Day 3:  Thursday, June 21

Hot! Hot! Hot! That pretty much sums up today's adventures. The day started off with a huge fire in a giant garbage bin across the interstate from the hotel. Michelle took the picture below from inside our van after the fire department came and doused out most of the fire. At one point the flames were like a bonfire that you could feel burning your face even from across the interstate!

Approaching Newark, we relied on our GPS system which led us down a one-laned part of the Interstate without an exit with signs that promised an express passage to the Holland tunnel leading to Manhattan. This was definitely NOT where we wanted to go. We knew we were in trouble when our GPS said to take the next exit and of course we couldn't. About a mile later, God had mercy on those that blindly follow their GPS and a last exit opened up and we took it. Luckily the GPS led us to our hotel, but we were unable to check in because we were two hours early. We drove around Newark for two hours looking for a restaurant that had parking. After about an hour, we stumbled upon a Wendy's and a Home depot so we pulled over and took a breather. Finally we returned to the hotel and checked in. After resting a few hours, we walked to the train station to get tickets. The temperature was 97-98 degrees, hotter tha Arkansas! Getting the tickets was an adventure in itself. It sounded easy on the Internet, but actually was much more complicated, but we did get train tickets. Hopefully getting subway tickets will be easier tomorrow. We staked out several restaurants on the Internet and walked to them, only to find that every single one of them was closed . . . either permanently or they closed after lunch time. By this time we were hot and sweaty and ready to give up hope of ever eating. Finally we stumbled upon a Subway that was still opened, grabbed two subs, and returned to the hotel to feast upon them. On the way back there was a crowd two doors down from our hotel. There was a Obama party going on with the Obama campaign bus parked across the street. Michelle took the following picture with her cell phone.

We are about 20 miles from Manhattan, but can see the NYC skyline from our hotel room in the distance. Our hotel is a remodeled historic hotel (built 1916) where President Wilson was among the first to stay and where a huge welcoming party for Albert Einstein was held (1033) for his coming to stay in America. Today is a little hazy, but tomorrow has promise of thunderstorms which may clear the sky and cool things down. Tomorrow we visit the Big Apple so that Michelle can attend her collegevisit and have her portfolio reviewed.
Pray for us so that tomorrow will run more smoothly than today. Until tomorrow.