Day Three

Well, we finally succumbed to I-95--and really, once you get out of the Mid-Atlantic region, it's okay.

We decided to have a nice meal tonight (which included a much needed glass of sangria for me!), a little early--and will have an easy day tomorrow. Which is good, because the less road that looms between me and home, the more I fret about all the work that I still need to do. The list just keeps getting longer and longer.

But I've warned Dad that I may kick him out of the hotel room tomorrow morning so that I can get some work done. The hotel has a nice little breakfast area, that I think has a tv (at least the last one did, and we're staying in the same "family" of hotels)--he seems amenable to that.

The drive itself wasn't too horrible today--actually felt better than yesterday, even though I didn't get much more sleep. Part of it is that my brain and body aren't getting worn out at the same time--and the hum of the road is staying with me. My eyes are fried, but my mind is spinning, and my body is stiff and cranky from lack of use.

We'll see how tonight treats me, and go from there.

For now, I have to say, the trip has been--quieter--than I anticipated. Dad is pretty content to doze or watch the countryside.....no great stories yet. I suspect more will flow after we get to Florida, and spend some time with the family...

Two Days. Ten States.

Yes, I know.

I'm skipping a GABILLION updates at the moment.

I'm on the road back to the Old Pueblo, and thus far the father/daughter adventure has been pretty darn smooth. But it does sound impressive to say that I've hit ten states in two days. I will need to keep that in mind when I'm driving through the endless mass that is the Lone Star State. And really, I probably shouldn't count New Jersey, since I-84 barely skims it where it shares borders with New York and Pennsylvania. Truth is, I drove this particularly route from DC to Maine for at least three years before I knew I was tiptoeing along the edge of NJ--and only found that out because I need gas, and turn left at the bottom of the ramp. Go figure.

But tonight, I'm already ensconced in my fluffy bed in Harrisonburg, VA. Yes. I managed to plot a route from Maine to Florida without using the evil evil EVIL I-95 until Whetsell, South Carolina. Ha.

But I am exhausted, as last night we stayed at my stepmother's brother's place in Bethel, CT--and stayed up late talking. Greg and Cheryl have this lovely ancient farmhouse that is incredibly well preserved. I've never been more fascinated by trim and hinge-work--seriously. Gorgeous, simple craftsmanship. Anyway. When we finally hit the hay, Dad and I were sharing a room--and while the air mattress was comfy, he kinda hiccuped, snored, and moaned through the night.

So I didn't so much sleep well. I was thankful I brought along some ear plugs, though--that helped me get some shut eye.

But tonight, we're sharing a room again--but like a good boy scout I'm prepared. Ear plugs? Check. Ipod, in case those don't work? Check. Tylenol PM, if all else fails? Check.

Cross your fingers--because it'll be rough going to get to Waltersboro, South Carolina on three hours sleep for the second night running.

Recap, part I

Yeah...sorry about that.

The last few weeks have been one crazy escapade after another. I'll try to fill you in...

As for the rest of the trip: I made it from Tucumcari, New Mexico to Springfield, Missouri with little incident. Had a delightful political conversation with a gas station attendant/mechanic in Shamrock, Texas (there are democrats in Texas outside of Austin! ...although...come to think of it...he'll probably vote for Ron Paul). The worst roads of the trip were just west of Oklahoma City--like driving over a washboard. I arrived at my friends' just a couple hours after they returned home from a wedding...and discovered that their dogsitter had just decided not to show up for at least 24 hours. So we took the dog for a walk, met some of their friends, ate at a typical midwest restaurant, and called it a night.

From there, I had a (relatively) short day to Louisville, KY where I stayed with another friend in her lovely little house with her kitties--one of which was pretty insistent about crawling under my covers! We had a delightful evening, and ate at a super yummy restaurant where we ordered way too much food. I wish I had more time on the way across country; I would have liked to explore Louisville more.

The next stop: Philadelphia for the Fourth of July! I had a lot of mileage to cover, and most of it was under construction. But hey, it was a holiday, so the roads were clear of both construction and traffic. While I nearly got racked by a semi in the five minutes I was in West Virginia (typical), I was another uneventful day--until, of course, I reached the Ancestral Manse of the Benners, where their annual Fourth of July party was in full swing. It was great to see a bunch of the folks that I had seen just a few short weeks before, as well as meet some new and interesting people. I was also very glad I made the decision to take an extra day in the area, as I was able to amble around Chestnut Hill with Annie, and meet up with some of the rest of the gang for ice cream. Then we headed out to Bristol, PA for Indian food. Yeah, I know....it seems a long way to go, and Bristol is not what could be called a mecca for such things...or anything...but it was super yummy food, and a chance to see where my long distance happy hour buddy lives.

