In My Fifth State

The frustration with the amount of time it took to walk through Connecticut gave way to a bit of elation when I crossed into Rhode Island.

Even with my heavy pack, I couldn't stop grinning as I passed the Summit General Store, and turned onto the Trestle Trail, a part of the Washington Secondary Rail Trail that runs parallel to the Pawtuxet River.  It was here that I got to rest and hydrate, and connect with my sister-in-law who would be joining me within the hour.

I made it as far as Williams Crossing Road, where I sat on a bench on a perfect day, and waited for Mary.  Once she found me, we threw my big pack into her car, and drove up to a lot at Industrial Drive.  We walked the greenway backwards to Camp Westwood Road, and my walk for the day was complete.

Jenn and Whaley, happy to be in RI

Jenn and Mary

On Thursday, June 21, Mary and I started our day at that same parking lot, and we were joined by Jenn P., another of Michael's colleagues from CDM Smith, for our walk to Providence.

So Jenn, Mary and I hopped back on the trail, spending a good amount of time getting to know each other, and telling stories about Michael.  Conversation flowed, and since there were over eleven miles of greenway, we didn't have to worry about navigating around town.

We did make a stop at a place called goalFood, located in Cranston.  The smoothies we savored were jam packed with deliciousness and nutrients that kept us going all the way to Providence. 

Overall we squeezed in fifteen miles, and we were happy when an Uber driver was only a few minutes away to ferry us back to Industrial Ave.

I am so happy that Jenn was able to join us for this leg of my journey.  Hopefully she doesn't forget her homework assignment:  taking a pic with CDM Smith peeps at an upcoming offsite meeting in Key West, where the East Coast Greenway begins!

Jenn, Jenn and Mary

True to form, my Providence rest day included a few miles. 

Mary and I grabbed a quick breakfast, and toured a little bit of the town.  Most impressive for these two tourists was the Biltmore, where we posed on the steps, and snapped pictures.

We crossed over the Providence River, hugging the water along the Canal Walk.  We made our way into India Point Park along the Seekonk River, then finishing up at a point on the Blackstone Boulevard Walking Path that had just been paved. 

Our shoes had had enough of tar filling the grooves on our soles, so we called mercy, and opted for a lunch break.

Nina had graciously arranged for me to get a massage that afternoon, but while we were still eating, my phone rang.  The spa informed me that the person with whom I was to be paired was waiting for a tow truck.  Alas, no massage.

This particular Friday marked two years since that fateful day in Gouldsboro, Maine.  Sitting with Mary over dinner, the conversation turned to our old tradition of ending the work week with a cocktail, Michael with a martini and I with a glass of wine.  I miss that ritual, so Michael's baby sister stepped up, saying, "Bartender, a martini over here!"

at the Biltmore

Whaley looking back towards Providence

Two years: a martini for Michael

Mary and I rallied, and started early Saturday for our walk into my next state, ending at Fall River.  We were lucky that there was only a light rain for the first part of our trek, and it couldn't stop our glee as we saw the 'Welcome to Massachusetts' sign early on.

The rain stopped and we continued on, finally finding the pedestrian path running along Route 6.  We made our way into Bicentennial Park, and admired the craftsmanship of the replica Iwo Jima monument that overlooks the water.

We kept moving, heading towards the USS Massachusetts battleship that we would end up touring after a lunch that hit the spot.  If you make it to Fall River, it's worth your time to do the tour; you'll walk around battleships and a submarine, and be amazed by the amount of history here.

Our bellies full and legs tired, we drove to our Westport Airbnb and met Bill, our host.  The topic, of course, as to why we were there came up; as I relayed a bit of my itinerary, Bill's ears perked up when he heard that I would finish in Gouldsboro. 

It turns out that his family has a home in the area, and he knows Jane and Kelly of Littlefield Gallery.  In fact, we were staring at a beautiful James Lineham painting that I recognized from their collection. 

