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From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2

Ippubblikat: 31.07.2017

From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 2

September 14, 2012 - Hello, Rocky Mountains!

We spent the night at a small state campground somewhere between Mexican Hat and Denver.


The route from Monument Valley to the capital of Colorado was fantastic. The vibrant red turned into green and yellow as we passed through the Rocky Mountains. For some reason, we hadn't planned to drive through the Rockies, so we were even more excited about this great experience.


We spent the evening at a cozy campground in Golden just before Denver.

The Clear Creek RV Park is very idyllic and immediately helps you relax. Highly recommended.

September 15, 2012 - Denver and the Prairie

To be honest, we didn't spend much time in Denver. So after a short stay and a stroll through downtown, we continued towards Wyoming and the prairie.



There were about 600 km between us and our next destination.


We spent the night somewhere in the middle of nowhere at a campground that appropriately bore the name 'prairie'. The night was characterized by a starry sky that can only be experienced in such a secluded place. The rumbling of an endless freight train perfected the scenery.

September 16, 2012 - Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore

We arrived at the Black Hills National Forest in the morning and first visited the relatively unknown Crazy Horse Memorial here. The story of the monumental sculpture in honor of the Oglala-Lakota Indian Crazy Horse, which is still under construction, is truly amazing.

The memorial has been under construction since 1948. Like the nearby Mount Rushmore National Memorial, it is carved into a mountain. However, it is much larger and is not funded by the government. It will certainly take some more time to complete. I strongly doubt that we will live to see it finished.

The sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who founded the Crazy Horse Memorial, passed away in 1982.



The much more famous Mount Rushmore National Memorial was next on our list.

The monument was completed in 1941 and consists of four portrait heads representing the most significant and symbolic US presidents to date.


George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.


The pathway around the monument is beautifully done and definitely worth a visit.
One major disadvantage, however, is the distance to... well, to all other cities and attractions.
But since we wanted to continue east anyway, we could combine a visit.

September 17th + 18th, 2012 - on the road again




We had to cover quite a distance to get out of nowhere. About 1600 km. We drove for almost two days and finally arrived in Chicago in the evening of the second day.


The Ohio House Motel had a great value for the price. Very centrally located, with a guarded parking lot right in front and clean rooms.
We went out and ended the evening with cocktails.

September 19, 2012 - Chicago

Sightseeing in Chicago was on the agenda for today.
We had beautiful weather and the highlights of the city are all within walking distance. So we strolled through the center.


Past the Willis Tower, no, we didn't go up to the platform, towards the John Hancock Center. From there, we walked along Michigan Ave. to the Riverwalk.


After a short break, we continued through Millenium Park to Lake Michigan. Right on the shore is the Buckingham Fountain, which is definitely inviting to linger.




At night, we went to Texas de Brazil for dinner. A churrascaria that truly rivals the originals in Brazil.
A meat lover's dream. The nearly $50.00 per person for dinner here are definitely justified given the selection and quality of the food.
A highlight is the oversize wine rack, in front of which an acrobat swings back and forth to find the perfect wine.
A wonderful conclusion to a wonderful city.

September 20th + 21st, 2012 - Canada is calling

We covered about 800 km between Chicago and Toronto. We passed Detroit and crossed the border into Canada.


We decided to stay at the Glen Rouge Campground for the next 2 nights, which was about 30 km north of downtown.

September 22, 2012 - Lost in Toronto

We took the train from Rouge Hill Go Station to downtown Toronto.
As always, we just started walking. First, we headed to Chinatown. Then we were supposed to go to the CN Tower.


And somewhere between Chinatown and the CN Tower, the dilemma arose. Tobi and I got separated.
OK... that's not the whole truth, because anyone who knows me and reads this blog knows that we didn't just randomly get separated.
We had an argument and my stubbornness led me to think that I should go in the opposite direction.
Unfortunately, Tobi didn't turn around and we ended up walking in completely opposite directions.
As my hot head cooled down, I slowly realized the magnitude of my situation.

