South America Trip - Day 24

Somehow - despite loud talkers, insensitive aisle walkers and crying babies - I managed to doze a few times during the night...  By 0430 (New York time), I was awake and went back to watching movies.  The flight attendants came around about 30 minutes later and served breakfast (eggs, veggies, bread).  I couldn’t see much out of the window from where I was sitting but I did witness the early morning glow of the sunrise.  We landed at JFK by 0645 but then got to park on a taxiway for a little while.  Eventually (0715), we deplaned and started through to Customs (Terminal 4).  I used my Global Entry and bypassed the entire set of lines - the wait for everyone else was showing as 60 minutes but it didn’t even take me five minutes!  I found the baggage claim area and (after missing my larger bag as it passed a few times) was soon (0730) able to leave the terminal.  Bound for Terminal 5, I walked a short distance (brrr) and got to the USO just before 0800.  Since they didn’t open until 0900, I killed time in the area nearby.  Not surprisingly, I was feeling very tired...  I called Dartmouth Coach to ask if I could reschedule my bus departure time (from Grand Central) but they said the earlier bus was sold out - dang!  At 0845, the volunteer at the USO let several of us inside and I got some snacks.  I spent the next few hours resting and waiting in the warm area.  At 1100, I got my stuff together and started making my way towards Manhattan.  It took a while to walk back to the AirTrain platform but I lucked out when I got there because a Jamaica-bound train was just arriving.  There were very few people on board and it only took me about 25 minutes to reach the end of the line.  Unfortunately, when I tried to pay the exit fare, I found that the Metro card I had bought on the first day of the trip no longer worked.  This minor inconvenience cost me an extra dollar (for a new card) but I was actually able to use my credit card this time (1130).  I was also able to buy a ticket for the LIRR before heading out to the platform (1130).  It was SO cold!  The westbound train came by at 1150 and I had no trouble getting a seat.  The day was crisp and clear and there was plenty of scenery to see on the way.  At around 1230, I exited the train at Penn Station and immediately got a bit disoriented.  By the time I reached street level, I realized I was inside a massive building called the Moynihan Train Hall.  Since it was so impressive, I explored it a bit - there was plenty of shopping and places to eat.  While trying to call up an Uber, I determined that the price had gone up almost $10 in just an hour since I'd last checked.  I ultimately decided to walk.  Outside, I found myself on 34th Street and made my way through the area (Macy’s entrance) that would be one of the main points of the Thanksgiving Day parade route (I sent the girls a photo).  I then passed the Empire State Building and crossed Fifth Street, which I figured out was the dividing point for the west and east side street naming.  Later, I turned north and walked all the way to 42nd Street.  There, I turned east and passed Grand Central and the Chrysler Building.  At 1300, I came across the driver for the 1:30 PM Dartmouth Coach, which hadn’t yet started loading, and he gave me the impression that I might have a good shot to get on the earlier bus.  He also suggested places where I could wait and/or leave my bags temporarily while waiting for the next one (if needed).  However, I got really lucky when a mother and daughter pair arrived 10 minutes later and told the driver they had left the son/brother behind in Lebanon.  I was very pleased to hear this and the driver let me get onboard immediately.  I then settled in while the bus filled completely.  We departed at 1330 and took what I’d call a scenic route to leave the City.  Along the way, we passed the UN Headquarters and took surface streets north.  Eventually, we crossed the river and I think we used I-87 or US-9 to reach I-287 and then got on I-684 to reach I-84.  However, I was so tired that I fell asleep just after watching the first movie (“The War with Grandpa”).  I woke up somewhere just north of Hartford (crossing into Massachusetts).  It was dark and snowy for the rest of the drive and I tried to pass the time with dozing and watching the last part of another movie.  We stopped at least once along the way to change to a new driver (I might have missed when we stopped early to pick him up) - by 1830, we rolled to a stop at the Hanover Inn and I found Monte waiting to drive me home.  He was so helpful and thoughtful all the way through the process!  By the time I entered my condo, he had retrieved a huge pile of all my mail and made sure I was settled in safely.  I guess my fatigue was obvious!  Before going to sleep, I sent the girls a photo of Smurfey, sleeping in bed.  I went to bed myself - after one of the longest travel days I can remember - at 2045.  Wow - what a vacation - it lived up to all the hype and expectations and I can't wait to go on another adventure soon!