TeamItchyfoot: Goodbye Massachusetts-Team Itchyfoot LOVES you!

Cape Cod to Croton (on Hudson) Point state park--(sniff) Wed July 13, 2016

We awoke excited and ready for our finale trip--our final two days--in New York. A 250 mile trip to Croton Point with a couple of important stops in between. The night before, when we returned from P-town, Jen and I loaded up on groceries for the final three days of our trip to include stuff for the long journey home. We planned on eating at the Croton campground tonight and again for breakfast before heading to NYC.

The heat returned, unfortunately--booooo. When we left, we were on a mission. Luckily, the night before I checked my FB post (once we were able to find a decent tower) and my friend reminded me of the cliff walk in Newport, RI. It worked out perfectly as it reminded me it was on our itinerary, and a good stopping point toward our destination. I liked to call this the 'tiny-house' walk. On the contrary, the mansions were amazingly huge. Made millionaire's row in Williamsport seem like actual tiny houses. This place was just whoa--I have no other way to describe it. HUGE mansions--I don't think there were any under 10,000 square feet. What was funny was the cliff walk--a national historic register public walkway for 2.4 miles in front of said mansions was supposed to be amazing, as the cliffs gave way to the rocky Atlantic Ocean below.

It was amazing in every sense. Some paved places as in bike path type, giving way to huge flat broken boulders to the north. I think we walked about half of it, as we entered right near the middle. I forgot my hat, and the sun was out. It was hot on the rocks. I got my scalp burnt somewhat but it didn't matter though, as I got plenty of pics of the Lutz kid-climbers, who (scarily to me and Jen) climbed out on them once again--memories of New Hampshire, this time with full battery power.

Tunnels under houses and lawns--must be a city ordinance

kid-climbers (again)

Made our destination

us part two (will explain the shirts later)

We left Newport after spending about an hour there. Great place. Once in the city, we noticed the shore front shops. As much as we wanted to go, we decided we were hungry and headed for our next destination and lunch spot-a lobster roll at Lobster Landing in Mystic Ct.

Have I said yet that I love instagram? I really do, you meet some great people on that Social Network. also thru IG, I followed Ultraromance, a fully bearded, tatted up non helmet wearing biker who utilized 4000+ dollar Rivendell bikes as his only means of transport. No cars, no kids, means he can live his life his way, working 4-6 months out of the year, spending the rest travelling by bike. His pics are great too.

Obligitory, way to expensive lobster landing lobster roll pic

us (with freighters on the Hudson)

A few months ago he had a sale of the shirts we were wearing in the pic above. Luckily Jen and I were able to get them, hoping we'd get to meet him (not this time) while in the area. Lobster landing is where he works part-time (I think) as a fisherman, so multiple pics of he and his crew are taken there. Needless to say, I wanted to make this a stop on our trip to 1. rub it in to my friends that follow him, and 2. See what the $17.50 Lobster roll tastes like.

What i learned was I don't need to be that cool. $17.50 is WAY too much for a lobster roll in CT, right on the coast--I thought this was ridiculously expensive. I could probably justify that price in a place like, oh, Nebraska with shipping, but this was on the coast for chrissakes. At least we can say we went. It was good, but I like my South Williamsport hoagies and cosmos TONS better! I'll still follow this dude, but no longer will I need a lobster roll to prove it:)

We made Croton right after check in--around 3:30. Good we stopped at these places b/c check in was at 3PM.
Croton was warm, but WAY too expensive--guess that was the theme of the day--letdowns other than the cliffwalk. I couldnt' believe we booked two nights here. Especially after finding out we did not have a powered site (at $50 bux a night)-nor did we have any working water toilets or showers--we had to hike up steps to the 'upper echelon' rv sites--that's NOT camping, people.

It was a beautiful park, on the Hudson River, but it was also full of trash (at least on our campsite). I got wet with GT in the 'swim area' of the Hudson, complete with lifeguards, but No son, i'm not going under water--not here. I swore I saw a small turd float past me-sweartagawd. As I went to take pics, an absurdly friendly gentleman came to us and told us a LOT of history about the park--the brick factories, the ships that docked there, what happens when the river is low (as I'm locking at the collection of glass shards on the beams lining the river) I guess I need to check out the site brickcollectors.com as he told us the history of the IXL brick Avery found--I means nothing but "I excel" from the brick manufacturing plant owner--he reminded me of a friends late husband whom was also from the CT area.

I don't care what they say, the majority of people in NY, MA and CT are extremely friendly. Maybe that's what the world needs in times like these.

We only stayed at Croton Point because of it's proximity to the metro north-the rail line to Grand Central Station in NYC, which was our trip for the next day. I was confused about tickets and parking at the terminal. Since New Yorkers were very friendly, instead of consulting google, I just walked up and asked people my questions that needed answered.

I was able to get our tickets from the terminal for a round trip ticket to NY thru a vending machine. I put these tix in my wallet. 88.75 for 3 adults and my 12 errrr 11 year old son.

While we were away for a few minutes, Jen and I decided to grab a craft beer six pack from a local store about a mile away. As we looked at the six pack cooler, we noticed mix and match, but most of the beers we liked were warm ones. AFter picking two six packs, we asked the bartender if we could exchange them. She said we could, just exchange the warm for cold beers. I had my wallet out ready to pay as we did the exchange.

As we arrived at the campsite, I was excited to show Avery our tickets while singing Taylor Swifts "welcome to New York". This, after all was Avery's highlight to the trip, as she's always wanted to visit the Big Apple.

I reached in when we got out of the van. No wallet. Went back to the van, checked floors, dash, console. No wallet. Asked Jen if she picked it up after we got in the van. No wallet. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. I didn't know what to think, other than I left it at the Green Growler.

I sped out of there in a flash, my heart in my throat, remembering that I laid my wallet down on the bar as I exchanged my beer. My wallet with our train tickets, my credit cards, our spending money for NYC tomorrow. SHIT! I think I was developing an ulcer as I thought I completely ruined our trip over warm v. cold beers. Damn! NO. No. NO. Please don't let this be the conclusion to our trip!

I got to the Green Growler post-haste, and, the minute I walked in (after checking local grasses, curbs and the sewer we previously parked in front of) the bartender gave me the 'aw yeah, I knew you'd come back' look, and grabbed my wallet. Talk about emotional. I think I told her I loved her. Ha. Head in my hands I also told her that this was what was left of our trip. MULTIPLE thanks later, with a tear or two welling up in my eye from the stress of the moment, or over the past two weeks, I asked her to change my hundred, and left her a $20 for her trouble (which I still feel wasn't enough). There are good people in New York. If you are in Croton, please spend a LOT of money on beer at the Green Growler. Class act in there. Thank you thank you thank you.

A triumphant return to the campground, after a quick text message, brought blank, yet angry what-if looks from everyone. We ate some groceries from the cape, then showered, stole some power to charge batteries for the next day, and shuttled off to bed in one humid tent.