Bookin' It To New Haven, CT

The drive to New Haven, CT from Salem was just shy of 3 hours. I don't know why I scheduled everything the way I did...but I had beds waiting for me at the times that I did, so I just swallowed the fact that I had to back track a little.....

It never occurred to me that there was crime in New Haven, and after visiting with my other Couchsurfers...I must admit I was a bit worried.

I called Kirsten and told her I was in the neighborhood, and she told me to come on over. She was very welcoming, and I enjoyed talking with her. I asked her about the crime, and she said...it was kind of "patchy". Which is what I heard prior to arrival....but not prior to making it part of my trip. "Like a checker board", I heard. One block, fine...two blocks later: sketchy. "If it feels sketchy, it is", I heard. :) Luckily, I am intuitive to a fault.

I decided to hit the town right away. I asked Kirsten some places she recommended, and enjoyed all of the areas she sent me.

Walked around Yale in downtown New Haven. She told me Rudy's was a staple and I had to get their fries...which come with your 1 choice of dozens of sauces for dipping. I got a small, with one sauce the bartender recommended...Pesto Mayo (even though I told her I wasn't a mayo fan...she said it was great), and one I chose myself for .50 extra: the curry ketchup.

The fries ($4.00+.50 for extra sauce = $4.50) were good---but, I have had better. I will say that the curry ketchup was SOOOOO much more delicious than it sounds, and I don't know if I have had a fry condiment that was so tasty. The ketchup was definitely the most notable reason to go to Rudy's (where people are Rude-y indeed. Not the bartender, but everyone else was disengaged like many people in the Northeast......not all, but MAN-NY)

Then, I went to Ashley's Ice Cream, per Kirsten's suggestion. I had the most delicious watermelon sherbet. GET THIS IF YOU GO. It was $2something for the smallest size which was more than enough.

Then, I had a beer at Christy's, an Irish bar. The bartender was cool, and recommended some nightlife places to go, as well as the boardwalk.


I was intrigued, and found my way to the boardwalk (in West Haven). It was nice. And crowded. And safe.

I headed back to Kirsten's and we talked over some beers with her boo, Paul. He was very cool too. They are smart kiddos with a cute place and I enjoyed hanging with them, and sleeping in their cool room with french doors, in their 1920's home.

The next day, I got up early enough and went to the "birthplace of the hamburger sandwich" with Kirsten. She hadn't ever been to Louis Lunch. It is famous, and all over the Food Network. We split a hamburger (which is all they have---the way they do it...and don't ask for condiments because it will insult them.) The line gets long, but we were among the first to arrive and didn't have to wait that long.

We split a Louis Lunch, so I could save room for Frank Pepe's famous white clam pizza. I have heard of this stuff for ages.

New Haven is famous for their pizza (which they often call, Apizza (pronounced Uh-Beets). Often covered in what real Italians call... fresh "Mootz".

Makes me want to learn I-talian, y'all!!!.

I go back to Kirsten's place with her, and pack my bags....because I just...felt like moving. It's nice to have wiggle room in your road trip plans. I was feeling---more like a small town, and like.... exploding my car's contents all over the place so I could regroup.

I left, GPS (on phone) in hand....and tried to make my way to Frank Pepe's on the way out of town. Heard that if I was going to get pizza---THIS was where I needed to get it. So, I called in an order before I drove there.

Well...... my GPS must have been picking it's nose---because my fellow couchsurfer had driven me past Pepe's, and the GPS was not leading me anywhere near where she drove me.

Before I knew it, I was in 40oz., glock 9, red bandanna-ville hoping I didn't get shot while I drove by.

I quickly made a U-turn and tore the side of my tire on the curb.

A big scary, deep, silver shit coming out of the sidewall tear.

Somehow, it was drivable...so I just kept driving to Pepe's.

I had to pick up my Uhh-Beets, y'know? Fuhhgettabowtit.

So I pick it up. Looks and smells other-worldly. Ask the dude at the register if he knows a place I can get my tire fixed.

HARK! There was a Firestone RIGHT THERE. I took my pizza in there and fed the boys behind the counter (my clam pizza wasn't getting any fresher)....Maybe it was a coincidence that they helped me right away when they were that busy....but I think it was the Pepe's.

I didn't even have to pay for it ;).

Back on the road.....I would now sleep in Mystic, CT :)......

(Photos coming soon.....TAKES FOREVER.)