20/04/2016 (distance travelled in van: 230 miles)(distance covered: 3.59 miles or 7,472 steps)
The day has arrived. The day I have been waiting 6 months for. The beginning of my very own Trek America experience.
Another early start at 6am to pack my bag and head off to the meeting points in another Newark hotel. My taxi didn’t arrive, even though it was booked, but I was lucky enough to catch the shuttle to the airport and the driver took me to the airport hotel free of charge. Obviously, a tip was in order for being a good sport and fine entertainment in the van; how fortunate I was to catch him!
Thankfully, I wasn’t the last Trekker to arrive in our group when I joined them. I’m sure I can speak for everyone there when I say we were all full of emotions, from excitement and eagerness, to curiosity and nervousness. We all congregated in the foyer for informal introductions and getting to know one another; hopefully developing new best friends and worldwide buddies by the time the trek finishes. The group consists of 10 girls and 3 guys (fairly outnumbered!) and our group leader called Jordan, who all seem pretty damn awesome. Really easy to get along with and plenty of stories to exchange and learn over the three weeks, I’m sure.
After loading up the trailer, we were on the road by 8:30. Newark was quite an easy city to get out of, so we were on the highway and chatting away with each other in no time.
Next stop: Philadelphia, PA.
Taking about an hour and a half, we reached Philly and a visit to the art museum, home of the world famous ‘Rocky steps’ and the bronze Rocky statue. After you run up (or walk), you are greeted by a brilliant view of the city, and a feeling of accomplishment, as you stand when Sylvester Stallone stood and raised his arms back in 1976.
From my one day experience, it really is always sunny in Philadelphia.
We got into central Philly for a couple more attractions in the city, our first stop being the Liberty Bell, THE iconic symbol of American Independence. Learning lots about the history of slavery and life in America before 1776 and witnessing the bell in its glory (doesn’t sound great). We also walked past Independence Hall, but time was at a disadvantage to take the tour and view the room where the Declaration was signed.
The brittle metal developed an irreparable crack in the front during a test strike when gifted, silencing it forever.
Lunchtime arrived and you can only guess what we had to eat. That’s right; an authentic Philly cheesesteak. Diced steak slices covered with provolone cheese and fried onions in a sub roll, wrapped in foil and not a hint of grease. Tearing each half apart resulted in the stringy cheese separating is a gorgeous sight in itself; the taste itself produced a foodgasm within.After developing a food baby, we hit the road to DC, passing through Delaware for a half hour, then stopping at a service station just outside Baltimore, Maryland. Another two states to check off the list!
Describing this does not do it justice; it was unbelievably delicious. That cheese….
Next stop: Washington, D.C
We reached our hostel in Washington just after 5pm; after a bit of a mess around with the room keys, we settled in our separate male/female dorms. It was definitely better having the company of Tom and Luke from the trek instead of being alone; I guess you could say you can bond better with people you know you’re going to see more frequently.
After freshening up, Jordan led us out to our meal for the night in Century City Pub and Brewery just two blocks down from our hostel. Great conversation, great drinks and food all while watching the ice hockey.
Of course, a full day of travelling and a 6am start left me knackered by the time I got back to the hostel, so it was time to hit the hay. Reading back on this, it’s hard to believe all this happened in one day. It’s only gonna get busier and better.
21/04/2016 (distance travelled: 12.37 miles or 25,828 steps)
A slightly rough sleep considering I wasn’t in a room alone; joined by 9 other guys and the dorm smells strongly of dude. Up at 8am, showered by another trickle of piss (there’s a pattern happening here in the hostels) and ready to go at 9. Jordan led us to Constitution Avenue, and a fairly central point of Washington where all the major monuments and museums could be accessed, and let us do our own thing our own way.
I ended up hanging out with Alex and Lisa from Adelaide who are pretty great; really down to earth and good banter. We hit the Washington Monument which is much larger than I expected before we visited. It was until we left that we realised the weather was disappointing today; very cloudy, windy and dull in comparison to NYC and Philly. We also arrived at the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pools and fountains leading up to it.
Just chilling with my boy Abe Linc.
A quick detour past the Martin Luther King Memorial; chock full of class trips and primary school kids, making it quite a popular attraction among school in the US. Like the weather, a quick stop at the Holocaust Museum put a bit of a downer on the mood, but it’s just one of those things you have to see and learn about.
Our moods were all perked up as we stepped into the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and my inner nerd was released. A fan of most things space-related, it was quite the experience to see full-sized spacecraft, vintage planes and other artefacts from the past, and how air/space travel has developed over hundreds of years. I could say it was like a better Glasgow Science Centre, but that’d be a bit of an insult to the Smithsonian…
The sun had arrived by the time we left, and was keen to see the U.S Capitol; I was bitterly disappointed when I could see from afar that scaffolding surrounded the white dome, making it a hell of an eyesore. A quick photo from that distance was enough to say ‘I’ve seen it’.
Our last museum of the day was the US Natural History Museum. However, serious levels of excitement and concentration in the last one left the three of us knackered and needing a lie down. An hour’s wandering through the exhibits was enough for us and we headed back to the hostel by 5pm.
Quite a unique night out for tea for myself; nine girls and one guy. Can’t say that has ever happened before! We hit City Tap House, which looked much better than yesterday’s food, with a MUCH larger selection of craft beers and a pizza/flatbread selection to order. Even though we were split into two tables, the company and the food were both excellent.
The ‘Three Little Pigs Flatbread’; palacio chorizo, fennel sausage, salami, broccoli rabe and fontina.
The evening came and after a few conversations with a new lodger, giving me plenty of tips and advice about how to survive in the desert and down south, I finally get a lie down, back up the old iPhone onto the computer and write this post while enjoying my Beatles playlist. I’m looking forward to the next couple of days, especially being back in a hotel!
Love and hugs!
G-Law
travelawson. 