July 22 - Off the AT in Manhattan, NY (Day 125)

Made a quick fuel stop at a deli near the Trail this morning and then meandered to NY-55 where I met up with Achilles, who I hadn’t seen since Duncannon, PA.

Back at the Daily-family home, I was able to throw some things in the laundry and go for a dip in the pool. Ahhh.

Achilles’ mom, Barbara, arrived and we chatted for a bit. She gave us a couple of bottles of wine for the evening and we loaded a couple of day packs with necessities and walked into town to catch the train to Grand Central Station.

Arrive grand Central Station: holy smokes! Fast-paced chaos compared to the timeless and peaceful AT. Achilles lived in NYC for two years before the AT so he moved effortlessly through the heavy traffic, encouraging me that everything was going to be okay. We bought a couple of deli sandwiches and hopped on the subway to 96th Street where we ascended to ground level and walked a couple of blocks into Central Park.

We joined a group of Achilles‘ friends and spent the very pleasant evening sipping wine and listening to the New York Philharmonic Orchestra performing for us and our 100,000+ friends. As if that wasn’t enough, a spectacular sunset was followed by a massive show of fireworks following the concert.

We spent the rest of the evening playing pool and darts in a bar called The Dive Bar. Achilles and I have joined his friend Jib and girlfriend, Brooke, back at Jib’s apartment on 92nd and 2nd in Manhattan.

Aquaholic