The Mid-Atlantic Coast: Long Island and the Jersey Shore - Fall 2021

The Mid-Atlantic Coast: Long Island and the Jersey Shore - Fall 2021

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in this final leg of the fall 2021 road trip we're going to be hugging the mid-atlantic coast of the united states all the way from long island to the outer banks and we've never been to this area before so it's all going to be new enjoy the ride [Music] [Music] wherever i want to be [Music] we only spent one night here and one night was probably enough yesterday we went by new haven briefly i mean we've never been to this area and i wanted to do something significant in connecticut so we came to worcester square also known as new haven's little italy to have some pizza at this famous place called frank pepe pizzeria napolitana at the recommendation of our friend steve but parking seemed problematic and there was a line stretching outside the door and i don't care how good the pizza is i'm not gonna make a line also after spending several weeks in vermont and new hampshire being back in a big congested city it can be intimidating and overwhelming so we went to the mohigan sun casino where they also have a frank pepe and actually i don't want to talk about it i didn't take video of the incident so what happens at the casino it's better if it stays at the casino we also went by new london which is where we're taking the ferry to long island new york we wanted to make sure we knew where the ferry terminal was and to see the town i had read about it somewhere steinbeck perhaps i don't remember but it seems to be a charming town nowadays here's the soldiers and sailors monument and i think i see a fairy live in the dock [Music] yeah this is where we take the ferry [Music] back to today let's stop it off i don't know where the next gas station is going to be somewhere in new york i presume at 353 per gallon for credit card this has to be by far the most expensive gas in the whole trip [Music] we have about an hour to kill so let's stop here maybe we can get something to eat but everything seems to be closed for the season here's niantic bay by the way and something that surprised me a lot about new england is how seasonal it is a lot of places are already closed for the season i guess we'll have breakfast on the ferry hmm deja vu or perhaps a glitch in the matrix let me tell you something even though we've enjoyed our time in new england tremendously i think it is time to go someplace else i mean we loved the nature the food was amazing and so were all the great people we met but now the south is calling and this trip we're about to take in some ways bucket list we're going to take several ferries the chisa peak bay bridge tunnel the jersey shore the outer banks oh it's going to be such a great adventure [Music] here we go all aboard [Music] this episode is sponsored by surfsharkvpn vpn stands for virtual private network and its main function is to create a private secure connection between your devices and the internet and it's very simple it's either software on your computer or in an app on your mobile device and what it does you know you just click connect and in a few seconds you're going to have a private secure connection to the internet and that is very important especially if you're connecting to a public wi-fi like a coffee shop or a hotel campground i mean you don't know you don't know someone could be eavesdropping on that connection and potentially stealing your passwords your identity all sorts of things so you know even at home it is good practice to go through a vpn just in case but it's got other features my favorite is that you can change your location virtually for example let's say i want to watch a tv show that is only available in australia just click on australia sydney there there's a menu with all the countries and within seconds you are as far as the internet is concerned you are teleported to that location i mean it's taking a little longer because we're going halfway across the world right there we are in sydney australia and it has other features for example there's this a true incognito search right here that you could make a private search for your eyes only it's got a it's got a clean web feature that gets rid of unwanted ads and potential you know spyware and stuff like that now i've got a special offer for you viewers of my channel you go to surfshark.deals my rv and you put promo code my rv at checkout and you'll get 83 off and three months for free there it is across the fames river the fort griswold monument dedicated to those who fell during the battle of groton heights on september 6 1781 and by the way shouldn't it be called the new thames river since we are in new london just saying [Music] [Music] there's once again the monument also called groton monument since that is the name of the town on that side of the river here's fort trumbull nowadays a state park and the museum [Music] [Applause] [Music] that would be the new london harbor lighthouse dating back to the 18th century wow would you take a look at those mansions isn't that something [Music] there's once again the lighthouse as we approach the open waters of the long island sound and that would be the new london ledge lighthouse and on the other side every point lighthouse [Music] looking to the west if you squint hard enough you might be able to see the new york city skyline over the horizon nah not really if only the earth