I guess there are certain people you are destined to meet in this world.

My time with Mary was coming to an end on Sunday.  We left Bill's place, literally on the greenway, and headed towards New Bedford. 

Mary only walked a part of the way with me, and then took my big pack to my hotel for me.  My parting gift was a giant lemonade from Wendy's - don't judge, I'm a little hooked since I've begun this trip. 

I continued on, walking all the way into Fairhaven to my hotel for the next two nights. 

I had a delicious meal at The Pasta House, a restaurant within walking distance, and chatted with Nick and Jessica behind the bar.  I collapsed into bed for an early night.

Mary's heading back to NJ

The bridge from New Bedford to Fairhaven

with Jessica and Nick

Now it's Monday, and it took awhile to get motivated today.  Once I did, it started to rain, but it cleared up pretty quickly, so I headed down Alden Road to the Phoenix Trail greenway.  The air was cool, and the grey clouds threatened more rain, but the weather held.

The left off the Phoenix Trail led me to a diner, and I took advantage of the chance for lunch.  The burger was tasty, and prepared me for the remainder of my 'short' walk.

A tiny turtle

Whaley

That's all for now.  Tomorrow I'll start heading towards Cape Cod.  I'm lucky enough to spend tomorrow night with a friend of a Freewalker I met right before I started my journey.  And later this week, I'll get to spend time with Terrie; it always helps to see familiar faces!

I'm in Plainfield! Connecticut, that is...

I'm going to start off on a bit of a negative note.  Many parts of the East Coast Greenway that are on-road are not made for walkers.  It's been difficult at times maneuvering on streets with no sidewalks and little to no shoulders, and crossing some bridges like the Bataan Corregidor Memorial Bridge.

Okay, rant over.  On an ironic note, I'm in Plainfield!  No, ha ha, not that Plainfield.

My trip to Hartford started at the Avon Old Farms Hotel where Jen had dropped me off.  My tip for you?  If you're going to stay here, make sure you get a room in the main building.

I crossed through Avon's town green, past Sperry Park, to a nice stretch of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail.  There were more bikers than walkers on this Flag Day. 

After exiting the trail, I turned onto Route 185 / Hartford Road, experiencing not only a great hill but frightening walking conditions, and at one point I "hid" on the other side of a guard rail. 

I spotted a large rock and a nice patch of grass covered in shade at Cobtail Way, and took a break.  After reviewing how much further I'd have to walk in conditions like this, which would continue as I turned left on Loeffler Road, I threw in the towel and took an Uber to the Bloomfield town green to hydrate, and to have some lunch.

Kristie, my host for the night, was texting me about when and where we could meet.  She works for CDM Smith in East Hartford, and we planned to walk a part of the way together into Hartford.

Our meeting point was a Wendy's further into Bloomfield.  Do you know how good a Wendy's lemonade is after walking miles with a big pack on your back?

Kristie and I walked into downtown Hartford, spotting greenway signs, and walking towards the bridge into East Hartford where we ran into Dan, also from CDM Smith.  He was trying out LimeBike, which was just introduced within the past month.  I missed the launch of LimeBike in my town; it happened right after I left on my journey.

CDM Smith is where Michael worked.  It was a little surreal to be in this office, where we stopped before Dan drove us back to Kristie's car.

CDM Smith in East Hartford with Kristie

Rest stop at Cobtail Way

Hartford State Capitol

Merry-go-round in Bushnell Park

Bridge towards East Hartford

My homemade card

Kristie and I picked up her two children, and we headed to her home in Glastonbury.  Once there, her daughter came in to see me, handing me the sweetest homemade card.

It was a lovely night spent getting to know the family, and reading "The Dog Who Cried Woof! to her son.

In the morning, niece Jessica picked me up, and we had a delicious breakfast before she had to meet a colleague.  I hung out in her hotel until she was finished, riding out a rain storm, and then we headed back into the city where we would be staying for the night.

