Whiskey got a work assignment on Long Island, NY which included four locations for inspection. That's the interesting part of Whiskey's work; the locations are vast and varied. Once he got the L.I. assignment I went to work figuring out where we could stay / park overnight. Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome provided two good places to stay. We were delighted and put our trip in motion.
We packed up the rig and hit the road to the extremely densely populated island with a population of 7.6+million people. That's a lot of people!! And a lot of vehicles.
Not only is it challenging with traffic, traveling in an RV makes it even more challenging because RVs are not permitted on parkways due to low bridges.
This requires planning. Thankfully, our tracking devises have Maps and GPS installed so we can figure out how to get to point A to point B.
I also use RV Trip Wizard which bailed us at one point as we traveled on to the island; it did not help us out when we got off the ferry in Bridgeport. But that comes later in the trip.
Driving on I95 through the Bronx and then over the Throgs Neck Bridge is not a pleasant experience. The roads are in rough shape and the pace is fast. Traveling in the RV and knowing restrictions for RVs is abundant we had to pay close attention to where we were going.
The first destinations were in tight residential neighborhoods. Take a look at the screen shots of the Maps locations. We hope the millions of people living there like each other because most of them are right on top of each other.
Our first stop is in Freeport at Woodcleft Canal; the original dredging of the canal took place in 1897.
We went to two work assignments on day one. Not too exciting but interesting to see the residential areas. The manmade waterfront channels or canals are interesting. It's like what you see in Florida, but these had to be created before the Florida ones.
Since I am not knowledgeable about Long Island, I was intrigued. Look at all of the waterfront channels made along the south shore of Long Island.
After work was complete, we stayed at South Shore Craft Brewery. The brewery is located in an industrial area in Oceanside. The beer was good, and the service was friendly. We had a nice evening there meeting up with new friends that live in nearby Garden City.
After our visit with friends, we went into our mobile condo, closed our window shades, and I got dinner underway. Despite being parked in the middle of the parking lot our night at the brewery was quiet. We got a good night's sleep and were up early the following morning.
Boondocking when our rig is winterized requires a bit of adjusting as we can't use the shower or sinks. You can see how we manage in the video of our trip (link down below). Prior to this trip we would carry gallons of anti-freeze on board; Whiskey put anti-freeze in our water tank so we can flush through the system eliminating the need to carry it on board.
Next work location was in Lawrence at a golf club. This was a nice change from the tight streets of Freeport and Oceanside. This is beautiful location, yet under the path of jets going into JFK airport. Two "lanes" of planes were consistently coming in for landing.
It was a windy day when we were there so Bell and I did only a short walk around and over the wooden bridge.
Our second night we stayed at a Boondockers Welcome, a private residence in Bohemia. This location was perfect as it was quiet, provided electricity and Wi-Fi, had grass, and was on the path to the ferry.
We were delighted to have two places to stay overnight in February. Without Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome it would not have been possible.
For our route home we take the ferry from Port Jefferson to Bridgeport CT. The ride is an hour, and it is a relaxing. Much more relaxing than driving west on the island and through the Bronx again. The roads are in horrendous shape, and we didn't' want to lose a wheel cover as we have in the past on NY's road on a different trip. I think the ferry ride is about the cost of a replacement wheel cover.
Here we are parked at the edge of the ferry platform. Watch the video to see us board the ferry. Fortunately, the weather was calm, and the ride was smooth.
Whiskey was able to get work done was we sailed across Long Island Sound. I drove the whole way home from the ferry while Whiskey cranks out the paperwork.
RV Trip Wizard, which is to help navigate our RV through areas to avoid low clearances and other obstacles, failed us once getting off the ferry. Bridgeport has a train line running through the city with many low bridges. RV Trip Wizard was not helping us get onto 95. Luckily, or maybe not lucky, we went to the University of Bridgeport, so we are familiar with the area.
We took a detour over by our former dormitories and figured out where the train bridges are located and where we could get onto I95.
I was at UB for four years. Whiskey was there for one year. My dorm is on the right (Barnum Hall), Whiskey's on the left (Seeley Hall). Lots of good times were had there.
Gallery of images from our trip.
Come along for the ride and watch the video of our trip that starts on the Throgs Neck Bridge, stops at a brewery, a dog park, a ferry ride, and more. It ends back in our bubble and at Crabby Jack and Ginger's home for dinner with friends. In the video will see Ashley, the fluffy play-date pal of Bell's, and the crazy Pointers she lives with.
It is always good to get out of our bubble to see what else is happening outside of NH. I was once a city girl, but I am no longer. The density of the population, the narrow streets, the traffic, the speed of the traffic, the noise, and the city driving are all unpleasant for me; and this was February. Long Island must be insanely busy in the summer. I know there are beautiful beaches and parks, we didn't have time to see those, and I don't think we could drive our rig to them. I hope residents there love where they live and enjoy it.
Until next time, live life to the fullest! We try our best to do so.
Resources
Long Island has a long history.