Day 122-Stroudsburg to Belvidere, NJ (17 Miles)

By the time I had woken up, Jamie had already left for work. Graydon was the next one awake and we ate cereal together from his fancy new bowls with straws built in before he had to catch his bus. My cart had been in the back of Lawerence's pick-up all weekend so we didn't have to load it up. We waited for Brian to show up to start work for the day and started out to the Stroudsburg. On the way out, we stopped at the Jonas gas station where we ran into Lawrence's dad and his paving crew about to head out for the day.

We eventually got to the Sunoco station and I had to run my last few miles in Pennsylvania. I said goodbye to Lawrence and Brian after Lawrence had stuffed something into my cart and told me I wasn't allowed to see it until he left. I soon discovered the note telling me to keep a positive attitude and to pay it forward along with a Visa gift card. I was extremely lucky to cross paths with Jamie and Lawrence on this journey. Checking up on me on the side of the road, taking me in for the weekend, and this final gesture were all acts of great kindness that showed what amazing people they are. I look forward to hopefully seeing them again soon as they are looking at taking a trip west.

After climbing a massive hill and arriving to Delaware Water Gap, I crossed the famed Appalachian Trail that stretches from Maine to Georgia. I proceeded down 611, which lost its shoulder and gained a Jersey Barrier as it carved into the walls of the valley made by the Delaware River. Several miles passed where I could see New Jersey but remained in Pennsylvania. In the familiar sounding town of Portland, I crossed the border into my 10th and final state of the trek.

A few miles passed on a busier US highway before turning onto a quiet county road into the town of Belvidere. I checked into the only hotel around for several miles, Hotel Belvidere, and talked for a while with the owner. The hotel was originally built in 1826 and had been beautifully restored just a few years ago. The owner let me store my cart in a storage closet outside.

I showered, walked around town with beautiful old Victorian homes for a bit, before stopping into the local bar and then a deli when I realized the bar didn't serve food. I ate on the back balcony where I could absorb the sun's rays like a turtle, as the owner put it. It was a pretty easy day that was only hindered by my lingering knee pains.

Crossing the Delaware River