Date: 2007-08-18
From: Mt algo Shelter

To: NYC
Miles today: 18.0

Day 60 18.0So today I hike for Herman Jenkins, owner with his wife of Main Street Cafe and Catering in Jonesborough. He is a man who took a chance on a business in a dying community in the early 80's and made a success from it. I like him because he doesn't come from a place of fear. He will matter of factly tell you, "Let's make it happen".When I picked Herman to hike for this morning I had absolutely no idea of what kind of day I was going to have. Let's get to hiking! It rained last night and the air was crisp, a cold front finally broke all of this heat. I found some rapids by the ten mile river and sat and had lunch for an hour. I really am able to relax by moving water. Right after the state line (yep I'm in a new state) State #6 New York!, I found some trail magic. I looked in my book and saw that the railroad picks up from the AT on Saturdays and takes you to Grand Central Station. There was one at 4:40 & 6:35, 6 miles to walk. I thought about it for 15 seconds and decided to go. "Lets go" I thought. (let's being only me). I missed the 4:40, so I got on the 6:35. I was in NYC by 8:20 P.M. I called Becky and said "Guess where I am?" She was very excited for me. So there I was with a heavy pack full of food in Manhattan. I walked directly down 42nd st to Times Square. It was 9:15 P.M. I stood right at the point where the traffic splits. I was overwhelmed by all the people. So many different people from different countries. I could only take about 15 min. It was hard moving through with the pack on. Everyone who looked at me definately looked twice. I walked of the square to Rockefeller Center, then around to radio City Music Hall. I think that many tourists that that I was homeless, I guess I am in a way, "I come from the woods". I laughed at that thought. I was ready to get away from the tourist spots and venture out. It was time to learn the NYC subway. I headed back to Grand Central, I figured that was a good place to start. I studied that map in the terminal. I had no other map as I did not want to buy one. I rode the subway down to the World Trade Center site. Now some of the trains were not running because of the flood. I was told to take the E train. I was directed to get off at the last stop and take the "?" train. It was just like the Saturday night live skit, when that talk with their hands over their mouth. I couldn't understand what train I was supposed to be on. All I knew was that the E train never showed up in 40 min, so I walked. I asked a lady for directions, she pointed me in the general direction. It was now about 2 a.m. I had sat in a few places earlier just people watching and resting my feet. I walked in the pointed direction, it was now time to get exact directions. So I asked a guy that I found to only speak Spanish. I said "Nueve, Once"(9-11), figuring he would get it. I said avion (airplane) and made crashing motions with my hands and sounds with my mouth. No cigar. He ended up pointing me in the wrong direction, but I later found it. A lot of fire trucks were around, I later found out there was a big fire. I walked the perimeter of the site, admired how the foundation had been left. On my way down I had seen a sign for the Brooklyn Bridge, I was tired, it was 3 a.m., and I couldn't remember where. I walked back to where I thought it was and walked into Chinatown, then into Little Italy, then into SOHO. All the places I wanted to see. I had walked far and figured I was going in the wrong direction. I started asking people, no one knew where it was. Now imagine if you can in your best square headed NY Italian voice a guy asking me "what are you, some sorda Forrest Gump or somethin'" I mustered up my best covered up southern accent as to not sound JUST like Forrest and said "Forrest ran roads, I hike mountains" So he pointed me in a "general direction" I walked for a while and figured it wasn't right. I was way off going to some other bridge. So I found my way to the subway and rode down to the Brooklyn Bridge. I walked up to the middle of the bridge, all of the time amazed with it's size. It was 4 a.m. I sat on the bench and shook with all of the traffic going by. NYC is truly a city that never sleeps. I popped out my MP3 player and listened to the Everybodyfields "good to be back home". I was very aware of how big of a deal it was for me to be sitting in NYC on the Brooklyn Bridge. I dozed for a while. It was 5:30 a.m. and the sun was starting to rise. I walked on acrros the bridge into Brooklyn, the made it back to the middle for the beautiful sunrise. One of the most colorful I'd seen. Once the sun was up I realized that behind me I could see ellis Island and the statue of Liberty. It works out good for me a lot of times! It waas now 6:45 a.m. , my train back to the trail leaves at 9:50 from Grand Central. I still wanted to see Central Park.