JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

After shopping along St. Mark's Place, I wandered aimlessly along nearby streets, my stomach growling by the time I reached 6th St. I stumbled upon a block of Indian restaurants, nearly all with cheap lunch specials. Since all I was really looking for was walking fuel for the rest of the afternoon, I figured I could stop for a quite bite and have something more substantial for dinner. I flipped a coin and wound up at Taj Mahal, which offered a set course lunch for $6. The meal started off with a bowl of mulligatawny soup, more accurately described as tomato garlic soup. The radioactive glow was frightening, but it didn't taste too bad, due to the healthy amount of chopped garlic. This was followed by a well-spiced, densely-packed samosa and average pappadum. I nearly ran out of room at my table when the rest of the meal arrived. The main was chicken korma, which had a strong hint of crushed almonds. The chicken was not full of bones or gristle, but the chef had been ...

1,174: THIS ROADTRIP HAS SEVEN DAYS Previously on Roadtrippin' : Dead presidents and stuffed Adirondack wildlife. Day 3, Part 1: Newark, NJ and New York, NY Since it was a beautiful morning, I walked down McCarter Hwy to Newark Penn Station instead of taking a cab. The stroll was longer than I expected, but great for picture taking. Left: Bishop Womack-El's face dominated Newark's billboards. He bills himself a "prophetic physician" , which seems to involve a mixture of herbal remedies, religion and methods to accumulate wealth. Had Newark's expressways been equipped with wider shoulders, I would have taken at least half-a-dozen Womack-El signs, all with different pictures and messages, though somebody else found the same sign in another location . Right: looking east into Manhattan. How many buildings can you name? One element of Newark that is hard to ignore: barbed wire everywhere, whether it's protecting businesses (right photo) or freeway underpass...

1,172: THIS ROADTRIP HAS SEVEN DAYS Previously on Roadtrippin' : The journey begins with a long drive across New York state and a cordial conversation on the Niagara. Day 2: Albany, NY to Newark, NJ After a good night's rest, I packed the car and headed down the road that would be my main route down the Hudson, US 9, the old Albany Post Road . First picture of the trip: an amusement centre just north of Albany. First of many scary clown drawings seen over the next few days. Almost made me wish I had this tune on the radio while driving by. First stop: the New York State Museum , located on the south end of the government plaza in downtown Albany. Naturally, I used the underground entrance. Left: one of many animals permanently captured in mid-stride in the Adirondack Wilderness exhibit. Right: Hey guys, don't you notice the moose behind you? He's coming this way! Run! RUN! (now you know why the photo is blurry). The first exhibit I looked at was a gallery of art...

1,170: THIS ROADTRIP HAS SEVEN DAYS If you have read this site long enough, you know that one of my favourite ways of travelling is the roadtrip. Hop in the car, have a vague destination in mind and let impulse and roadside attractions guide the way. This year's trek saw me cover lots of new territory throughout New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Hop in. Don't forget to fasten your safety belt. Day 1: Toronto, ON to Albany, NY As I've mentioned in previous entries, the US border patrol at Niagara is far different from those in Detroit. Even while they take more information from you, my experience with Detroit border officials tends to be disinterest (the minimal in required questions) or chattiness (last time Amy and I went over on our own, while the guard checked our info on his computer, he rambled about his daughter's last visit to the shopping area we were headed to). Folks doing their job to protect the red, white and blue, but being human about it. There are the odd...