Before I even start on today, I realized late last night that I didn’t mention a very important place I drove through yesterday– Moultonborough, NH.  Why is that important, you ask.  Well, my good friend and Causeway neighbor, Cindy Taft, lives in Moultonborough when not living in Florida.  Shout out to you Cindy–beautiful place, bounded on the southwest by Lake Winnipesaukee and the northeast by Squam Lake, it looks to be a place with plenty to do.  And, did you know that (according to Wikipedia), Robert Frost and John Greenleaf Whittier both summered in Moultonborough…I’m guessing some of their poetry was inspired by their surroundings.

So, this morning, started out grey and a bit miserable, not completely conducive to a road trip but, my next stop was already reserved so I got everything ready to go as I usually do and, since I am an early riser, I was ready at about 7:00.  But, this morning, I waited to leave because I had heard that the included breakfast at the Old Red Inn was not to be missed.  Service began at 8:00 AM and I was privileged to sit with my neighbors (they were in Cabin 3 and I in Cabin 2), Susan and Ed from Weymouth, MA.  Great people!

Besides the normal juice, coffee, and tea, we were served a plate of cantaloupe and homemade blueberry bread.  Then, homemade french toast using thick slabs of delicious bread topped with fresh strawberries and creamy butter.  Definitely worth waiting for.

Chloe and I hit the road at about 9:30 and, if I thought I was immediately heading out of the mountains, I was very, very wrong.  I, of course, selected “No tolls”, “No highways” as I usually do but today, my GPS was sending me on routes North and sometimes West yet I knew that where I was going was south and east.  Adding to the directional conundrum were the twists and turns I was just not expecting today, especially in the rain.  Very little traffic, mostly alone in the forest , dark skies, grey mist hovering everywhere, swampy-looking ponds periodically lining the roadway…it was rather eerie and a tiny bit scary.

Other than the weirdness, my route today didn’t take me through particularly scenic areas.  I drove through many towns that look like any other town in America–Dollar Stores, fast food joints, gas stations, a church or two or four, houses without any distinction, maybe a little bar or restaurant.  Nothing remarkable but that was the luck of the draw with the route I selected today.

That isn’t to say I didn’t see beauty in my surroundings.  I drove through a tiny little town, Lovell on Kezar Lake that looked like I expected Maine to look. Waterford, Searsport, and a few other little towns were charming and quaint.  There has been a lot of fog or mist so I haven’t always been able to see much beyond the road I’ve been on.

Some amusing things…I saw a bunch of wild turkeys just hanging out on the side of the road–not even scared of the car.  There was a golf cart crossing on U.S. 202 where the speed limit was 55 mph!  The northeast seems to like roundabouts rather than traffic signals creating chaos for many (including me) who are not used to them.

One thing that just occurred to me that I haven’t mentioned before is the vast number of Hiring signs I’ve seen and I am talking about EVERYWHERE!  Signs on stores, billboards, advertisements on local radio, in local newspapers.  It is amazing to me how we have any unemployment at all!  One gigantic sign I saw was looking for stockers at their store, starting at $16.75 per hour with no experience necessary.  So, apparently, economically,  the country is doing well under President Trump!

Since I threw a little politics into my travel blog, I have to say one more political thing.  I am still very confused how our “intelligence agencies” have determined that the “Russians” hacked the DNC when the DNC has still not turned their server over to the FBI.  This is a fact.  On CNN (which I do not like), the interviewer asked Tom Perez this very question and he did not answer!  Interestingly enough, that interview cannot be found on CNN’s website (probably because it doesn’t fit their narrative).  But you can see it here:  American Mirror

Just so you know, I do believe that Russians meddled as they have done repeatedly throughout the years.  I am just questioning this specific charge.  How can they know without examining it, who in fact, hacked the DNC server.  Magic?

Anyway, Chloe and I arrived in Bar Harbor after traveling a number of miles on dirt roads (under construction) following eight motorcycles.  Strangely enough, they came to the same hotel!