was flat right but don't despair we'll see new york soon enough and lots of it [Music] that's plum island lighthouse we're getting close orient point light perhaps [Music] [Music] [Music] here we are in the empire state new york now what to do what to do i wanted to go to sag harbor but first we're touring so we're not so maneuverable and i had not realized how fragmented this eastern part of long island is so we would need to either take two ferries or drive around neither way it's a 90 minute detour even though it is early at some point we want to make it to our destination before sundown and we're actually staying at a harvest host tonight we're not really supposed to park here please don't tell anybody but we really need to take a break and regroup and figure out what we're gonna do here's looking south towards the area i kind of want to visit but it will not happen today obviously more research should have gone into this this is by the way called truman's beach hmm so [Music] 11 6 you think we'll make it lots of wineries in this area by the way and the lighthouse horton point lighthouse it's supposed to have views of the sound and even a museum okay i got myself into a dead end again and all this to see a lighthouse that is closed right now and one which you can't even see from the road okay let's not do that again long island not exactly what i expected i mean i didn't know what to expect but i was hoping to be able to stop at different places maybe more ocean views and maybe it is us but the farther west you go the least rv friendly it seems and the weather certainly does not want to cooperate also i guess there's a reason why they called it long island it is long it is a long drive [Music] we're gonna get off the main highway here for a little bit see the town how people live after all the idea was to explore long island but i don't know why i thought this was a good idea this is even more stressful than the expressway i think so let's get back on it and continue on the journey west complicated parts of the country to navigate like this area are probably best to explore with a camper van and wait till we get to the parkway which tow vehicles are not allowed and vertical clearance is unclear luckily we're almost there but it has not been an easy drive here we are arriving at oceanside new york and our harvest host is a brewery and let me tell you after this stressful drive i'm so ready for an ipa the brewery is located in this industrial area so let me find out where to park all right we're going to park across the street temporarily while they finish dismantling those tents and then we're gonna park right next to that other rig in front of the brewery [Music] actually very nice brewery everybody's super friendly the bartender was into hiking actually we ordered some italian from a local restaurant and called it a night [Music] it's a brand new day and let's fill up the tank because things are about to get really complicated here today we're going to do something something we've actually done before just not doing a travel trailer which in this case greatly complicates things we're going to be doing something no prudent level-headed rver in the right mind would ever do today we're going to be driving in brooklyn new york not necessarily by choice there is a parkway a very nice highway actually but the rules about vertical clearance and rvs are very unclear so we're going to take the truck route just to be on the safe side safe being a very loose term here considering what we're about to do yeah things would be so much easier on the parkway which we could probably get away with if we had a camper van of course we would miss this experience [Music] hey check it out the world trade center you can see it all the way from here with each block that we pass it's starting to look more and more like the city that never sleeps [Music] let me tell you that's a very nice condo right there [Music] it is like an obstacle course but oddly enough i find myself in a weird way enjoying the experience [Music] there we can already see the gigantic towers of the verrazano narrows bridge our cross city adventure is almost over [Music] we've driven across this bridge once before actually and as i recall the views of manhattan are supposed to be spectacular even though you kind of have to look back a little bit luckily i have ely to operate the camera now isn't this view worth the white knuckle drive i think it was [Music] the drive through staten island much more relaxed [Music] and now we're about to enter the garden state [Music] our first point of interest in new jersey is going to be sandy hook which is this barriers pit at the north end of the jersey shore and home to the only clothing optional beach in the state of course the reason we're here is for the spectacular views of the new york skyline afforded by this site strategically located at the southern entrance to lower new york bay wait wait till you see it it is the off season so entrance is free let's park right here and have a quick lunch all right right here on the side of the road made a sausage sandwich with parmesan onions on a brioche and we have a view but came to sandy hook here which is by the way free even it doesn't matter if you have the america the beautiful or not it is free in the off season and then in the on season it's like 20 bucks per car i have no idea but the reason i came here by the way you're is you're not supposed to swim on the beach