Sunday, September 25, 2011

… AND WE'RE OFF!


The weather forecast for much of the eastern half of the United States and Canada calls for “periods of rain” for much of the ten day period ahead. Our six hour drive Wednesday from Shaker to Reston, however, encountered only misty droplets when we passed over Appalachian summits. Much of the rest of the trip combined periods of sunshine and cloud which made the journey quite pleasant.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike proved the most challenging aspect of the entire trip. The narrow, twisting highway showed its age and was crowded much of the way with truck traffic. Too many of the “work zones” seemed unmanned with ambiguous signage concerning expected speeds. Some drivers barreled right along, ignoring completely admonitions to slow down; others (like us) seemed unsure of what was expected – and with speed differentials amounting to 20 MPG in many cases, one REALLY had to pay attention!

Nonetheless the time passed more quickly than on previous trips, likely in part because we're now quite used to six and seven hour drives to Chicago and Urbana-Champaign. Upon arrival we chatted with Liz and Steve, catching up on one another's activities, then went out for dinner at a Great American Restaurant Italian Cafe. Two season premier episodes of “Modern Family” made for a fitting conclusion to our first day “on the road” (Steve and Lee got caught up in “Revenge” as well, which may well prove to be an addiction if ever we can parse out the complications in the plot).

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