Weather was overcast but that didn’t stop Chloe and I.  We went out exploring and finally stopped at Fish House Grill right on the water.  I ordered a cup of chowder, a lobster roll, and a glass of white wine.

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.  Well, we weren’t exactly dancing but we did walk in the rain…

This morning, Chloe and I took a nice long walk up around Magic Mountain, just reveling in the serenity of the locale.  Also, I decided to take my time leaving as I wanted to watch the happenings in Helsinki.  By 9:30 though, I realized that everything was running late and figured I’d get the highlights later on.  So, we loaded up the car and hopped back on Route 11 on our way to New Hampshire, one of the two states that was the original purpose of this trip.  New Hampshire and Maine are two of the six states I have never been to so, after this trip, I will only have Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, and Alaska left!

We drove through a beautiful and quaint little town, Chester, where many of the homes are very old, stately, and built of local granite, with glorious flower boxes adding spectacular color.  There seemed to be quite a few antique shops and art galleries.  Downtown was very inviting.

Before I even realized it, I crossed a bridge over the Connecticut River and I was in Claremont, New Hampshire.  Clean, tidy, and vibrant, Claremont has some beautiful churches and a neat bridge over a walking trail.  The highest point in the city is the summit of Green Mountain, at 2,018 feet above sea level in the northeastern part of the city.

Blithely driving along, I started noticing wildflowers of every possible color which was in stark contrast to Vermont’s greenery where even their flowers seemed to be shades of green.  It made me wonder why and no, I do not have an answer.  The roadways started winding and twisting up the White Mountains and the scenery spread out in front of me was majestic.  It seemed to me that more homes and towns exist in both Vermont and New Hampshire Mountains than do in the southern Appalachians.  Log cabins (the newer kind) effortlessly blend into the landscape, hidden driveways abound.

I kept seeing signs to watch for moose and I started wishing I was driving behind an eighteen wheeler since some of the roads crested with no sight line until reaching the top or curved up and around.  At one point, I think I may have seen a moose in the distance but am not positive.  The only time I was absolutely sure I’d seen animals bigger than those that scuttle along the ground was in Maryland when, right along side the road, two baby deer were grazing.  Never saw Mom and Dad.  Wonder where they were.

By the way, New Hampshire does not have a seat belt law for adults; instead their signs say “Buckle up if under 18.”  There is no state sales tax and their income tax is 5% on dividends and interest but no income tax on earned income. I saw mail being delivered by a guy driving a camouflage jeep.  Despite the steep hills, I passed many bikers but this time I mean bicyclists.  At one point, I heard several gunshots which scared me just a bit but then I was driving in the forest.  Also, I have seen many sushi places in the mountains in New York, Vermont, and now New Hampshire which, frankly surprised me.

New Hampshire’s state motto is “Live Free or Die.”  Well, that sounds like a good motto…I guess they are all libertarians.

Driving along, we reached a stunning area surrounding Squam Lake. We had to stop to wander around for a little bit.  There are at least thirty islands in this lake.  I found out that the 1981 film On Golden Pond was filmed in the town of Center Harbor on Squam Lake.

We arrived at our hotel in North Conway and it is SO cute!  We have our own little cabin which is completely paneled and has its own fireplace.  I doubt I will need it but it is awfully charming.

Finally, I had to find out why this range within New Hampshire is called “White Mountains”.  They offer rugged wilderness areas and is still home to the world’s worst weather high atop Mt. Washington in the Presidential Range. The White Mountains were once called the “Crystal Hills” by the early settlers due to their granite faces that reflected sunlight in the valley below.

Today dawned with skies angry and grey, raining pretty steadily.  I took the opportunity to lay in bed a bit longer than usual, reading.  I swear I think Chloe was just as glad.  She seemed a bit depressed after leaving Carol’s yesterday.  She had so much fun being un-tethered, getting to know Zoe, and chasing the cats.

I made myself a second cappuccino to savor as the deluge slowed to a drizzle.  By the time I was ready to move our belongings to the car, it was still dark and threatening but no moisture was showering down.  So, we got started at about 9:30.

