Definitely not in Kansas

So I've been about a week now in the "actual North", made it all the way to New York, and here are just a few of the new and crazy things I've discovered...

There are lots of delis and pizzeria. And I'm not talking, like, Subway and Domino's. Real delis where you get giant sandwiches, with fresh bread and meat sliced before your eyes. And places where you can not only get pizza by the slice, but probably any kind of italian food you can think of.

There are actually trees and lakes and even farms. Contrary to popular belief, NJ and NY are not completely covered in urban sprawl. There are many towns, but a lot of them are just as small and rural as places down South.

People own pick-up trucks. Along the same lines, if you live on a farm in the country, you most likely own a truck, whether it's North or South. Although, I have noticed that many people call any kind of SUV a "truck".

There is a whole lot of ethnic diversity. At least more than in Christiansburg, VA, which I guess isn't too difficult. Italian, Hispanic, Eastern European, Asian. And today, just on a trip to Wal-Mart I saw more Hasidic Jews than ever before in my life. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen a Hasidic Jew before that wasn't in a movie or TV show.

And most of all - people are really nice. At least people around the trail. Right now I'm staying with a couple, who just invite hikers literally right into their home. They gave us rides, showers, laundry, beds, and food, for nothing. And a few days ago it was the same story. The mayor of Unionville, NY (really, the actual mayor) takes in any and every hiker that comes through his little village. The night I was there, the house was so packed that some people had to tent in the backyard; people were in the basement, on the floor, even on the living room couch. And with the help of two friends, he opens his entire house to everyone, just like you lived there - watch a movie, take a shower, drink all the soda (or beer), and make sure you get a good dinner and breakfast the next morning. It was unbelievable.

I have to say that these Yankees have gone above and beyond anything I ever expected. Of course, this weekend I will be taking a little excursion over to the other side - New York City. It's definitely going to be a shock to the senses, but I can't wait. Then we'll see how I really get along up here...

GO SEE 'THE DARK KNIGHT'

It's really good.

I've spent the last two days in Delaware Water Gap, PA, which happens to be adjacent to the town of Stroudsburg, PA, which happens to have a movie theatre. Starting on this trail, I had only two goals - 1. Walk to Maine, or as close as I could possibly get, and 2. See Dark Knight.

So far I'm one for two.

In fact, I also saw Hellboy 2 the same morning, because if you know me at all, you know I have an insatiable need to watch movies.

DWG also happens to be adjacent to New Jersey. Which means goodbye, Pennsylvania and the Amish country pseudo-"North" and hello to the crazy land of bagels and "caw-fee" that frightens me so.

But seriously - go see Dark Knight. It's, like...really good.

On Accommodations

The places I spend the night while on the trail can generally be sorted into four basic types:

1. Tent - MSR Hubba; sleeps one (i.e. - me) with room for boots and other random junk and my pack outside under the vestibule.
2. Shelter - Structures placed along the trail near a water source (most of the time) specifically for hikers to sleep in; sleeps anywhere from 5-25; usually wooden, usually 3-sided, although some are definitely more impressive than others.
3. Hostel - Any place along the trail that offers overnight accommodation at a significantly cheaper price than a hotel, generally geared toward hikers; usually a bunk room w/ shared bath; may or may not have mattress, sheets, food, etc.
4. Hotel/Motel - You probably know what I'm talking about; From Mictrotel in Franklin, NC to Bales Motel in Gatlinburg (see The Gatlinburg Gang: Parts 1 and 2).

Of all the states so far, Pennsylvania has definitely offered the most interesting and ecclectic choices for accomodation, sometimes blurring the lines between categories. My first night was spent tenting literally just north of the Mason Dixon Line, between railroad tracks and a road crossing, and the second at a pair ("snoring" and "non-snoring") of incredibly nice shelters. Then, right after the halfway mark was the Ironmaster's Mansion hostel, which used to be the huge house of (you guessed it) the owner of an iron mine, who also happened to be on the train of the Underground Railroad, so there were some cool secret rooms underneath it, too!

