We left our Flying J camping spot this morning and traveled along the New Jersey Turnpike. The smog along the east coast cities has been unbelievable. I grow up in Los Angeles, once the smog capital of the world, and I can’t remember many days with as much smog as we’ve seen in Baltimore, Washington DC, and New Jersey.
We are staying at the Liberty Harbor Marine and RV Park in Jersey City, NJ, where you can see the Statue of Liberty across the harbor. It’s basically a gravel lot with water and electricity at each $60 per night site but as the saying goes, “Location, Location, Location”. There isn’t an alternative if you want to see New York without having to drive. Light rail and PATH stations are within walking distance.
We took the New Jersey Light rail to the Exchange Station, where we connected to the PATH for a ride to the 33rd street station. From there, we connected to the ‘D’ New York subway to reach Coney Island. At times I felt like a mouse running through a maze looking for a piece of cheese. The trip took about 2-hours because of a couple mistakes but it went rather smoothly. Coney Island is a fun place to spend a Saturday afternoon. Happy families were visible everywhere. This wasn’t the case in many of the parts of New York we saw getting here.
Our first stop was the Cyclone roller coaster. I’ve heard about and seen pictures of the cyclone for most of my life and had to ride it at least once. I’m beginning to believe that old bodies and old roller coaster don’t go well together. The fare is $6 and it has to be one of the most jarring and rough coasters I’ve ever been on. I tried to take pictures during the ride but discovered that it’s impossible to aim a camera while holding on for dear life with both hands. You can get a second ride for only $4 but Mary and I independently decided that wouldn’t be a good idea.
Our second stop was the Original Nathan’s Hot Dogs. This is a real gourmet treat when served with grilled onions. We each had one but I’m sure I could have eaten several more.
We are staying at the Liberty Harbor Marine and RV Park in Jersey City, NJ, where you can see the Statue of Liberty across the harbor. It’s basically a gravel lot with water and electricity at each $60 per night site but as the saying goes, “Location, Location, Location”. There isn’t an alternative if you want to see New York without having to drive. Light rail and PATH stations are within walking distance.
We took the New Jersey Light rail to the Exchange Station, where we connected to the PATH for a ride to the 33rd street station. From there, we connected to the ‘D’ New York subway to reach Coney Island. At times I felt like a mouse running through a maze looking for a piece of cheese. The trip took about 2-hours because of a couple mistakes but it went rather smoothly. Coney Island is a fun place to spend a Saturday afternoon. Happy families were visible everywhere. This wasn’t the case in many of the parts of New York we saw getting here.
Our first stop was the Cyclone roller coaster. I’ve heard about and seen pictures of the cyclone for most of my life and had to ride it at least once. I’m beginning to believe that old bodies and old roller coaster don’t go well together. The fare is $6 and it has to be one of the most jarring and rough coasters I’ve ever been on. I tried to take pictures during the ride but discovered that it’s impossible to aim a camera while holding on for dear life with both hands. You can get a second ride for only $4 but Mary and I independently decided that wouldn’t be a good idea.
Our second stop was the Original Nathan’s Hot Dogs. This is a real gourmet treat when served with grilled onions. We each had one but I’m sure I could have eaten several more.
A walk on the boardwalk was our next treat. We walked by the old parachute ride and after seeing how high that structure is, I’m kind of glad it was no longer in operation. At least this way, I didn’t have to think up some lame excuse for not riding.
No trip to Coney Island would be complete without ice cream. That may not a universally accepted truth but many of the people at Coney Island believe in it this day. We both had soft-serve ice cream cones with sprinkles. The trick is to figure out how to eat one before they melt over you hand.
Our return trip followed much the same route without the mistakes. We took the ‘N’ subway to the 34th street station where we connected to the PATH. PATH took us to Newport station and our connection to the New Jersey Light Rail. We arrived back at the Roadtrek around 4:30 in the afternoon.
Neither of us had the energy to go out for dinner, even if we know where to go, so we settled on a few California Rolls sushi. The bed is going to feel good tonight.