As we do most mornings, we filled up with gas and, to my surprise, it was only $2.819 (less than in PA).  Our route took us back onto U.S. 9W-N and, while interesting, did not start out as scenic as driving north into Kingston.  The first part of this road was studded with rusted out cars and ramshackle houses but then cruising through a town called Saugerties, about twelve miles north of Kingston, the scenery improved.  The sun had broken through the clouds brightening the day and from what I could see, Saugerties is a cute village with tidy houses, ivy-covered cottages, religious statues and shrines surrounded by flowers decorating many yards.  The adorable Saugerties Lighthouse, on the Hudson River, rents out two guest rooms.

Further north, I passed by the Rip Van Winkle Bridge over the Hudson River between Hudson NY and Catskill NY.  I had told the GPS “Avoid Tolls” so my route kept me on Route 9W-N up through Albany.  It seemed as if every little town I passed through had a Family Dollar or Dollar Tree store and didn’t see a Walmart until I reached Albany.  My route took me through a pretty section of both Albany and Troy (I couldn’t really tell where one stopped and the other began) with well-maintained homes and beautifully tended flowerbeds.

I do know that once I crossed the Hudson, sunlight dappled through the leaves of trees adorning the sides of the highway as it meandered through the beginnings of the Green Mountains.  Before crossing into Vermont, I encountered a town, Hoosick, NY.  I saw this funky little deli and discovered that Hoosick Falls is famous since Grandma Moses, the artist, is buried there.  I found out that an art collector discovered several of her paintings in a drugstore in Hoosick Falls which he purchased in 1938 for $3-5 each.  Imagine that because much later, in November 2006, her 1943 work Sugaring Off became her highest-selling work at US $1.2 million.

Shortly thereafter, I passed into Vermont where I found that the Green Mountains are aptly named as a palette of varying shades of green greet the eyes in all directions.  The Green Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountains, a range that stretches from Quebec in the north to Alabama in the south. The Green Mountains are part of the New England/Acadian forests ecoregion.  We arrived early so before we checked in, we drove around the area and did a little hiking in Lowell Lake State Park:

Magic Mountain is a ski resort located on Glebe Mountain in Londonderry, Vermont. It features a 1,500-foot vertical drop. The summit is at 2,850 feet and the base at 1,350 feet.  We’re staying at Upper Pass Lodge in a beautiful room with a deck which Chloe has been taking advantage of.  She is on the lookout for moose as we have been told they do travel in this area.

We went to dinner at the restaurant in the lodge.  The picture above shows just how pet-friendly this place is as Chloe sat with me in the bar.  I ordered shrimp scampi on fettuccine which was absolutely delicious; but, the best part was the lodge only serves Vermont beers or wines.  I tried three different vintages but my favorite was a crisp dry white wine with notes of apple, melon, and spring flowers.  This particular wine only used grapes grown in Vermont:  Lincoln Peak Vineyard Black Sparrow.  The pictures above, on the right, are Carol, the bartender and Vince, the innkeeper.

When researching Londonderry, I found an interesting fact that MAY connect our familial genealogy to this town.  Londonderry was first chartered in 1770 to a Col. James Rogers and was known as Kent, which included what is now Windham. The town was again chartered by act of the new Vermont Legislature on April 20, 1780. In this charter, the township was named Londonderry after Londonderry in New Hampshire, which in turn was named after Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

I am pretty sure that we have a Colonel James Rogers in the 1700’s in our ancestry.  Not sure at this time that it is the same one but wild huh?

Today’s drive was a mixture of highways and back roads taking me from Pennsylvania, through New Jersey, into New York.  Shortly after leaving Carol’s, I headed north on U.S. 202 when I quickly realized that I was headed towards one of my favorite towns, a place I used to live—New Hope, PA, a quaint, historic little town sitting on the Delaware River full of eclectic shops and top-notch restaurants.  Nostalgia overtook me, and I just had to take a quick detour.