We watched some World Cup soccer over a french onion soup pizza at the Blind Pig, and then decided to explore a little. 

Commemorating a meeting between Lincoln and Hartford resident Harriet Beecher Stowe in D.C.

with Jessica at the Blind Pig

Saying goodbye to Hartford

Whaley at Manchester Community College

with Chris and Judy

More walking, and then dinner and drinks, and we headed back to the apartment.  There may have been a little bit of a headache the next morning.

My trek took me back to the waterfront area the next morning, over the bridge to East Hartford, and along the East River Drive and Charter Oak, until I turned on-road through some not so nice areas. 

A quick Uber ride ahead took me to the Charter Oak Greenway from Forbes Street.  This stretch ran parallel to the highway, and there were only bikers on this four-mile walk.

One of my highlights was the chance to meet up with sis-in-law Judy and Chris at the Highland Park Market in Manchester.  I was going to get to ditch the pack!

at Toast Four Corners

this one's for you, Donna B.

a great blue heron rookery

On this Saturday, we jumped onto the Hop River State Park Trail near Steeles Crossing Road.  It's a tree covered trail where you can see nothing but green.  You don't have to worry about looking for greenway signs, and you can just turn your phone off to conserve battery.

We reached Andover, and I checked off another day on my journey.  The three of us headed to the Spring Hill Inn, a guest house built circa 1734, to clean ourselves up before heading to dinner at a true find.  Francesca's Italian Bistro in Coventry served a mean chicken parm, one of the best I ever had.

Sunday, Father's Day, included a half hour wait at Toast Four Corners, where we filled our bellies before another round of walking, this time on the Air Line State Park Trail.  The trail took us past a great blue heron rookery, and was mostly shaded and bordered by an endless amount of ferns.

Alas, Judy and Chris had to return to New Jersey, so they dropped me off at my hotel in Plainfield... Connecticut, that is! 

On this Monday, I'm planning to head back to where we left off on the Air Line State Park Trail, and make my way to either Pomfret or Putnam, depending upon the weather.  There is an extreme heat advisory in effect, and there may be some afternoon thunderstorms.

I won't lie, I'm looking forward to crossing into my fourth state, Rhode Island in the next few days!

News Flash, Connecticut is a Big State

Connecticut is wearing me down after getting out of both New Jersey and New York in a short number of days.  I'm not quitting, as long as my feet still work, but damn, it's never-ending.  And yes, I realize there are more big states to come.

Additionally, there's always the reminder sloshing around in my head that so many people stepped up, pun intended, to help get me here, to reach my goal in supporting the East Coast Greenway Alliance and Freewalkers.

This past Monday, I headed back to Milford via an Uber.  It's funny to see drivers' reactions when you get dropped off at random residential areas.  My walk took me along the water's edge through Woodmont, where I was happy to have long sleeves on with the breeze coming off the water.

The greenway continued to the West Shore - yes, there's a west shore in the east coast state - with beaches and jetties, and benches to just sit and ponder.

Turning right into Bradley Point Park after Sea Bluff Beach takes you into an impressive Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which then continues onto the Beach Street Trail.  There was a bit of somberness that overcame me, looking out at the water, thinking how close it was to the time of year we were out in our kayaks, how cold the water looked on this day, and how cold it was to be draped over the kayak that fateful day.

Beach Street eventually curved left past Morse Park to First Ave.  From there, on Elm Street, I had to make a right turn over the bridge officially into New Haven. There was a good amount of construction coming off the bridge, and I didn't get a warm and fuzzy feeling in this area. 

I made it to the Sound School at City Point, but called Uber as there were sketchy characters near where I was supposed to catch the Harborside Trail.  In hindsight, I might have been too much of a nervous Nelly, but why take chances? 

My driver dropped me off at the New Haven Green, and I explored some of the greenway there before stopping at Prime 16 for a grilled three cheese and pesto sandwich and an Allagash White from Maine. 

