it across the Vince Lombardi Service Area and into the adjacent park & ride. It’s that easy; twenty minutes (depending on traffic). Just before diving under the river you’ll get a spectacular view of the city, which if you want to blend in, you’ll ignore. (Bah! Seen it.) Get off the bus, follow the crowds to daylight. Disoriented? Ask a cop. They occupy every corner and seem happy help.
After seeing the bright lights you may want to head to Zuccotti Park and agitate the Occupy folks. Don’t bother, they’re hibernating. Take the subway anyway, let your mind wander a bit, and you’ll be in Brooklyn before you know
it. So, I missed my stop and landed on the other side of the river. Serendipitous, ‘cause it’s a damn good place to view the bridge and Manhattan. After you and the complete stranger finish taking pictures of each other, hike back to Manhattan on the Brooklyn Bridge (it has both pedestrian & bicycle paths). Once in Manhattan, plunge forward, or rest and have a beer. I chose the
latter. To call it a day, aim for the Port Authority Bus Terminal, gate 214, and jump on bus 321 back to NJ (it’s all on the schedule).
New Jersey
B. I-80, exit 4. Park at the TA. This is a gorgeous, pastoral area with historical register type houses and farms set amongst the wooded countryside complete with babbling brook. Deer love the place; I frightened a couple different groups while riding. My initial goal was to find and ride the nearby Appalachian Trail. A resident of one of the historical register type houses who was loading a kayak onto his historical register type Volvo station wagon told me that the trail was just behind his house. The catch was that it was virtually impenetrable, especially by bicycle. Even so, he occasionally redirects wayward hikers that stumble through the brush and onto his property. He supposed that once I was up on top of the Appalachian Trail I probably could ride my bike, but he added that even at the proper trailhead entrance the hike up is pretty strenuous. I would have loved to go back and hike the area; unfortunately, the area was put off-limits to us a few days after my visit. If it is not off-limits to you (and your rig is secure) here are the streets I took: exit west out of TA onto Simpson road, right onto Hainesburg River road, left onto Hemlock road, right onto Mt. Pleasant road, right onto Route 94. Across the bridge there is a rails-to-trails trail, or take Route 94 back to TA. Also, you can cross the Delaware (bring a portrait-painter) on the pedestrian bridge and visit Pennsylvania. (I forget the streets, but I remember it being pretty easy to find – go out the front of TA.)
B, C. I-95: mile marker 30.2, southbound (Walt Whitman service area on the New Jersey Turnpike). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Independence National Park. Ask not for whom the road tolls, it tolls until you're completely strapped. Anyway, slip out the back through the employee parking lot and onto the private road (look like you belong there) and viola! you're out into the civilian world. Turn left onto Kresson road, and west on Haddon all the way down to the downtown area. Go under I-676 and take a left and shadow 676 until you get to the toll plaza. The walkway to Ben Franklin bridge is off to the side (cross on the south side). Once across the river the tourist attractions are self-evident. The actual park is between 5th and 6th.
C. Atlantic City Expressway: Elwood Travel Plaza. Atlantic City. For $3.55 ($7.10 roundtrip) you can take a bus to Atlantic city to gamble, eat, drink, walk, gawk, or take a man-cab. Or a woman-cab, they have both. Rickshaws in Atlantic City are propelled from the rear. Whether you ride or walk make sure you take in the world-class people-watching available on the boardwalk. There’s also the Atlantic Ocean for your enjoyment. But, other than a few surfers nobody else was in the water – so, I stayed on the boardwalk and kept my clothes on.