Back in the summer of 1988, I was newly separated from my spouse, employed as Controller of The Matrix Organization in King of Prussia, and was traveling to New Hope on the weekends to visit my brother, Don.  Quite frequently, we occupied barstools at Martine’s RiverHouse Restaurant where we, together with other patrons partied, laughed, and solved world problems.  I got to know Martine pretty well and, to my utter surprise, one day she offered me a job as a bartender!  I told Martine that I didn’t know how to make drinks, but she told me personality makes the bartender, learning how to make drinks is the easy part.

That offer, and my ultimate acceptance, changed the course of my life.  I was having so much fun that, after several weeks, I quit my job at The Matrix Organization and moved to New Hope.  I got a cute little apartment near the towpath and, to help make ends meet, I got a second job.

At John & Peter’s, I had to learn cocktailing in a crowded room while patrons rocked or swayed to music onstage.  According to their website, www.johnandpeters.com, since 1972, “For more than 4 decades we have featured live music seven days a week, 365 days of the year. That means we have showcased more than 48,000 musicians and entertained more than 640,000 guests since that first performance…. the longest running nightclub in the country dedicated to musicians who play original material.”

For the next ten years, I bartended in New Hope, Key West, Daytona, South Bend, and New Orleans.

Martine’s and New Hope look a lot different now than my memory from thirty years ago but I still felt the charm and quirkiness that I loved back then.

I crossed the Delaware about seven miles north of where George Washington crossed so many years ago.

Since I was still reflecting on my life, I barely noticed the New Jersey landscape  as I passed through into New York but that’s where my drive became interesting. I drove on the Palisades Scenic Byway eventually crossing through Bear Mountain State Park where, despite its name, I saw no bears.  Moving onto North U.S. 9 West, we rolled through Fort Montgomery which was the scene of a fierce Revolutionary War battle for control of the Hudson River.  We got out briefly and wandered around.  Further up the road, we saw signs for West Point; then, cruised through the darling little town of Port Ewen before crossing the bridge to Kingston.

So, we’re ensconced in our room when I heard a train whistle.  Looking out window, the Catskill Mountain Railroad train is crossing right across from our hotel’s parking lot.

Kingston, 91 miles north of New York City and 59 miles south of Albany, became New York’s first capital because, at the time, New York City was occupied by British troops and Albany (then the second largest settlement in New York) was under threat of attack by the British.  So, Kingston was considered safer.  However, the British never reached Albany but they did reach Kingston after the Battle of Saratoga and burned the city.

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What a relaxing respite this has been.  Carol’s home is in a beautiful area, peaceful and quiet, marred only by the excited yapping of my little dog, Chloe, as she searches diligently for the two cats who reside here.  Chloe made friends pretty quickly with Zoe, the lab who also calls this home, but not with the cats, who have been smart enough to hide from this nemesis.  Chloe even figured out how to use the cat door as she charges in, out, and around, nose to the ground, in her quest to rid the premises of what she perceives to be the enemy.

Donnie, a paramedic and volunteer firefighter, was called out at 3:00 AM for a three alarm, multiple residence fire where one resident was critically injured and the first officer on the scene suffering from smoke inhalation.  After returning home shortly after 6:30, he barely had time to rest as he held a teaching session for several aspiring paramedics this morning.  He also attends college.  Donnie is one very busy, yet extremely focused young man.

While Carol participated in several video conferences with her employer, I read and got caught up on the news of the day, watching President Trump meeting with the Queen of England, and checking the status of my bank account and credit cards (as Carol has a secure WiFi connection).

Later on, Carol took me to Ringing Rocks Park, where, after a brief hike, we came to an opening in the trees where huge boulders and rocks, reportedly ten feet deep, cover about seven acres.  These are not just any rock; rather, they are sonorous rocks or lithophonic rocks that resonate like a bell when struck.  We brought a hammer and Carol proceeded to make music.  Several other people throughout the field were also but I believe to get the best music, you need a lot of hammering.  Listen to their beauty here:   Sound of Ringing Rocks

We also went to Nockamixon State Park, a beautiful area in Bucks County surrounding Lake Nockamixon, an artificial reservoir formed by a dam on Tohickon Creek.