A quick trip back to my hotel and the day was complete.

My trip to Southington on Tuesday was my first day in awhile with the big pack.  Thanks to Lisa's blog, I learned the term walking EDI, or every damn inch of the greenway.  On this day I did not EDI. 

I started just above New Haven, in Hamden, and walked the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail.  This is a beautiful stretch of greenway, a paved path through trees with streams.  There are also a bevy of benches, which I utilized often.  You see, the entire day was spent walking uphill.

I spoke with a woman named Donna as we waited to cross a street with traffic.  She was collecting grape leaves to create some Mediterranean dishes.  The conversation then turned to what I was doing.  By chance, we just happened to be standing at a signpost with a greenway marking, I explained how it runs from Florida to Maine, and how I was traveling a part of it.

We parted ways, and I continued on, later meeting Pete and Clancy.  Clancy is a Scottish Terrier who thinks he's Irish, Pete said, and the tartan jacket was adorbs. 

Pete had stopped me, saying, "Are you Jenn?"  It took me off guard, but it turned out he and Donna know each other, and they had run into each other after she and I met.

Pete is originally from the Kearny, NJ area, and we chatted about how things have changed in areas like Newark.

Whaley on the trail

Pete, with Clancy out of shot

with Donna

The day wore on, and I continued to trudge uphill, hoping and hoping... and hoping... that I would make it through Cheshire.  And then my hostess for the night, Jen, texted at just the right time about where we could meet up.  I mistakenly told her a cross-street from which you couldn't exit the trail, and I had to keep emotions in check, from sheer exhaustion to the letdown of thinking I was done. 

But she was patient and bubbly when she met me on Canal Street, and then she rolled me into her car.

She took me to her lovely home in Southington, where I met her sons, had spaghetti with meatballs... and the Italian bread for dessert.  (It was all delicious, Jen!)

The day, on the whole, was amazing.  I saw two beavers, a turtle laying eggs, a deer, and to end the night, the ferocious Mellie.

As I sit here writing on this Wednesday, I do not regret my last-minute decision to take a rest day.  After all, this is my trip, right?  Jen and I got to spend part of the day together, enjoying a delicious lunch, and getting to know each other.  I can see why she and Liz are friends, and I'm thankful that I had such a fun hostess. 

Don't judge - I cheated a little, and allowed Jen to drive me to Avon, tomorrow's starting point.  My body hurt after a tough day yesterday.  But I don't regret it a bit because I made a new friend.

I guess you could say my journey doesn't always happen on the trail!

Crossing the 100-Mile Mark

Where did I leave off?  Oh yes, my rest day... when I walked five miles.  What else was a girl to do all day, especially when her hotel is - literally - on the East Coast Greenway.

I headed to Stamford on hot day, with no big backpack weighing me down.  Overall, the scenery included buildings that looked like warehouses along a train line.  There was one bonus; passing the ten-acre Helen Binney Kitchel Natural Park, named for an active conservationist, who was the first woman to serve in the Connecticut State Legislature.

That day's quick jaunt ended at Cove Island Park, and is where I picked up the next day.

The walk to Westport winded through residential areas, sprinkled with beautiful, old churches I noticed in the Darien area.  On Old King's Highway there is a marker indicating that George Washington passed through, too.

I felt lucky that I happened upon the Rowayton farmer's market at Pinkney Park, and parked myself in a spot overlooking the water.  The corn and avocado salad was fresh and delicious!

I still had a ways to go, almost five miles when I stopped to talk to a policeman near some construction approaching South Norwalk.  A quick stop in a bakery to grab a bottle of water, and I was refreshed enough to cross the bridge over the Norwalk River.  I even spotted a heron, a swan and a cormorant hanging out together.

I met Laurie, a force to be reckoned with, in a store at a gas station.  She told me I had good energy, and asked me why I was in town.  I joked, saying something like, "I'm just trying to keep myself alive on my walk." 

