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TRIP PURPOSE: Well, vacation of course. But I also needed to keep my promise to Fran to visit her sister, Ruthie, who is in a nursing home in CT run by the State (Mediplex of Darien). Ruthie is the sole survivor of that family. Then there are college friends I haven't seen for 40 years; and my old stomping grounds, New York City and Nazareth, KY.
WHAT DID I DISCOVER? I ain't as young as I used to be. Instead of driving 14 hours a day, it had to end at 9 1/2 hours max. But I learned that I could survive the challenge. I've missed Kentucky and New York, but I didn't realize how much!!! And I've been in touch with friends by phone, but didn't know how close we really were after all these years.
ROUTE & PLANS: I bought a Rand McNally Atlas which contains maps of each State on a page. I also got step by step instructions on MapQuest (and/or Yahoo Travel)--it was a life-saver to know how many miles to go, when to turn right or left, which Interstate signs to look for, etc., although when I arrived at the Tappan Zee Bridge (NY) at peak hour and there was one sign going off in 3 directions and I had 1/10 ml to get across 5 lanes of traffic to get to the off-ramp, it was a nightmare. Motel stops also needed to be revised twice. I had hopes of covering 700 miles a day (at 80 miles per hour = 9 hours, I thought). I took the northern route going east (through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York) and ran into road repairs almost the entire trip...which meant 35 mph and sometimes one lane for miles and miles. A realistic goal was more like 500 miles per day, and forcing myself to stop every 2 1/2 hours for a pit stop or to eat, I got to my motel in about 9 1/2 hours. I took the southern route coming home (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, W. Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada) and there were fewer road repairs, so I made better time. Motel 6's all had nice firm beds and were comfy, but some places the carpets needed cleaning. Not the cheapest rooms either (some over $50). AARP discounts helped a lot.
THANK YOU to Mom, for lending me your car...it saved lots of $ on gas, was more comfy than my truck, and allowed me to go longer distances. I praised it for accelerating even going uphill. Thanks to Carol Van Maanen who, several years ago, told me to make a list of the top 10 things I'd like to do in my life; and to Marie for (i) pushing me to have a dramatic adventure to mark my longevity/60 years (ii) holding down the fort, including dealing with Bjorn's broken leg. Thanks to Deanne for lending me her extra cell phone for emergency use. Good to know I had it when I was sitting in road construction.
MISCELLANEOUS: (1) Had to lie to Mom about bringing a friend along, otherwise she'd worry. At one point she wanted to come too, so I wouldn't be alone, but realized it would be a very strenuous trip. Anna, with whom I stayed in CT, did have a Korean friend in Orange County, but she decided not to come. (2) My $20 phone card (@ 2.99 cents/minute) from Costco was a lifesaver, as it kept me in touch with reality!! Made calls every evening AFTER I took a shower and settled down. (3) Well stocked, with cases of diet sodas and juices. Replenished ice chest twice a day. A bag of pretzels in the car saved me from boredom during hours of drudgery. [NOTE: Many photos are shot from the car, thru the windshield, while driving. Yes, risky.]
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