But, the highlight of the day was the evening when Donnie III, Rebecca, Donnie IV, Becca, and a friend, Sam came over for dinner.  Carol prepared shrimp, broccoli and cauliflower drizzled with a balsamic reduction which Donnie III grilled.  We also had a  fresh salad popping with flavor. A great time was had by all!

I traveled today through some of Pennsylvania’s beautiful Amish country.  This was not completely a new trek for me, but I purposely drove in parts I do not believe I have previously traveled.  Amish people fascinate those of us who are so connected with all our devices and, I admit, I drove my car along these roads with a GPS tracking my travel, my smart phone providing me with music and available to google whatever question pops into my mind, and a recorder to keep track of thoughts as they occur.  Today, I am wearing brightly colored leggings, flip flops, and three earrings in each ear.

Amish live a much simpler life, without electricity, without our devices, without our ostentation.  Their clothing is plain and does not call attention to the wearer by cut, color, or any other feature.

I do not mean to say they are a curiosity to be examined.  In some ways, I think they are to be envied as materialism is just not in their DNA.  Also, from what I have read, they are extremely loyal to each other and that trait alone is one to be applauded.  The Amish hold humility as a highly-cherished value and view pride as a threat to community harmony. Just as the Amish do not carry personal photographs or display them in homes, they do not want others to take photographs of them.

This is their belief and I understand and respect their feelings on this subject.  For that reason, any pictures of Amish people I have posted herein are strictly ones I have found online and do not show anyone’s visage.  We could all learn a little bit about humility and simplicity from them.

I was surprised to find so much traffic, and how fast people drive, even on the various side roads.  There is so much to see–buggies, farmland, cottages, barns in towns named Bird in Hand, Intercourse, and White Horse. I even saw this miniature buggy pulled by a pony being driven by a child!

I was looking for roadside stands but, sadly, where there used to be many, I only found one.  I was able to buy some plump, juicy tomatoes and rum bread that looks scrumptious.  But, I was actually looking for one specific thing…dry bottom Amish shoo-fly pie.  For novices, I explain:  Though the ingredients and rough proportions of traditional shoo-fly recipes are more or less consistent regardless of the region, depending on how the crumb and molasses components are placed in the pie shell before baking, a shoo-fly pie will fall into one of two regional styles—dry-bottom or wet-bottom.  I found out later that I was in the wrong area.

For dry-bottom pies, generally the preference among shoo-fly bakers of the Lehigh County area of Pennsylvania, a portion of the crumb mixture is mixed or alternately layered with the molasses mixture in the pie shell and the remaining crumbs are layered on top. The result is essentially a crumb-topped molasses cake (a lot like gingerbread, sans ginger and other spices), enclosed in a pie shell.

Further to the south and west, in the Lancaster County area, the preference is for wet-bottomed pies, which are made by pouring the molasses mixture into the pie shell and gently spreading the crumb mixture, in its entirety, across the surface. The baked result is quite similar to dry-bottom shoo-fly with the key exception of the thick, sticky layer of molasses goo that forms between the cakey upper portion and the crust, adding another layer of texture and interest to the pie.

Note to Causeway followers: After I return, I promise that I will make this pie for everyone to taste!

Once I finished my Amish country tour, I met my niece, Don Altemus for lunch at the Shake Shack in King of Prussia.  An incredibly pet-friendly restaurant, we each enjoyed a shackburger and shared an order of fries with bacon and cheese.  I ordered a pooch-ini for Chloe (ShackBurger® dog biscuits, peanut butter sauce and vanilla custard).

I then drove north to Warminster, PA to see my ex sister-in-law, Carol, and her grandson, Don IV (my brother Don’s grandson).  To my utter delight, Don and Carol’s son, Don III, and his wife, Rebecca also came over as did Don IV’s girlfriend, Becca.  Carol made us an absolutely delectable dinner of salmon with two different marinades and a salad.

This stop is, besides a wonderful visit with relatives, my first two-night stop.  YAY!  No driving tomorrow!