That freaked her out, thinking I was going to hurt myself as the news of both Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain had been in the news.  I assured her it was nothing like that, and told her why I was walking.  She insisted on giving me the five dollars she just won on Keno (I tried to resist), gave me her number, and said her brother is a police officer and can help if I get in trouble.

The final stretch towards the Westport-Saugatuck train station was along a road with no sidewalks and barely a shoulder on which to walk, but I made it, and took the train back to Stamford to my hotel.

I met Andy at my hotel on Saturday morning.  We would drive to Milford, and then take the train back to Westport.  Our destination for the day was Bridgeport.

On the walk out of Westport, we saw signs for duck races, which would have been fun to see, especially after the news segment we saw while we ate lunch at Vinny's Ale House.

This leg of my trip took us through sections in the Southport and Fairfield areas where you saw oceanfront grand homes, to parts along the railroad approaching Bridgeport that would have had me calling an Uber if I was by myself. 

We walked as fast as we could towards the park where a statue of P.T. Barnum overlooks the ocean.  Thanks to commentary by Liz on my Facebook page, Andy and I understood why he was there! 

The last stretch took us past the arena where the Bridgeport Bluefish play.

After one of the longest hotel check-ins ever, we got to clean ourselves up, and catch Justify capture the Triple Crown.

Dinner was going to be casual at a pub called Murphy's Law.  But after learning that the chef wasn't even in yet - it was after 7 p.m. - we walked across the street to Trattoria 'A Vucchella.  We sat at the bar, and struck up a conversation with owners Pasquale and Jen.  The food was delicious, and if you're ever in the area, I would recommend you stop here!

Finishing Saturday pushed me past the 100-mile mark on my journey!

On Sunday, we headed out of Bridgeport.  We left our hotel, and crossed the bridge, thinking things would be less scary.  We were wrong.  I also almost lost my sh*t when we walked past a yard with a chain link fence and a crazy, mean pit bull.  We again did our best to walk as fast as we could, and when we finally felt safe enough, it was in a cemetery of all places.  It was St. Michael's Cemetery.

Crossing into Milford, we headed toward the water, and were set to meet up with some special guests who were going to walk the last bit with us. 

The crew from Harriman hung around and walked with us until some little people's feet hurt.  We found a Greek restaurant near the water for lunch, and then parted ways. 

Andy and I continued on towards High Street, where we turned left towards the train station instead of right on the greenway.  We found the car, and he dropped me off at my hotel for the night.  I had a bite to eat at the Texas Roadhouse right next door to my hotel, and collapsed into bed not long after.

Today I'm trying to motivate, and get out the door for my walk to New Haven.

See you in a walk or two!

Harder Than I Thought

Now that my journey has begun, I have found it challenging to write.  After each day of walking, I am bone tired, and fast asleep by 9:30 p.m.  There is a little bit of guilt in not staying as connected as I thought I could be; after all, friends who have, and are, biking the greenway seem to write every day.

So here goes... a look at the first few days in one post instead of a post per day.

The sendoff I received was really beyond anything I could have imagined.  Friends and family from all walks of life showed up.  And the Freewalkers, of course, helped organize my chaos I faced in leaving home for two months.

Thanks to Mary for dropping me off at my official starting point in Nomahegan Park.  From there, I headed to Lenape Park where everyone was to meet.

Here are some scenes from the first day's festivities:

Day one ended with less than ten of us at Newark Penn Station.

The second day was a bit easier.  Jeff, along with Teddy and Lilly, dropped Cory and me off at Newark Penn Station for our walk to Hoboken.  There was one hairy part where there was no sign of a trail, only a concrete barrier and some construction equipment.

But we prevailed, and crossed over the Hackensack and Passaic River bridges, into Jersey City.  The walk ended along the waterfront to the Hoboken terminal.  Day two, in the books!

