So, we have the hotel, now we need to plan my trip. Thank god for Google.
One of the first facts that I found was that the Appalachian Trail passes close the Delaware Water Gap. It will be great to take some pictures of this world famous trail.
So, here we are and ready to go at 8.00 am and its a beautiful morning, sun shining and 80 degrees f in the shade. I`m sat in the car setting up the GPS and checking that I have packed everything. Re-adjusted the mirrors and ready to start the car, hang on where`s the steering wheel gone??? Oops. get out of the passenger seat and get into the left hand side of the car where of course the steering wheel is in the USA,
On my way now, and remembering to drive on the right hand side of the road make it to the Expressway without any problems and expecting a journey of about two hours all being well. Ha ha I didn`t take account of the wrong turn I made after the tolls which led me onto the NJ Turnpike, which I shouldn`t have been on. It was of course the GPS`s fault. It told me to turn right didn`t it but there were two sort of rights and I got the wrong one didn`t I!!! I saw the right one as I was passing it and all these NY drivers were chatting to me as I slowed down to check my way. It was really nice of them. " hey waddare you doing A...hole" so I waved two fingers at them mainly because they don`t know what it means. Anyway for the next half an hour I had a lovely trip round the outskirts of NY, and eventually, with the help of my friendly GPS I got back on the right road.
I eventually arrived at my destination after 3 hours which included a half an hour delay at roadworks just 4 miles from the Delaware Water Gap turn off.
I was absolutely starving so I called in the local diner a couple of hundred yards from my hotel for a very well earned lunch.
Although I had done some limited research I thought it would be a good idea to check in with local Tourist Information Centre, which incidently was next to my hotel. As I approached the desk this lady asked my if I needed some help and proceeded to give me mounds of information and directions. Isn`t it true though, wherever you go, these attendants at these centres are the friendliest people you could wish to meet. What a lovely lady. So laden with all this information and new found knowledge I set on my way.
I decided to look for the Appalachian trail as it passed the town quite close to where I was. Back in the car and a short ride past the Dear Head Inn, which I duly noticed for tonight`s dinner, I took a turn into the visitors car park, not before I had got lost again and was very tempted by this beautiful golf course I had entered by mistake. Quite excitedly I got my camera gear out of the car and proceeded to my first look at this most famous trail.
DDaaaaa, well it may not look that impressive to you but I`ve just traveled 3500 + 200 miles to show you this. Anyway this is the continuation point for the trail as it goes through Water Gap Township and at this point it follows the Delaware river and I was told by some lovely hikers that if I had followed the trail for only another hour or so I would have got some great pictures of the gap. So seeing that was why I was there I decided to ---- wait and find it by car later. Ha ha you thought I was going to walk the extra hour or so didn`t you, Wrong. It`s quite interesting actually because I thought the trail would be quite well laid out and although very long would be quite wide and manageable. As, myself and my two new friends the hikers found out, it took some following as it wound through the woods with only the trees with small white markings showing the way. The next few pictures show the diversity in the trail as it passes through the woods. 
More to follow.
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