Leaving New York City

New Jersey Turnpike to Pennsylvania - Day 5

We made it around to the car hire place all enthusiastic about getting out of New York and beginning the rest of our trip only to have our plans dashed. The credit card I'd bought along was not considered to be a credit card by USA standards. They refused to rent us our car. Repeated attempts to ring back home to our travel agent failed to even connect.

Unsuccessful calls to many other New York car hire agencies revealed the same story. They would not hire a car to us. Eventually Thrifty came to our rescue and we took a taxi around to where we thought their office was. There was no office. We were dumped out on the pavement, in the rain, in New York, with no idea of where to go. No-one we asked had any idea who Thrifty was let alone where they were.

We were told 81st street, but on a whim, we decided to try 83rd street. Finally, there they were! 83rd street. Thrifty were very good. They did everything they could to help us out. Although it meant almost an extra $4000 we hired a car and were finally off on our journey.

Getting out of New York wasn't as hard as we thought. The traffic wasn't bad, and with the help of our new Garmin GPS, we were soon on the New Jersey Turnpike. Woohoo! Out of the city at last.

We had lunch in Denville, New Jersey, at a lovely little cafe where we were treated like royalty. I'm beginning to love America.

We headed back onto the New Jersey Turnpike and eventually we crossed the boarder into Pennsylvania. I love Pennsylvania. Everywhere you look it is like a postcard picture. The woods are pretty and green, there are rivers and streams everywhere, pretty little villages and quaint houses pop up out of the clearings. There are farms with red and white barns just like you'd see on TV or in a movie.

 

Crossing into Pennsylvania

 

 

 The Pennsylvania countryside is pretty

We were heading towards Benton where we were to spend the night at a farm stay. Geoff had to drive because I wasn't added to the insurance. Keeping him from wiping the door handles off on the side rails of the road, watching for signs and reading the GPS was interesting.

Then we missed a turn and had to go miles before we could turn off the freeway and go back the other way - twice. Even worse, it was a toll road. We paid the toll and then had to go back through the same toll in the opposite direction. The man in the booth charged us double the second time just for being idiots.

Many turn-arounds and five tolls later, we eventually we got to Benton and found Alice and Ron's farm. We were so glad to arrive we could have kissed the ground, and them, and the car...

Friendly Farm Stay on Andy's Hill Road, Benton.

In the pond were bass, newts, frogs and other water-dewllers.

We were welcomed by Ron and Alice and immediately felt like one of their family. After the traumas of the start of the day, ending the day here surrounded by this peace and love, was wonderful.