The third day I spent with a fellow Freewalker.  Ed was kind... and patient enough with me, starting with my lateness in meeting him in Hoboken thanks to delayed trains and my first day out with my big pack. 

We spent a good portion of the morning traversing the waterfront, from Hoboken to Weehawken, Edgewater and finally, Fort Lee.  The approach to the George Washington Bridge was steep, and I had to stop a few times thanks to the heavy pack.  But my decision to walk up the Jersey side of the greenway was worth it once you saw the views, including signs of where we had started that day.

Once over the bridge, emotion took over a bit; I had just crossed into my second state on my journey.  Thoughts of why the hell I'm doing this, who and what I've both lost and found as a result, took over momentarily.

Ed nudged me to keep moving, and we made our way toward Fort Tryon.  Near Dyckman Street, into Inwood, I called it quits for the day.  My feet said, "no mas!"  So my traveling companion and I parted ways, and I parked my butt in some bar and drank two giant lemonades before meeting my host, Colleen, for the night.

My first night away, after the long and tiring day of walking, I had the pleasure of dining with Brothers Bill, Ed and Joe, along with Colleen and her daughter Maeve.  The volunteers cooked an amazing meal.

And then I was asleep somewhere in the Bronx a little after nine o'clock.

Scenes from Hoboken, NJ to Fort Tryon, NY:

My fourth day out was the first time I'd be walking on my own.  Since I hadn't officially made it to Marble Hill like I was supposed to, I backtracked to a Starbucks next to my lemonade stop the prior afternoon to begin. 

The greenway signs were easy enough to spot, thank goodness.  It was a quick walk over the Harlem River to Marble Hill, and then a pleasant enough stroll on Tibbett Avenue towards Manhattan College. 

Crossing Broadway at W. 242nd Street, I entered the Van Cortland Park Greenway, where I happened upon a golf club.  Continuing on, you enter a maze-like area running parallel to the Mosholu Parkway.  I had a moment where I thought I made a wrong turn, but hadn't.

Further on, you enter the Bronx River Greenway, which then becomes the Pelham Parkway Greenway.  It was on this stretch I was worried about some rain, which thankfully never appeared.

I won't lie; somewhere in here I may have sung a few rounds of '99 barrels of beer on the wall' to distract myself.

But then I was on full alert as I prepared to make my way to Shore Road Parkway.  I was traveling along and crossing entrances to the Hutch and I-95.  My heart ended up in my throat when I saw a large, lumbering man on the side of the highway; I had visions of becoming Bithia to his Jebidiah (thank, Roni!) but I managed to cross - safely - to the other side onto Shore Road.

Once across the bridge, I traveled along another wooded greenway, exiting to the sight of grand homes.  The last leg led me to meeting up with my host for the night, Lisa!

Lisa and I ate at a delicious Italian restaurant called Agostino's.  If you're ever in the area, stop by; you won't regret it.

The next morning we set out from New Rochelle to cross into Connecticut, my third state.

The air was thick, my allergies kicked in, and my feet hurt as I had gotten a blister the day before.  But the hot herbal patch Jen gave me helped ease some back pain. 

We had made it all the way into Rye, with a slight diversion from the ECG.  The map indicated we had to travel on the Playland Parkway, but that did not seem safe, so we chose an alternate route.  But we made a wrong turn somewhere - I was very mad at myself, I will say - and instead of turning towards Port Chester, we were backtracking further into Rye.  

Lisa said, "We walked the miles, no shame in making up the difference with an Uber."  My feet agreed, and off we went.  A quick break led to a New York send off with a margarita at Bartaco before we crossed the Byram bridge into Connecticut!

The night ended with a bonus, dinner with Carol!  Three beach house friends just catching up.

So here I sit on my rest day, with no shame in doing nothing at all this morning.  But now it's lunchtime, and since my hotel is right near the greenway, I might walk a few miles north (without the heavy backpack) in search of something to eat.  Those miles count, right?