East coast lessons learned the hard way by ignorant Californians:
1. When you make a hotel reservation in New York City, do not assume they have a parking lot. Silly us. We assumed all hotels have things like parking lots. Suddenly that “discounted rate” we got on Expedia doesn’t seem so discounted anymore when you have to add another $40 for overnight parking…and then trudge down two blocks on dark NYC streets with your three sleepy children and their sleeping bags and your duffel bags and computers (since you don’t want to leave them all night in the $40 parking lot….)
2. When driving on the east coast, BRING LOTS AND LOTS OF CASH. You will be sucked dry by all the toll pikes (what is a pike, anyway?) and toll roads and toll bridges and toll tunnels. Apparently the east coast doesn’t have taxes like California does? (or maybe that’s why California is bankrupt?) Anyway, when you look hopelessly at the toll attendants because all of your cash was used up at the previous toll booth, like a mile ago, she just grumpily tells you that your “violation will come in the mail.” Please….please have mercy on us poor unfortunate people from California who are not accustomed to driving with cash…. We can drive for free where we come from.
(regardless, we had a wonderful two days in New York City. pictures coming soon….after Gil sorts through the 600 or so pictures he took during those two days….)
Anonymous
Chuckle, chuckle. Glad you're having so much fun on this trip and learning a little about cultural differences along the way.
Dr. Adams
Babu
We remember these things from living in New Jersey but if we had told you them ahead of time, you would not have the same fun we had 30 years ago.
Babu