Mystic Pizza
Life does not always go according to plan for better or worse. I did not intend to visit the Northeast but here I am. More miles, new sights, and states visited. I left DC at 0700 ET to hopefully make it to Connecticut for a late lunch with friends. I disabled toll avoidance otherwise I would have spent an additional (5) five hours on the road but now I need to find out what I owe in tolls. The only state accepting cash tolls so far is Delaware. I spent a lot of time on the New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) which was interesting with the service stations in the middle. Sunoco seems to be doing well with a monopoly as the gasoline station of choice for NJTP.
Before crossing over George Washington Bridge (with a $16 toll!) I think I saw the most densely populated area of gasoline stations ever. I saw the New York City skyline from the highway and it was close enough. I had no intention of finding out how accurate movies portray NYC. I stayed on I-95 until some point in Connecticut. According to my GPS I would arrive almost an hour earlier than expected. I decided to quickly pan around the map and find some scenic routes to slow me down. I found U.S. Route 1 and Route 146 offering a good change of pace from the interstate. It was a beautiful day for a ride too.
I eventually made it to my lunch destination around 1400. I was still a little early but I used the opportunity to make some calls. This trip has made me realize what my Eastern Time friends have to deal with waiting for PST people to either wake up or get home from work, it is torture at times. I sent some photos of my location to some other friends and apparently this town is known from a movie? My friend made it shortly after I arrived and we went in for lunch. Since I am a bit paranoid, outdoor dining was requested within line of sight of my motorcycle. Lunch was good and it was great catching up in person. While waiting for their partner we walked towards the main street of Mystic so I could see the famous(?) Mystic Pizza.
Once my other friend arrived we went for ice cream and sat near the water. I was told I could not ask for better weather which is great because I will have fond memories of my visit. Sadly because of timelines I was not able to spend more time with them and I was on the road again to see family in Massachusetts. My friend was considerate and picked Mystic knowing it was on the way so it all worked out. They were also able to accommodate last minute plans for which I am grateful. I encountered a very short light rain and I eventually made it to my destination for the night. The only complaint I had coming off the highway was the condition of the roads but California is no better in some parts. At least there was still light out so I could dodge some of the uneven pavement. I cleaned up for the night and we had dinner. Hopefully I will be rested enough to cross off a few more states while I am up here before heading back towards home. I think I will be heading home someday but we shall see.
Cherish time spent with family/friends. Life can be too short.