in the off season because there's no life card but the reason we came here is mainly for the beautiful view of manhattan that you get from this beach and we may go all the way to the end but but for now i'm just gonna take the picture from here it's a beautiful day two perfect weather here in yeah we're now in new jersey [Music] yep that's what i'm talking about let's do a long pan here from left to right starting with downtown lower manhattan and of course there's the world trade center such an iconic skyline even from this somewhat unusual vantage point as we get to midtown of course the empire state building [Music] yep these are the two most iconic parts now let's drive all the way to the end [Music] is that a nike missile i see and here we are at north beach and there's an observation deck yeah this is what i wanted to know where's the statue of liberty so let's look for it it's to the right of the verrazano to the left of [Music] amazing how much clearer it looks from up here once again the empire states building and all those newer skinny skyscrapers and even coney island can be seen right there on the foreground here's the fort hancock 9 gun battery and you have no idea how long i've been wanting to come to this place and see those views of new york i've studied the maps and seen online pictures and now we finally made it here i'm not going to put it in the bucket list category but almost almost this here is called officer's row at fort hancock which are these 18 homes where married officers used to live there's the sandy hook lighthouse the oldest working lighthouse in the united states dating back to 1764. some of the houses have seen better days some are beautifully restored now let's continue towards the rest of the jersey shore which of course is over 120 miles so we're not gonna be able to see everything in one day [Music] this is seabright with all these luxury homes on the right and the tall seawall on the left we won't be able to park anywhere but at least we can see it from the car this seems to be downtown seabright very nice [Music] now we're on to monmouth very similar actually it seems more developed with this fancy club here on the left and some condominiums coming up ahead [Music] ooh some huge houses around here [Music] i wanted to hug the coast as much as possible but sometimes we're forced england by obstacles like this i believe this is deal lake and eventually we're gonna have to go inland for real otherwise we'll never make it so suffice to say we're not going to be able to see everything and we're definitely skipping atlantic city since we've been there before [Music] we're gonna hug the coast here one more time by the borough of bay head then we have one more point of interest we want to see and after that we're hitting england for real it's another typical beach town with narrow streets and oceanfront property let me tell you these are beautiful mansions here by the beach but after a while it's all the same and i don't want to bore you with all this opulence so we're going to skip to one point of interest which is by the way not particularly interesting to me but it may be for some of you this is seaside heights and here on the left the house from the reality tv show jersey shore i haven't watched a single episode of the series but if you have well here's the house [Music] it seems to be a fun town with all kinds of attractions the boardwalk i mean all these things very emblematic of an atlantic coast beach town [Music] and that's it going england gotta put some miles behind us there's one point of interest we're going to miss actually well several but the main one lucy the elephant in margaret city just past the atlantic city but as i say we'll return i just want to get an overview of the area of the east coast see what it is like see what i like our destination today is cape may we've been hearing about that town for years by the way that would be ocean city new jersey in the distance which was kind of part of the original plan but it is getting late we're gonna be staying at seashore campsites and rv resort which has since been rebranded as sun retreats cape may there are a handful of options in the wildwoods cape may area and this seemed like the best choice [Music] let's go into town let's get something to eat [Music] here we are beach avenue in the historic district and one of the things cape may is most famous for is its victorian architecture it is actually considered a national historical landmark [Music] we've made it to cape may we're going to eat at cape may fish market we have yet another new england clam chowder and our last lobster roll of the trip not bad pretty abundant i had to finish with the softie right from what's the name of this place coral bros but it is dark here on the on the streets of cape may and i want to tell you something that that clam chowder was probably the best we've had in the whole new england even though this is not new england technically but the lobster wall was all right not the worst not the best but overall it was a good experience now we're gonna go back to the rv and rest [Music] so i still find it very unsettling that someone has to put you know pump your gas here in states like new jersey and oregon seems wasteful as of you know people and and time you know i could have done a more quick much quicker and more efficient job but hey that's the way they like it let's check out wildwood which is the next town over and while cape