NYC to Phili Part 2 "Keeping it Sunny!"

We made it through the gravel road and got dumped onto  beautiful farm roads, field after field of soybeans, nice flat roads and a spattering of apple and peach tree fields. We were very happy.

After the gorgeous farmland we hit  the epitome of Jersey; wide streets, "grand front lawns", fake brick, ornamental lions and German Shepards!  

The directions were serving us well until just before we were to hit Trenton NJ, we came across a bridge closing we detoured through a huge park with a giant athletic complex that served just the town. I thought that was pretty amazing!  

We rode into the streets. Trenton schools were letting out.  The inner city kids were all dressed in their school uniforms.  The street and sidewalks were bustling with people walking their children, kids on street bikes with their pants hanging low, men hanging together, women on front steps. We were in the city!  All was well until we hit Philadelphia Ave, I wouldn't call this area the getto, but not far from it. Our directions were not making sense the cue sheet and garmin were not matching up. That's when we get out the iPhone to see what's ahead and to get our bearings. We decide on our route and then head out onto a road with dozens of industrial parks. The road we were to take, Tyburn Rd, was closed for major construction. We continue up the road to a road that will link us to the road we need to be on so that we can get the #%&/ out of Jersey!!!  It turns out that road was private for US Steel only!  it was gated with a guard standing watch. We begged and pleaded to get through. Nope!  She redirected us to get us on Tyburn Rd. We finally found a place to get on to Tiburn... it's an on ramp. We got on reluctantly...a semi-tractor trailer passed us at 55 miles per hour, we got off immediately at the next ramp. We silently thanked a higher being for keeping us safe. We were now on a road that would get us to the road we were supposed to be on (I am not really sure what that road was at this point, Amy has taken control, and I am nodding obediently!). She tells me we are going to head down such and such road and then we have to go the wrong direction on this road for a bit then we just have to get on Fallsington Rd and we will be golden. I was skeptical. We stopped...on the one one way road....something wasn't right. Fallsington was no where to be found. Amy was fingering wildly on her phone. She was determined!  I said "Amy, look there is a commuter train station.  We could just get on and get to Phili like that."  She ignored me. She lead us on a different road. (We were going the right way, with traffic now instead of the wrong way up a one way street!  That was a step in the right direction.). It didn't lead us to where we wanted to go. We turned around. I looked up. I said."Amy, look there is Fallsington Rd!  Isn't that the road we want to be on?"  She said, "Yup, how are we going to get up there."  I was still dreaming about the train. She wasn't. She was determined!  She was thinking about crossing the railroad tracks until the Acela zoomed by at 100mph!  Then we stopped an older couple leaving the train. Amy asked how we could get onto Fallsington, he paused, "You could go back up around there, but I think you'll have to walk your bikes."  I am thinking...people don't get it!  That's an on ramp!  We shouldn't even be up there!  The guy said, "Where you headed?"  We said, "Phili."  (It's 5 o'clock now). He said, "Why don't you take the train?"  I said, "That's what I said!"  His wife handed him her train schedule and helped us figure out whether we could take the bikes and what time the train would arrive for Philly. The train was arriving in 20 minutes. We got on we paid our $8 each, the best $8 ever spent!  

We were on our way. We were chatting with people on the train about our journey and they were impressed, especially the ticket man. Just before exiting the train, a woman who we will call the church lady asked us where we were staying. We told her. She said, "Oh, I know exactly where that is. I am going to the church next door!  I will direct you there." On we went with, Linda, the church lady. She gave us some ideas for dinner and as we headed into the hotel, she grabbed a pen and jotted down her phone number on the back of her business card in case we needed anything. We were relieved to be safe in the hotel. We had some good laughs about the day over the rest of our evening and felt very fortunate to come out of this day with the shiny side up!  It's always sunny in Philadelphia when you have a buddy and you make safe friends!