I mentioned yesterday that it was raining when I found this Days Inn in Blairsville (about an hour east of Pittsburgh).  I must commend the innkeeper as he searched for and got me discounts to keep my price under $100; also, he accommodated my request for a first-floor room and told me Chloe looks like a service dog!  He’s getting a good review!

The only bad thing was the two vehicles parked under the portico thus requiring me to park in the rain so I managed to get completely soaked as I retrieved Chloe and our stuff from the car.  I couldn’t believe that I had gotten so cold I needed to put heat on in the room.  But, the heater worked fine so I was toasty in no time.

Yesterday (or was it the day before), I was bemoaning the fact that gas in Davis, WV was $2.959.  I never saw a price lower than that while in West Virginia or Maryland so succumbed and filled up.  I have made it a practice to fill up each morning as I have been driving on many “back” roads and don’t want to chance an issue with being low and nowhere near a station; this has sometimes resulted in my buying gas only to see it cheaper around the next corner.  Anyway, once I entered Pennsylvania, I started seeing prices well over $3.00!  It seems as if as I go north, gas prices climb.  I finally remembered the app, Gas Buddy, so I can at least get the best price available in the area.

I told you yesterday about Chloe and I hiking up and down the streets of Pittsburgh, logging more than six miles.  Well, this picture was taken at 8:00 AM this morning—she is still tuckered out and is probably dreaming about riding in the car.  Poor baby.  I have to report that she also slept almost the entire trip to Lancaster.

So, this morning before I left, I examined several different routes I could take to get to Lancaster and decided on the one that went north through the mountains up by State College.  Today was clear and sunny so the views were clear and brilliant.  This road, while winding and at times steep, tended to have gentler curves than the mountain roads I drove in previous states and was frequently two lanes in either direction.  But, there was one pass where trucks were only allowed to go 20 mph downhill because of the slope.  In some of the sections where it was just one lane in either direction, there were big dots painted on the roadway with signs admonishing drivers to maintain two dots behind the forward vehicle.  Interesting concept that actually seemed to work.

As with the other mountains I have passed through, the scenery was magnificent.  At one point I’d see a towering peak and a few minutes later, fertile farmland rolling alongside a stream.  I drove through an area called Arch Rock where you could see the multiple layers of rock out of which the road was carved.   I found out that construction to convert part of this highway from a two-lane highway to a divided, limited-access four-lane highway was completed in December 2007, and it includes building the longest mechanically stabilized earth wall in the U.S. (I read what that meant but found it somewhat dry and boring but, if you want to know what that means, read Mechanically Stabilized Earth .)  A good portion of the road followed the Susquehanna River and in the city of Dauphin, in the middle of the river is a miniature Statue of Liberty.

I was curious and also fascinated so I looked up the story as reported by CBS News:  “No one in the town of Dauphin knew where it came from or how it arrived: in 1986, a statue of Liberty replica appeared on a piling in the middle of the Susquehanna River, off of Route 322. Traffic on the highway stalled from people who pulled over, slowed down, or stopped altogether to peer at the strange new landmark.  Though no one knew it at the time, a local lawyer had created the statue to celebrate the actual Statue of Liberty’s centennial celebration. He created it out of Venetian blinds and plywood, and with a group of friends he erected it in the middle of the night. Though the statue’s origin remained a mystery for years, eventually the creator came forward and revealed himself. In the 1990s, the original statue was destroyed by weather. By that point, the residents of Dauphin had grown so fond of their miniature Lady Liberty that they raised enough money to build a new one: a larger, more durable, more securely-fastened version.  The second Lady Liberty is the one that remains to this day. She stands 25 feet tall and greets all who pass through Dauphin.” 

As Pennsylvania is the state where I did a good portion of my growing up, I am happy to be back for a short while but there is one thing I’ve noticed that sort of frightens me.  Since July 2, I have driven in nine states and I believe that, in Pennsylvania, I have encountered the rudest, most self-centered drivers so far.  They don’t seem to move over while someone is merging, they speed up when you put your turn signal on to move to a different lane, they turn without using signals.  Most of the time, this was behavior I observed rather than having it directed at me but I saw it quite frequently.  Anyway, I saw this one guy in a rather tricked out red pickup guilty of all the above as well as weaving.  I must admit, I felt very gratified to round one of the mountainous curves and see him pulled over.  Karma.