There I was, in the middle of Toronto. No phone, no money, nothing. As always, Tobi carried the backpack with all our important belongings. I only had myself, my clothes, and my watch.
It was 12 o'clock and I headed to the CN Tower, because that was our next destination.
I stayed at Toronto's landmark for about an hour. I saw thousands of people, but there was no sign of Tobi.
I could have cried, but it was a pretty hot day and I couldn't buy myself anything to drink. So I tried to hold myself together to avoid losing any fluids through a crying fit.
I continued to walk through the city. When it was 2 o'clock and I became aware of the long way back to the campground, I started running. I really wanted to make it back before dark. Thanks to my good sense of direction, my brain didn't let me down that day. I oriented myself towards the sun and headed north.
After a while, I actually came across Kingston Road where the campground was located. A little relief. But Kingston Road started there with house number 1. I still had to go up to number 7450...
Since I was in a foreign country without papers and money, I didn't dare to ride the bus without a ticket or hitchhike.
So I walked. On and on and on.
After about 5.5 hours, I reached the campground. But to my despair, neither 'Moby' nor Tobi was there.
In the morning, we drove the van to the train station and continued from there by train to downtown.
I asked around at the campground if anyone had seen my friend. Unfortunately, Tobi didn't show up there.
It got dark, and I walked another 4 km towards the train station.
I was more than desperate and extremely hungry and thirsty.
By now, I couldn't hold back my tears anymore and I burst into tears. Nobody could see me anyway.
There was our van in the parking lot. Just no Tobi, and I started to worry. 'What if something happened to him?'

I had no idea how to get out of this situation.

There was a young man working in the ticket office. I went in and asked him if my friend had left a message there. Unfortunately, no. Since I looked pretty tearful, he asked me if everything was OK. I explained my situation to him, and he didn't hesitate to help me. Tobi had a new phone with a new number, which I didn't know by heart yet. My knight in shining armor lent me his phone, and I called my mother in Germany to ask for Tobi's current number. Of course, she didn't have the new number yet.

Meanwhile, my helper called the central station at Toronto's main train station to see if anyone had reported anything there. Negative.

A short time later, his girlfriend came into the booth and brought me a pizza and something to drink. I was overwhelmed by the help of both of them and incredibly grateful. I would have never expected that.

When the next train from downtown arrived and I still didn't see Tobi, my despair grew. It was already 9:15 PM, and there was only one more train coming from downtown that day.

At 10:15 PM, I stood on the platform as the train arrived and searched for my friend.

And there he was, indeed. He got off the train and hugged me with great relief. The argument was completely forgotten.

We went to the ticket office. We wanted to thank my two saviors again and, of course, give them back the money they had spent on me. We wanted to give them a little more so that they could have a nice evening. But they insisted on not accepting anything. For them, it was a matter of course to help another person in need. I will never forget that.

Later, Tobi told me that he had also been searching for me at the CN Tower. He had gone on the train to our van twice to see if I might already be waiting for him there. He left a message on the car 'Coming with the last train from the city', which I didn't see because it was dark. He was desperately looking for me the whole time.

Fortunately, we found each other again, and that was the last time my stubbornness got the better of me like that.

September 23, 2012 - Ouch, that muscle soreness

The efforts of the previous day were clearly felt. I had terrible muscle soreness and absolutely no desire to move my rear end to downtown Toronto again.


As a pick-me-up, we went to the Toronto Zoo.

The zoo is the largest in Canada with an area of 400 soccer fields and attracted us with its nearly 500 species of animals. The butterfly house alone is worth a visit.


September 24, 2012 - Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls are only 2 hours away from Toronto. An absolute highlight of our trip.


Since I had already had the great fortune to experience the Iguazu Falls in Brazil, I was a bit shocked when I saw the famous Niagara Falls right next to the road. I had already prepared myself to hike through a beautiful piece of nature to finally get to see these legendary waterfalls. But there they were, surrounded by Ripley's Believe It or Not and Hard Rock Cafe.


There apparently was someone who thought it was a good idea to build everything there, besides the waterfalls, to entertain the tourists and make them stay in the area for several days. In our opinion, it was somewhat inappropriate, but well.

However, it did not detract from the beauty of the main attraction.

And when you stand right in front of this breathtaking backdrop, you forget everything else anyway.


On the Canadian side, you are offered additional opportunities to admire the falls in more detail.