may has that victorian charm wildwood has a boardwalk with the biggest beachfront amusement parks and some pretty cool 1950s architecture [Music] all these signs and these hotels they do have a little bit of a route 66 feel to them don't they [Music] at this point we're just kind of driving around aimlessly realizing how quiet it is it almost feels like a ghost town that may be why we get that route 66 vibe more than old miami beach or old vegas perhaps and what happens is this town pretty much shuts down completely for the off-season from november through may our timing impeccable as ever actually it is kind of interesting to see it this way there are three of these amusement pairs this one being the largest the giant wheel is one of the largest on the east coast another pier here on the other side this one has the great white roller coaster [Music] [Music] well as you can see wildwood here pretty much a ghost town as you can see that's as the off season begins although today is one of those days you know it's beautiful days in the 70s but yeah this town is pretty much shut down now which is just funny how seasonal it really is we're going to continue exploring a little bit but it feels almost like a post-apocalyptic thing with everything closed [Music] it almost feels like like they forgot to turn off the lights you know they all left and and everything is [Music] just imagine this with people [Music] that would be the other third amusement pier [Music] check it out it's one of those places isn't it [Music] i think we owe it to ourselves to return one of these days in the high season [Music] quick stop here at burn plaza they have a wildwood sign here's yet another wildwood sign [Music] let's see if we can park somewhere so we can take a picture you know that iconic picture with the larger wildwood sign right here everything is deserted anyway by the way does anybody know why the sign says wildwoods in plural hello pelican heads today coming to you from wildwood new jersey and then it is totally the off off-season so this is like a ghost town but it's one of those places that has like all these 1950s neon signs and and you know a bunch of like cool looking hotels [Music] we're gonna go back to cape may i mean there's not a whole lot to do here today [Music] there is a way to go directly from wildwood to cape may but it is through this tall bridge which has one peculiarity and you'll see it in a few seconds [Music] yep the toll booth is in the middle of the bridge and of course it is a drawbridge [Music] [Music] it wouldn't be us if we didn't visit at least one of the local breweries cold spring brewery here is located in a historic barn dating back to 1804 just outside the historic cold spring village [Music] well this is a historic brewery here we'll we'll find out the history soon [Music] as i said earlier the building itself is a historic barn the brewery they have only been around since 2014 but the beer is really good cheers and yep that was good ipa now we're gonna go into town have some dinner but first we're gonna go somewhere else we're going to sunset beach which is pretty much well almost the westernmost point in the peninsula very close to where we're gonna take the ferry tomorrow here on the left we have a world war ii lookout tower and we're almost there i can already see delaware bay well that would be the wreck of the uss atlantis [Music] hey check it out dolphins the uss atlantis here the most famous of the 12 concrete ships built by the liberty ship building company during world war one these ships were built out of steel and reinforced concrete which was cheaper to build but harder to operate in 1926 the ship ran aground here and they could never set it free [Music] we're going to eat at a very special place tonight but first let's stop by the lighthouse and some people will risk their lives to get that perfect shot that lens looks expensive wouldn't you say [Music] there's the 1859 cape may lighthouse but this area is also very famous for bird watching right here at the cape may wetlands state natural area there are a bunch of trails but we're just gonna look at the birds from here [Music] you got a nice shot right there check out that i planet just this far away all right let's go eat [Music] [Music] [Music] the lobster house here comes highly recommended so let's check it out when the bread looks good usually the rest of the meal is good too that's elise and this is mine [Music] well that was probably the best meal of the whole trip so thank you rob for recommending that um the lobster house here in cape may which is a fitting end to our time here and tomorrow we're waking up at the crack of dawn actually before dawn because the only ferry that was available was the 7 a.m ferry soap tomorrow we're going to delaware so good night on the next one we're going to take a ferry a bridge that becomes a tunnel another ferry we'll meet up with a long time viewer and friend in ocean city maryland we'll see wild horses the birthplace of the airplane and so much more as we continue exploring the mid-atlantic coast but as i said more about that on the next episode until then thank you so much for watching and see you on the road [Music] i'm writing riding in my rv wherever i want to be because i'm free in my rv yeah i'm riding riding riding i'm riding in my rv my rv wherever i want to be because [Music] wherever i want to be

2022-03-19 16:15

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