Headed to New York
Today is the big day! We’re headed to the Big Apple! We woke up in our quiet campsite hidden in the woods, knowing that our surroundings were going to change drastically by the end of the day. Goodbye quiet isolation, hello lights and sirens of the big city! The morning hike to the Bear Mountain Inn was beautiful. We passed some groups of day hikers on their way to the scenic Bear Mountain overlook. When we arrived at the inn, we had breakfast and the ferry driver informed us that he was an hour late. But don’t worry, we weren’t in too much of a hurry.
Our friend Mike from North Carolina was driving down to spend a few days in the city with us. And he wouldn’t be there until that night. So we had all day to take a train from Peekskill to the city. When the train pulled into Grand Central Station, we couldn’t have looked more out of place. Two hikers with huge backpacks and our dog in a harness surrounded by bustling city people. The soaring ceilings and beautiful architecture of Grand Central Station were a stark contrast to the forest we’ve become accustomed to these past four months.
Get new shoes
The first thing we had to do was figure out how to get to our hotel. FarOut couldn’t tell us how to get there, but we persevered anyway! We couldn’t check in yet, but we were able to leave our backpacks there. Cody needed some new shoes, so we stopped by REI and thought it would be a good time to do it. 
We walked down to the subway station, figured out how to buy an Omni card, and each went through the stanchions to board the subway. Turkenna took all this in stride. The crowds, the noises, the train… she just followed our lead and did great! We arrived at REI and sat down with Cody to try on some new shoes. But Turk and I were just enjoying the air conditioning.
After REI, Cody came out with shiny new Topo’s and a hunger for New York food! We found a food truck and ordered chicken and lamb on rice trays. I’m not going to lie, there’s something about rice from a New York food truck that’s just different! It was so good! 
We don’t do much else that first day other than check into the hotel and wait for our friend to get there. Found a great Chinese place to eat that night. I tried new foods I had never tried before.
Being a tourist in the Big Apple
The next morning we ate at the hotel and headed to Time Square! We couldn’t go to the Big Apple without seeing The Big Apple! We had coffee at The Central Perk and I fangirled over the burnt orange couch that is iconic from the show Friends. 
We visited the Hersey’s store, the Lego store, and the Disney store! We were amazed by the lights and signs around us. And it built some confidence in our ability to navigate subways.
That afternoon it started to rain, so we found a nearby restaurant and sat down to enjoy one of the best meals I have ever had in my life. The Greek restaurant suggested their plate which offered a sample of their best items. It said it fed 3 or 4 people, but it could have easily fed 5 or 6! Every meat, side, and sauce was incredibly delicious! When we couldn’t eat anymore, we put the leftovers in boxes and returned to the hotel. The rain continued to fall as we relaxed all afternoon.
Watch a World Cup match
One of the main reasons we wanted to come to New York was in hopes of finding tickets to attend a World Cup game, specifically the England game. There has been a lot of news about how expensive tickets for this World Cup are and unfortunately we couldn’t go to any games. But we headed to a local bar that was showing the game. 
The place was immensely packed and we were ready to leave at halftime. We watched the rest of the game from our hotel room and ordered Peruvian food for dinner. Yes, we were going to try every type of food we could while we were in town.
Crazy views of New York
Cody woke up early the next morning to go play soccer with a group of guys he found on an app. He played a couple of hours of soccer and returned to the hotel when I was getting up. Cody, Mike and I got ready and headed out to visit the site.
First stop: The Edge. It is a hundred-story building with a glass-walled terrace that offers 3,600 views of the New York skyline. We were able to see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and Central Park from the terrace.
See a Broadway show
We had plans to have lunch at the famous Katz’s Deli, but when we saw the line that took up an entire city block, we decided to find another deli nearby. I was excited to get back to the hotel because Cody and I needed to get ready for the show! 
We were going to fulfill my lifelong dream of seeing Wicked on Broadway! I’ve been a fan of the musical, long before Ariana Grande waved Glenda’s wand! Luckily, Mike brought me a dress for the show because I don’t think my trail clothes would have been appropriate for the occasion. But I did use my Teva!
I was on cloud nine when we left the theater! A line of bicycle tram drivers stood outside when the show ended. To my surprise and excitement,
Cody picked a tram and before I knew it, we were cruising around town playing Vanessa Carlton’s ‘A Thousand Miles’ while I used the bubble gun the driver gave me to blow happy bubbles at the people walking on the sidewalk. It was EVERYTHING I could dream of!
New food in town
Back at the hotel, we met up with Mike and quickly headed to a Korean BBQ restaurant where we had reservations. This was an experience that Mike was very excited to have with us. I’ve had Korean BBQ before, but this was our first time! And it did not disappoint! The waiter cooked the different meats perfectly on a stove in the center of our table. What a great dining experience and it was delicious! The day ended by watching more World Cup matches in the comfort of our hotel room.
Central Park with Turkish
Turkenna had been making the most of her zero days in the city. She spent her days resting while we wandered around the city. 
But this morning I had a chance to stretch my legs and leave the hotel room. We’re headed to Central Park! The moment we reached the grass, she stopped, sniffed, fell on her back, and rolled and rolled and rolled on the grass. She shows her joy so obviously! We spent the whole morning in the park. Cody climbed to the top of a large rock and Turkenna jumped for joy as she ran up and down the rocks!
Up to Cody and down to me! I was in doggy heaven! We found a good spot to play fetch and then rested on a shady bench at the top of the hill. She lay looking at Central Park as if it were her personal domain.
He made his way back through the busy city streets and down to the subway with ease. After a long day of playing in the park, he was glad to be back in his bed to get some rest. Cody, Mike and I headed to an Italian restaurant where I had the best lasagna I’ve ever had! 
We had some free time that afternoon, so (of course) we watched a World Cup game at the hotel before heading to a Yankees game that night. There was no chance we were going to take a full trip to New York and not go see a Yankees game!
Returning to the trail
It was our last morning in the city. We all went out to have breakfast before saying goodbye back to the hotel. Cody and I packed our backpacks and took a train from Grand Central back to Peakskill. And then tragedy struck! As we stepped off the train, carrying our heavy backpacks and holding onto Turkenna’s leash, the doors closed. And that’s when Cody noticed his cane on the train. The stick he found on the road in Georgia was named Bruno and he was traveling with him from GA to ME. As we watched the train leave, there was nothing we could do. I called and made a lost item report but never received a response. It has been a very sad goodbye.
With heads bowed and hearts heavy, we walked to the hotel in Peakskill. We checked in and I took all of our clothes to a local laundromat. 
I got a resupply at a store next door. And when I returned to the hotel, we sat on the porch enjoying the vibrant sunset over the Hudson River. Tomorrow we would get back on the road. We enjoyed our last night eating fancy wings and watching…you guessed it: a World Cup game.
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