Road Trip, Part I

I got up on Tuesday morning and loaded up the truck (inside the garage, of course). I drank a tall glass of buttermilk for breakfast and poured the rest down the sink, along with the regular milk. Both would have expired before my return. I threw the containers in the trash and put the trash in the trashcan.

I double-checked everything (as I always do), asked Caley to watch the house and pulled the truck outside. I went back in, shut the garage door and then unplugged it.

I went out the front door, locked it up and headed out. It was just before 10:00 a.m. I left at that time to avoid the morning rush hour and also because I couldn't check into the hotel until after 4:00 p.m.

I had programmed the phone, so I sent the next seven hours or so letting a women tell me where to go. This was not the first time a woman told me where to go, but it was just as unpleasant!


The phone routing was not the one I was used to. It took me down I-75 to mid-Ohio, then East to I-77.  But, it avoided the long, boring toll roads to Toledo. So, I saw a lot more farm land.

Trip highlights:

The weather was cold, but sunny. During the afternoon, my truck thermometer said it was 43 degrees outside, But the sun beating through the windows forced me to turn the A/C on!

I made sure to stop every hour or so at rest areas (even if I didn't need to) and take a long walk.

At one rest area, I saw an extended van, being filled up with teenage Amish boys and girls. I thought it might be interesting to talk with them, but then I decided to shun them.

I listened to npr off and on when I could get reception, rock stations in between or otherwise turned the radio off and sang to myself through Ohio.

I stopped at a Cracker Barrel and loaded up for lunch (thinking I would just need a light snack for dinner). I had the meatloaf, with mashed potatoes, whole kernel corn, coleslaw, two biscuits and coffee. Needless to say, I couldn't eat it all.

I made sure I had a full tank of gas before entering West Virginia. I dislike stopping in West Virginia for gas at these little gas station off the expressway. You can almost hear the banjos playing...

Once in West Virginia, I turned the radio to country. It seemed fitting.

The mountains were beautiful, as always. Pink flowering dogwoods were scattered here and there amidst the trees.

I got to the hotel in downtown Charleston about 5:30 p.m. and checked in. There was no restaurant or room service available. The receptionist told me there was the Town Center Mall four blocks from there and I could eat there.

I unloaded my small suitcase and got settled into the room. It was okay (this hotel was not chosen for ambiance, it was just a safe, inexpensive place to sleep).

I went to the mall after a bit to grab a bite to eat. It took me awhile and a couple of trips down one-way streets to realize there was no mall parking, per se. Unlike a mall in Michigan, you had to park in a parking structure and walk to the mall.

I went into a restaurant called the Tidewater Cafe. While waiting to be seated, I checked the menu. I was hoping for, say, fish and chips for $10.00. The prices on the menu suggested this was not the place!

I ended up at Chili's and ate a mushroom and Swiss burger. Unfortunately, it was piled high with lettuce tomato and, of all things, mayonnaise. Since they didn't provide and knife or fork, I had to smush it down and try to eat it by hand. Messy, very messy. But, it was okay and the fries were good.

Back at the hotel and waiting for the elevator, I stood with a pizza delivery guy. I thought, "Duh!"

There was no menu (that I could find) on the TV, so I flipped through stations until I found something interesting and then repeated the process when the program ended.

I finally gave up and read my book until and early bedtime around 10:00 p.m.

In the morning, I shaved, showered and got dressed. This time I was smart and put on a short sleeve shirt. I came back in and the new receptionist said, "Where's your coat?" I said, "Um, in the truck." She said "But its freezing out there!" I laughed and said, "It's 41 degrees and sunny outside. I'm from Michigan and we call that spring!" She laughed.

I ate at the complimentary breakfast buffet. I had scrambled eggs, a sausage patty, and a biscuit cut in half, topped with sausage gravy. I was disappointed there were no grits, though. I lingered over a second cup of coffee and then headed out.

I headed south on I-77 for many a mile. The mountains were lovely and the traffic fairly light (compared to I-75 the day before). I went through West Virginia, Virgina, North Carolina and then finally entered South Carolina.

I was looking for a car wash (it had snowed the day before I left and the truck was a mess). Apparently, they don't have them in South Carolina...

But, what they did have is all the trees with leaves on them! Amazing!!

I got to Jake and Carla's at 2:30 p.m. and Carla and Whiskey greeted me at the door. Carla and I unloaded the truck (which she admired, despite it being dirty). We caught each other up on things and then we waited for Jake to come home.

Dinner was various snacks: thin sausage, sharp cheddar and brie cheese, crackers, ciabatta bread, crackers, roasted shrimp with seafood dipping sauce, pigs in a blanket (fresh from the oven) with hot mustard dipping sauce, another dipping sauce whose name I forget and kalamata olives. It was all excellent (and filling).

Then we played Scrabble with the usual results (I lost) while listening to music. We watched a little TV and then went to bed. I read my book for a long while before finally falling asleep.