Going Around New York City…Yikes?

We knew this would be a big Travel Day, especially going past New York City. We had both been to NYC before and decided to skip it for now. But we needed to get on the other side. Our next campground was in northeastern Connecticut and we were in Ocean View, New Jersey. This was a Saturday and we were on the road by 7:10 a.m. 

We dropped off the trash in the big containers on the way out. At the gate there is a sign that says “Reminder! Don’t forget your trash on top of your vehicle!” That is a very good sign! We have forgotten our trash, in the bed of the truck, a few times. LOL Dropped of the gate key in the box and headed out. 

One point, along the road we say a sign for Buc-ee’s. When we first saw the sign, of course we were excited…until we read the words. It had a u-turn arrow and the words “581 miles”. HAHA Oh, they sure know how to advertise. Buc-ee’s has the largest convenience stores! Some are 78,000 sq ft! Not kidding.

Passing the outskirts of Philadelphia and I saw a hill with no trees. That is uncommon around here! Then Kevin chuckled and said he thought the same thing but realized it is a landfill. Sure enough, there was a grader working on top of the pile. HAHA New Jersey toll roads sure have nice and convenient “service areas.” These are rest stops but with several fast food places, a fuel station, picnic areas and more. The ones we have been in were very clean. So nice, with HOWE (footnote 1), not to have to get off the freeway to find fuel especially knowing there are lots of low bridges in this area.

Let me tell you, the route we took around NYC was phenomenal. Kevin and I both spent a lot of time researching the best way to avoid going through NYC. I-287 took us way a ways around the west of New York City. This being Saturday, there was hardly any traffic! Not kidding. The only slow down on the entire way up to this point was the north west corner where there were several major roads connecting. Crossing the Hudson River it had nice see-through panels along the edge of the road. We didn’t get into traffic, besides the one mentioned, until we were in Connecticut! What a shock to us! We thought it would be the opposite. I was thankful it wasn’t a rainy day, as had been forecasted.

Right past west of NYC, we started seeing real hills. It was nice to be going up or down and seeing a view through the trees. In Connecticut we got some good hills. We really like where it opens up and we would see a town nestled there. 

We got to West Thompson Lake Campground, near North Grosvendale, Connecticut, by almost scraping the side of HOWE on a turn just before the turn in. Yikes, Kevin said. This campground is Corps of Engineers and has 24 sites, 11 have electricity 30 amp and water. It is thick heavy woods. Starlink is not happy! Cell service was slow but worked. We got set up and then did a little walk down the hill to the ranger shack. He gave us a paper on trails and how to get to the lake. (Can’t see the lake for all the trees.) 😃 Oh, this was new to us: the campground gate is locked at 9:00 p.m. – 8:00 a.m. If you go out and come back, you will have to park at the lower lot before the campground and walk in. We see quite a few people tenting and we are definitely the only big trailer here, although we fit fine. HA 

Kevin set out his hammock in the trees and sat there for a little while. He soon came in because it was cooling down. I had come in just a bit before him. We didn’t need dinner, since we ate some many homemade cookies on this Travel Day. 😋

Driving to the dam we saw the beautiful lake, West Thompson. On the right side of the picture is where our Corps of Engineers campground is located.

1. “HOWE” is what we named our Alliance Avenue 36-ft 5th wheel. See: Home On WhEels and we pronounce it Howie. We live and travel in it full-time around the country.