So, I am staying the night in Lancaster because I plan to tour the Amish country back roads on my way to King of Prussia tomorrow.  Did you know that Lancaster was Pennsylvania’s capital from 1799 to 1812 and almost became the nation’s capital?  Hundreds of historical landmarks remain, and it boasts the largest National Historic Register District in the United States.

Finally, today is 7-11 an I am in the land of Wawa!

Do you remember the movie “If it’s Tuesday, this must be Belgium”, well, I am sort of on a whirlwind trip having spent only one night in each of, thus far, eight locations.  Tonight, my ninth, was to be in Pittsburgh and today is Tuesday.

So, I woke today knowing that I was on my way to visit Tina Rogers, my beautiful niece, daughter of brother John.  Tina is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in engineering.  It is summer, and she has chosen to stay in Pittsburgh working as she is in a program where you get a year of experience while attending college.  What a great idea!

I had a choice of several routes but chose to continue driving on US 219, even though it was slightly longer than the other routes.  I decided on this route because it closely follows what is known as the Seneca Trail.  I had read an article called The Seneca Trail which describes it best:

“Traveling Route 219, one passes through scenery of local life rich with history. A hot dog stand from the 50s, a 19^th century mill whose great wheel still grinds grain, a stone proclaiming the boundary of Lord Fairfax, small stands of virgin hemlock; these are places that point back in time. One comes to sense it: sections of this road are deeply worn. The route it followed through West Virginia was an old one, and well-traveled.  Long ago, it had been a major Indian footpath.  The Seneca Trail, known also as the Great Indian War and Trading Path, was a part of a network of trails stretching from the Deep South to modern day New York that was used by the Catawba, various Algonquian tribes, the Cherokee, and the Iroquois Confederacy.”

I was very happy to see that Route 219 crossed into Maryland, which is the only time I will enter that state on this trip.

I lived in Maryland as a young child and visited the state many times throughout my life so didn’t feel it necessary to stay there but I am glad that I drove through the western portion as my experience had been primarily eastern Maryland.  Similarly, with Tennessee—I never lived there but I’ve been to Nashville and Memphis more than once and attended fabulous family reunions in the western portion of the state.  So, I enjoyed seeing the vastly divergent topography.

In Maryland, I drove through rural landscapes, small towns and numerous state parks including this stunningly beautiful town on the edge of Deep Creek Lake, Maryland’s largest freshwater lake.

I arrived in Pittsburgh at about 1:00 pm after driving about four hours.  Anyway, when Tina and I spoke last night, Tina told me she has three roommates (and all of them are working and/or going to school) so, even though she kindly invited Chloe and I to stay with her for the night, I decided that a hotel made more sense.  Despite the $225 cost exceeding my usual hotel budget, I wanted to see Tina so reserved at the hotel closest to her apartment (which proclaimed frequently on its website that it is “pet-friendly”).  When I arrived, they wanted to charge me $150 pet fee plus $20 to park!  I decided that I just could not tolerate that.  Most hotels, if they charge a fee, charge $10-$25.

So, I tried finding another hotel but couldn’t find one unless it was pretty far away.  I decided that it made more sense to just have dinner and then leave Pittsburgh and get a hotel out of town.  Chloe and I had several hours to kill before Tina got off work, so we walked up and down some of the steepest streets I have ever climbed.  We walked a little over six miles today!

Tina finally arrived, and we went to the Union Grill.  Tina ordered a seafood burger with lemon cilantro dressing and I ordered their signature dish, Turkey Devonshire (which was reviewed favorably by “Taste of America” on the Travel Channel.  It is slabs of turkey, covered with thick slices of tomato, covered with cheese sauce and bacon, served over toast points.  Very good but WAY too big.

