Day Four

Had pre bought breakfast the night before so didn't need to get up and rush out early. Packed up, double checked the room and then headed to the lobby. Ann hailed an Uber using her phone and we were off. Short journey to East Elmshurst to collect the car. 

Was an unusual check in. I had checked in the night before online so it just said turn up with your credit card and driving license which we did. Then she wanted to know an address for us in the US. We said it changes all the time. She said she just needed one, so we gave her the address we would have this evening. She then said she needed a US phone number for us. We said we don't have one. She said she needed one. Eventually she didn't. Odd that we've hired ten cars previously in the USA and never been asked for these things before.

Eventually we got outside to the car and she said grey or blue? I went blue. This was mainly as the grey one was parked in a really awkward place. We did all the checks, signed the paperwork and then she said that will be $4000. I said no, that isn't the price. I am paying $2000 like it was when I checked in last night. That's the whole point of hiring from somewhere other than the airport, it is vastly cheaper. She checked. I was right. She apologised. When she scanned the car it gave a price based on that. Worked out from this that we must have a more expensive car than we booked. 

We chatted about where we are heading, where we've been previously. She asked if she could come with us.

Once she left to deal with others, we walked a thousand feet to get to the boot to put the cases in. Walked a thousand feet back to the drivers door and got in. Looked behind me to see the rear windscreen, it was so far away I couldn't see it. There were three rows of seats and then the boot between us. Switched the engine on and realised we were in a Jeep. It's a Wagoneer. Just googled it to see it is classed by Enterprise as Luxury SUV which is not what we booked. It is more expensive.

Spent the next ten minutes trying to work out the best route to where we were heading. It appear there weren't any, so we just picked one and left. Eventually met the traffic Apple maps had told us was about. Took absolute ages to move anywhere. Watched some very questionable driving whilst stuck in it. Eventually we managed to move and got across to New Jersey.

Made it to American Dream and tried to park. It was chaos. People waving wands and shouting instructions. We followed them all and just ended up leaving the complex so had to drive out and all the way back around again. This time just ignored everyone and parked in one of the millions of parking lots. Got out and went inside.

American Dream is the second largest shopping mall in the US. We walked around a lot. Were going to play Blacklight mini golf but it would have been $20 a pop and we thought better of it. Found some 5-a-side football going on.

Soccer

It was awful but like a car crash we couldn't take our eyes of it. Eventually we went to try and find a clear bag. We needed one for this afternoon as only bags which were clear would be allowed. Ended up in Primani and got something to make do.

Had lunch in Five Guys. I had a grilled cheese and fries, Ann had something.

By then it was time to head to the car and dump stuff and get ready for the main action. We went back into the mall to find the walkway across to where we were heading. Couldn't find it. Consulted lots of maps. Still couldn't find it. Eventually we did.

Then we saw this.

Next year's world cup final venue

Went through the 'turnstile' and Ann had her clear bag checked. Went up a lot of escalators to the top tier. Found ours seats. They weren't our seats. Moved to our actual seats.

High up

Watched some football. It was ok in the first half, rubbish in the second half. Whole atmosphere was odd. Mostly American fans in all manner of football shirts, we saw most of the premier league represented, even Liverpool! Why would a Liverpool fan come and watch Everton and Manchester United in back to back fixtures? Ann said it would be because they get to see real football. I said it wasn't real football, just preseason friendlies. Really not worth the prices of some of the seating, up to $1000 a seat, hence why we were up so high (the cheapest). No surprise there was a whole section of stadium not open.

Didn't hear a single swear word the entire time we were there. Unless it was me doing the swearing. Which was most of the second half.

At the end of the first game we went for a wander. Plan was to stay for the first part of Man United v West Ham but in the end we decided we couldn't be bothered. Left and headed for the car.

Beauty of leaving early was that as we had parked in the mall parking and not stayed to the end of the football, it thought we'd just been to the mall so only charged us $5 not the $40 it would have been at the end. Tried to leave but the road system is dreadful, so as you leave you meet all those arriving and then have to try and force yourself out amongst them. Christ knows what it will be like for the world cup next year.

Hit the road and drove towards our house for the next two nights. Had some fun and games with the toll roads. Although we hadn't rented a toll pass there was one in the car which we didn't know about. You have to pay a fee to rent/use it plus pay the fees you incur which we didn't want to do. Long story short, we had to drive to a toll booth and collect a ticket but the pass thing triggered so we didn't get one. Realised it was there so shut it off so we don't get charged for using it.  At the end of road when we went to pay the fee, bloke said if we didn't have a ticket it cost six times the fee. Argued that we didn't get a ticket because the bloody stupid thing we didn't know about triggered and the ticket machine wouldn't print a ticket. Eventually he let us through without paying anything.

Stopped at a Walmart to get supplies.

Eventually arrived at The Coach House in Pennsylvania. The owners are away but had told us they had a house sitter. He was in their house whilst we are in the small lodge next to it. He came out with their dog when we arrived and were unloading. He said the dog was friendly. Ann said to the dog 'You're not coming in here'. Think the man thought she was talking to him as he said he was just bringing the dog out to say hello. Needless to say he left.

Had something to eat and watched some TV.

It's now 1am. Ann is asleep. Christ knows what time we would have got here had we stayed to watch the second game!

States visited - 3