With halfway under my belt, I decided to trek it all the way to Boiling Springs - a very pretty town, but not exactly hiker-convenient. Basically the only places to stay are bed & breakfasts, or a hiker campsite a half a mile out of town (with no water). Except, one wonderful family, the Mateyas (I hope I spelled that right), invite hikers to spend the night in their backyard, in an adorable little playhouse their kids had. Is it a shelter or a hostel? Either way, it was warm and cozy and dry, and exactly where I stayed.

Still moving on, my next stop was the great little trail town Duncannon, and the hiker mecca that is The Doyle Hotel. The Doyle is one of those long-fabled and anticipated stops for most hikers. But don't let name fool you - it's not a Super 8. In fact, it would probably fit more comfortably in the "hostel" category, with their low, low price and mostly hiker customers, except for the fact that you do get your own room. The Doyle was built back around 1900, when Duncannon was probably a more booming town. It has a pub on the first floor (with excellent food), while rooms are located on the 3rd and 4th floors - a shared bathroom for each floor. My corner room (two windows!) contained a twin bed, a chair, an old dresser, and an oscillating fan. Vickie and Pat, the owners, are some of the nicest people on the whole trail. The Doyle has ambiance. Character. Just no cable or air conditioning. I loved it.

After Duncannon, it was back to shelters. But not just any shelters. The 501 shelter (so-named because it's right next to PA501) could easily be a hostel. It's a 4-sided building, with bunks, a solar shower, and a caretaker who lives in the house next door. And because it's right near the road - pizza delivery. What more can you ask for? Electricity, you say? Well, wait 'til you get to the Eckville shelter, 'cause that's exactly what they've got. A lightbulb and an outlet and everything. It's in a little building right behind a house (another caretaker). Only 6 bunks, but oh yeah, it's got a real flush toilet, too!

And finally, yesterday I came into the great little town of Palmerton, where they have what they call the "Jailhouse Hostel". In one of the city buildings, which used to be the old jailhouse, they let hikers spend the night in the basement for free (bunks and everything)! It's not really like a jail at all anymore, but if you need to check in after the office has closed, you're supposed to just flag down an officer on patrol and he'll let you in. Ha!

So thanks, Pennsylvania. Despite all the boulder fields and rock slides during the day, you've certainly provided some sweet places to spend the night. The next seven states will have a lot to live up to.

Movin' On Up

First of all - happy late July 4th! I hope everyone was very patriotic and gorged themselves on hotdogs and apple pie before blowing something up in their backyard. I did my part by hitching into town for a great lunch at Colonel Sanders' and then later lighting an obscene amount of sparklers at the shelter. My reward was waking up the next morning with my face covered in huge, oozing, awful bug bites. Or it could be some kind of rash. All I know is, it gross and it happened over night. Thanks America.

Secondly, I am now officially in "the North". Enemy territory. Yankee country. Although, if it weren't for the license plates you probably would never know it. Most of the people I've witnessed reek of "redneck" and the trail passes through so many historic areas, I haven't learned so much about the Civil War since I was in 5th grade. In fact, the hostel I'm staying at right now was part of the Underground Railroad. And I got to go down into the secret rooms!

And finally.....I'm really truly actually halfway to Maine! 1088.1 miles down, 1088.1 to go. Honestly, hitting halfway was pretty anti-climactic. I was by myself at the time, and there wasn't even any kind of marker to indicate it. I guess I'll just have to settle for the old marker with the wrong mileage. But to celebrate I'm spending the night here at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania, only a few miles past the half, and home of the famous "Half-Gallon Challenge", where hikers try to down a whole half gallon of ice cream as fast as they can and then never eat ice cream again. However, since I enjoy ice cream so much, I opted for a pint instead, plus two cheesburgers and two orders of fries.

So now it's onward and upward...or northward. Only one more half to go!