So, after a satisfying dinner, I left Pittsburgh with the thought that I would stop somewhere once outside the city.  My decision was made when it started raining in Blairsville.  So, here is where we sleep tonight.

When I left this morning, I figured I’d take the interstate for a while and, after about an hour, I was in such a zombie-like zone that I realized I could not stay on this track any longer.  So, I got off the interstate and changed the GPS to “No Highway” and “Scenic”.  OMG!  So much better.  The new route added almost an hour, but it was definitely worth it.  The mountain roads in this part of West Virginia are very well-paved and marked.  While there didn’t seem to be as many sharp switchbacks as I experienced in North Carolina, there were frequent steep slopes of 7% with warnings for trucks.  I even saw several run-offs for trucks should they get out of control.  I used to see that a lot when I was living in Utah.

But, the really special thing was the diversity.  Many of the roads were completely canopied by trees with sunlight winking through the leaves or completely rimmed by moss-covered rocky slopes.  As is becoming usual on this trip, when the road circled the outside of the mountain, the views were awe-inspiring.  There was one point (I think I was on WV-33) when the range in front of me sported majestic windmills as far as I could see.

Driving on secondary highways also gives one a glimpse of how others live.  I drove through Fayetteville, WV which claims to be “the coolest small town” and it did look vibrant and worth visiting.  Fayetteville is where I passed over the New River Gorge Bridge, built in 1976, which, at the time, was the world’s longest arch bridge.  It is one of the world’s highest vehicular bridges in the world and is depicted on the back of the West Virginia quarter minted in 2005.

Many small towns are tucked away in these mountains and oftentimes, you can see a lone house sitting atop a hill with a steep, curvy driveway.   Something else I saw here in West Virginia, which I also saw in Florida, were teams of inmates cleaning and pruning the roadways.  What a good idea.

So, now, we are in the mountains directly on the Appalachian Highway at the Canaan Village Inn in Davis, WV.  It’s a good thing I planned on today being a relaxing day.  I picked this town as a way-point strictly because I am on my way to Pittsburgh and needed a mid-point, found a hotel, so that was that.  I wasn’t looking for a touristy town nor a place with anything in particular to do.  To be honest, I never even looked at things to do until I got here.

Davis is, at an elevation of 3,100 feet, the highest of any West Virginia town.  But, it is a town of only 1.83 square miles with a population of 660 people at the last census.  The area surrounding Davis is known for its mountain biking trails and one of the annual races, The Revenge of The Rattlesnake, is considered one of the toughest bike races in the country.  Their most notable citizen is Frankie Yankovic, considered to be America’s Polka King, was born in Davis, WV.

We sat outside for a while enjoying the mountain air.  It is gloriously cool with a gentle breeze; I read while Chloe watched the world around her. There are fields and a pond with ducks that Chloe wants to explore.  I can see a general store across the street with gas at $2.959—yikes!  Also, miniature golf and two restaurants plus this inn I’m in.  Not much else.

The room is cute, with the requisite king-sized bed, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, an adequate desk area, and direct tv with hundreds of channels including the main one I watch (Fox News).  The owners told me they used to live in Jacksonville but decided to come home to Davis, WV and buy a business here.  I must say, there is something to be said for living in a small town.  They know everyone and they all help each other out.  I found this to be true first hand.

The Inn’s ice machine is broken so the owner told me the store across the street has ice.  I needed perhaps an ice bucket full and their smallest bag was 22 lbs.  Now, I do not mind paying $1.99 for a bag of ice but I hate waste so, I mentioned why I needed ice and she went to the back of the store, got a quart-sized cup, filled it with ice and gave it to me.  I had to practically force her to take $1.00 from me.  You gotta love the small-town solidarity.

So, my final thought for this evening…this morning at 8:00 AM, I realized that I have now been on the road for a full week.  I’ve driven through Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia many times in my past.  But, for this trip, I’m seeing completely different geography than I’ve seen before as I’m driving in different parts of the states.  It is fascinating and even quite educational.  I’m loving it!