Good times, all the way across country. By the time I got to Hollis Center, Maine on the 6th, I had traveled 3146 miles. You'd think that was enough.

I reach, and I have no access...

I clearly intended to update before this...but for some reason, my PC laptop has decided to stop talking to my dad's Mac airport. When it has before. In fact, I'm the one who set the airport up. I'm a little...confused, frustrated, etc. etc.

But...I have reached my destination. 3146 miles...give or take a tenth or two.  The last day was pretty uneventful, so long as I acknowledge that 1) Massholes earn their name by how they drive on the Mass Pike and 2) Given that, there were a lot of people too tired to be driving Sunday afternoon after the Fourth, who were making really poor decisions.

But all in all, it was a good trip, with a lot fewer poor driving decisions than I expected to see. Only three accidents, in all that distance--around a major (drinking) holiday. And one of those was a semi who blew a couple of tires.  

And I think that's all I'll comment on now, as my sister-in-law and I are going to make a quick dash into the Old Port this morning to get our shop on.

Philadelphia

So it's the fifth of July...and I'm relaxing in the ancestral manse of dear friends in Philadelphia. It's really quite nice to not be in my car. I may in fact get into someone else's vehicle today, but not my own. I think my car is equally happy.

Yesterday's drive was long...like the first day, about 666 miles. (Yes, that kind of freaks me out too). However, yesterday was easier driving. Of course, it also featured my only "almost eating hot death" moment. And go figure, it was in the five minutes I was in West Virginia. A semi playing chicken with another semi, decided to change into my lane...and unfortunately, I was abreast his rear wheels. And, of course, it was on an incline, in the mountains, going around the curve. Good thing I have skills.

But the rest of the drive went without incident, and I arrived in Philadelphia to a Fourth of July party in full swing, and managed to snag the last glass of Mad Monkey Pirate Punch (3 lemons, 3 limes, a cup of sugar, ice, half a bottle of sake....and pure pure magic). All this means that I was smart to plan a day of rest here...

So at some point this afternoon I need to chart the best way to get from here to Maine...I really prefer to avoid 95 as much as possible...

On the road...all alone

While I'm driving, I think of all of this brilliant ponderings about my adventure that I want to share....

And then I arrive at my destination of the day, and discover my brain is complete and utter mush.

And I couldn't update last night, because my friends in Springfield don't have the internets at home, and the poaching proved futile (after several attempts at wafting my laptop around the house hoping to catch a stray signal).

But here are some randoms bits from the trip:

Shamrock, Texas...I stopped to fill my tank just outside of town. At a Chevron. Surrounded by nothingness. Had a delightful conversation with the mechanic who ran the place. Not a consequential discussion, but just nice reassurance that not all Americans (and not all Texans) are stereotypes.

One should be able to get NPR anywhere. One cannot in parts of Texas and Oklahoma.

The highway leading to OK City is like driving on a washboard--at 70 miles an hour.

One should be extra careful in the last fifteen minutes of any long day's drive.

NOBODY is road-tripping this summer. In any given state, I'm pretty much seeing only that state's license plates on the road...unless I'm close to the state line. And I've only seen a handful of RVs, or cars hauling boat trailers. For the day before a holiday weekend, the roads were EMPTY today.

My mother probably doesn't need to know that I will quite often drive cross-legged on long straightaways.

I took pictures of the Mississippi as I crossed it, but my camera is WAY over on the other side of the room, and I'm WAY too tired to get up and get it. I'll post it tomorrow.

Speaking of which, tomorrow is a long day--over ten hours from Louisville to Philadelphia.

So I go sleep now. Cheers. Bye.

Tucumcari, NM

Total miles: 664 (although that is tracking from where I got gas before leaving Tucson. I'm afeard the actual number may be more devilish that naught...)

664 doesn't seem like a whole lot--but when you factor in the 4000 foot change in elevation (at least twice--I drove through Salt River Canyon), it was a very..active...driving day.

I did stop and take some pictures on my way back up out of Salt River Canyon...That funky ridge in the top left? That would be the road. Pretty, but it was a crazy drive.

And the hits just kept on coming. When I finally got to New Mexico, I played chicken with an afternoon thunderstorm. Managed to sneak through relatively unscathed, but quickly came across this:

It's blurry, because I took it as I drove by...but that's a fire started by lightening. The flames were licking the guardrail.

And I think that's all I've got tonight. I'm toast.