Our first few trials

So it's official. We are totally insane. But so far we think it is a good insane. You can decide.

Day 1:

After taking the ferry from Battery Park around 11:30 am to NJ, our exit strategy became slightly hazardous (let's just say Newark isn't for lovers, or bikers). The bridge we crossed had a
post-apocalyptic feel to it, lots of bike trucks with a mix of alien plant life.

But onwards, we saw our first grass at our lunch (of Trader Joe's Chicken Chili) in a nice big park, took a nap and did some lazy yoga.

So our goal was Princeton, which we didn't quite make. Biking along became more pleasant as fragrant flowers and honeysuckle appeared on the sides of our routes. Apparently we are a bit naive about campsites too. We just assume that America loves a tent, but apparently it does not.

About 8pm, with some limbs in shock, we discover the D&R Canal State Park and some nice folks there who tell us about the history of this Revolutionary town and let us sample there very good water (2nd best in NJ, it was quite good) and they sanctioned our illegal camping just across the way in the town preserve. We set up camp pretty quickly and went to bed without an official supper as it was about to pour!

Day 2: Up at 6:30. And grateful for no ranger intervention. Still rainy/misty and we're off to Princeton for a big dish of buckwheat pancakes, coffees, corned beef hash, and other good things at PJ's Pancake House. Really pretty area, and right outside we found a great bike trail that we were able to follow for a while and meander through the greenness and the mist.

We keep stopping for breaks and to ask if anyone sells 'white gas.' So we bought this cooking stove from Tents and Trails (the best store ever-thank you Molly and Bill!), which runs on white gas, but they won't actually sell it in NYC for security reasons, so we keep asking (finally end up buying a half gallon of it from a Big K-- not super smart)

Once we cross into PA, it really hits us... this is gorgeous and we are out of shape for hills! Especially with all our gear, may have to dispose of some of that. I only want my legs to be so big by the end of this trip.

Take a long rest in Philly in Germantown. Yummy mango tea smoothie from The Hill Tea Bar.

A few wrong turns, lots of rain, and one flat tire, but eventually, around 6pm we end up at Valley Forge NP off of 23. YAY! There is a beautiful bike trail here, Schuykill (sp?) that is part of the in process East Coast Greenway. But there are no camp grounds! Oh no! We are shocked (uninformed) and a bit depressed, so we get back on our bikes and follow the trail, secretly hoping to sneak off under a tree and set up camp. A truly beautiful park, at this point it is POURING! But we think that this is probably a true Valley Forge experience.

Then stranger 1 enters our lives. He is standing under a tree on the bike path, no umbrella, arms folded. Asks us where we are going, if we're alright, offers a ride. We decline a ride, but take some directions to an Extended Stay. So we continue down the trail until it ends, still scoping out sites, but this stranger is waiting for us at the bottom of the trail. So we continue, then another turn, the covered bridge, and he is there. We follow a really pretty and quiet road through some farmland/big houses place, and again, at the end he is there. A little weird guardian angel man. Come to a "Inn and Bar" and go to check the rooms, but apparently the name is deceiving and it is simply a bar. Our Innkeeper turns up out of the bar however, stranger II, a man named Dan, with a plan for us to camp in his office parking lot just up the hill. THANK YOU DAN! So there is our place of rest for the eve, amongst the disposed of satellite dishes, keyboards, and other industrial park monuments. It was exactly what we needed. After realizing that we miscommunicated about matches, we had a dinner of clif bars, raw potato, powdered milk and beef jerky. Yum! (really!)

Day 3
More rain in the night, so things are still soaked. We are pretty wet, but know that sweet sweet Downingtown with Andy's bro is close at hand, and we plan to spend the day drying out and writing this great literature.

Stop at the Frazer Diner on Lancaster Ave in Frazer for some tasty, hot, breakfast, and end up chatting with a fellow and his pa next to us. The younger fellow and his brother do quite a bit of biking and they gave us some needed camaraderie and directions. They left, and we followed shortly after, only to be told that they had paid our check! How nice! Thank you strangers 3&4! I am girly and get teary and we are really feeling touched. The ride seems much easier after that.

We also met a lady who told us about a network of horse people we might be able to camp with.

So now here we are cleaned up and dry in Downingtown, safe in the arms of family, writing this blog, and reassessing our camping strategy. Tomorrow onward to Susquehana State Park.

Thank you all for your help! Those who we know, and those we don't!