October 25, 2011

You Can't Get There From Here

Today we seemed to drive around in circles, never seeming to find what we were looking for.  We still had a good time and just laughed at the absurdity of it all. 

The day started on a promising note.  The weather was gorgeous, and we drove down to see the Delaware River, which is the only river east of the Mississippi River that has not been dammed.  We had hoped to cross the river at the town of Dingmans Ferry, but the RV was a bit too heavy.  Actually, we only wanted to cross because it would be a novelty.  The Dingmans Bridge, built in 1900, is one of the last privately-owned toll bridges in the nation.  It costs $1.00 to cross each way.

Delaware River

Sarah Getting Ready To Cross the Delaware
(This Isn't How George Washington Did It)

I'm Not Crossing That Way

The Toll Taker At Historic Dingmans Bridge

Dingmans Bridge
We drove south through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and caught glimpses of the river from time to time.  We wanted to visit the Delaware Water Gap, and I wanted to find the National Park Service visitor center so I could get my passport stamped.  Never has a visitor center been so difficult to find.  We took one road and then another and nothing, zip!  Lucy, our harebrained GPS unit, was no help either.  She routed us along a beautiful road, and we did drive through the Gap, but never found the visitor center.

I finally gave up and told Tim to just leave.  We got on the interstate, and lo and behold, we saw a sign for visitor information.  We made a quick exit, missed the left turn and ended up on a hilly, one-lane road controlled by a traffic light that changes only once every three minutes.  We finally got our green light, drove up the hill and were able to turn around after a mile or so.  We headed back down, and as we rounded a bend, there in front of us was the visitor center.  I got out of the RV with my passport book in hand, ready to get my stamp.  The visitor center was . . . closed!  Nooooo . . .  How cruel!

By then, it was too late to go anywhere else, so we found a nice campground in the Poconos and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.  We deserved it!

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