For one, there is the Maid of the Mist Tour, where you can take a boat ride up close to the falls. On the other hand, there is the Journey Behind the Falls, where you can walk behind the falls through a tunnel.



We decided to do the Journey Behind the Falls because we were afraid that the mist from the water would obstruct the view of the falls during the boat tour. And we were not disappointed.



We got very close to the falls, and it was an incredible feeling to experience the power behind these masses of water. AMAZING!

Then we admired the American Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. Although they are smaller, they are no less spectacular.



And so we crossed the Rainbow Bridge back into the USA.


September 25th + 26th, 2012 - Experiencing nature

Since we had been driving quite fast at the beginning (yes, I was a bit stressed about not arriving in NYC on time), we had a lot of time towards the end. According to the plan, we were supposed to drive directly from Niagara Falls to NYC. Now we had an extra 3 days.

If we could have done something differently on our entire tour, we would have taken more time at the beginning and stressed less. We would have preferred to skip something towards the end in order to make up for it another time.

We used the unplanned 3 days to leisurely drive to Boston. We enjoyed the mild days of Indian Summer and a relaxing time at idyllic campgrounds.




We unfortunately only got to know the great KOA campsites relatively late. KOA is a campground chain that has very well-kept facilities and great amenities.


September 27, 2012 - Boston

Boston is truly a charming and livable city. We were greeted with beautiful weather and strolled, as usual, without a plan.



We parked the van near the yacht club and walked towards North End from there. Around North End, there are dozens of shops and restaurants around the Marketplace. Street performers create a great atmosphere, and you would love to stay there all day.



We spent the afternoon in Boston Common and Boston Public Garden before heading further south.

September 28th + 29th + 30th, 2012 - Empire State of Mind

The drive to New York City was the worst we experienced on our entire tour. We had to drive through heavy rain for almost 2 hours, and Tobi could barely fight against hydroplaning.



But the rain stopped, and we reached our final destination. The Big Apple. Our hotel was in Brooklyn, and after checking into our room and parking the van, we took the subway to Times Square, of course. Although we had already been to NYC before, we were still incredibly excited about the bright lights.

Our second day also went differently than we had hoped. On this Sunday, we had an appointment to return the van. So in the morning, we drove to 645 W 44th St in Manhattan.

We knew that Escape (at least in 2012) didn't have a proper branch in NYC and that we were supposed to meet someone there who would take the van from us.

When we arrived at the agreed-upon address, we found ourselves in front of a public storage facility. We went in and asked where we could park the car, but the nice lady sitting there had no idea about anything, and everything seemed somewhat suspicious.

After nearly an hour of waiting and considering what the hell we should do with this car now, a very relaxed guy finally showed up, who said he was from Escape and should take our van. Apparently, he had partied a bit too hard the night before and certainly was not allowed to get behind the wheel yet.

Fortunately, that was not our problem, and we were relieved to have returned 'Moby' with over 8000 km of travel safely.

After the eventful morning, we visited the Statue of Liberty in the afternoon. If you have a tight schedule, try to book the tickets online in advance if possible.

A cheaper alternative to the ferry to Liberty Island is a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry. It doesn't take you directly to the statue, but you can still get a pretty good view of it.


Since we were already downtown, it was only a short hop to Wall Street and the still under construction One World Trade Center.



The best way to see NYC from above is undoubtedly Top of the Rock. The observation deck on the 70th floor of the Rockefeller Center offers a breathtaking view of the city, including the Empire State Building.

The observation deck of the Empire State Building is certainly also spectacular. However, you don't get to see the building itself when you're on it :-) A fact that is not so dramatic at the Rockefeller Center.

The best time to go up to the observation deck is about two hours before sunset. Then you have the city at your feet in daylight and in the darkness.


And on the third day, it was once again: 'I am Walking'.

Central Park, High Line Park, up and down the city. As mentioned before, we had already been to NYC, and without any time pressure, we could simply enjoy the city.







October 1, 2012 - The call of home

The last hours in the land of unlimited possibilities had arrived, and finally, New York also showed itself from its sunny side.


With a last walk and a soon-to-be-see-ya-later, we said goodbye to the United States.








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