I know it kind of seems like backwards progress, but we made it back into Virginia tonight. We drove from West Chester, Pennsylvania through Delaware and Maryland and then over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
A little history on us: We've taken several road trips before throughout the US and we've always made a point to get our picture in front of the state signs. We've discovered over time that stopping in the middle of the interstate to snap a picture with a tripod is kind of frowned upon. Strange, I know. So, instead we find a red road that will take us over the state line a little bit more out of the way and then we eventually connect back up with the highway. We spent a good half hour trying to find a darn Delaware sign between the Delaware and Maryland border. There were lots of them for Maryland...not so much for Delaware. And in the end...we were unsuccessful. How frustrating. The funny thing is though that the road there that goes east to west runs basically right along the state line. So on one side of the road the parked cars had Maryland license plates while the other side had Delaware. Kind of odd.
We finally pulled into a driveway to turn around and get back to the main highway. The person living there had a couple of dogs that immediately came right out to the car. We were starting to feel like this was a little awkward. And then another dog appeared...and then another! Phill was trying to navigate among four dogs that are each in different areas near the truck and meanwhile, Bailey is barking hysterically in the backseat and these people are out in their driveway wondering what the heck we are doing. Nightmare! It's pretty rural though...so it may have been the most excitement those people had seen in a while.
We got to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge around 6:30 or so. The wind was howling! I had never been on the bridge before. It's a pretty impressive project. The bridge itself is 17.6 miles shore to shore and has over 5,000 support piles/trestles. The northern section opened in 1964 after 42 months of construction and $200 million. The southern section opened in 1999 after 46 months of construction and $250 million. Each tunnel is a mile in length and goes anywhere from 25 to 100 feet below the water. We waited for a little bit in order to watch a huge cargo ship go over top. Pretty strange to think that there's a tunnel way down there!
We made it into Newport News, Virginia tonight and will be staying the night with Garrett Meyer. Tomorrow we plan to stay with the Svencers and then Friday we'll be hanging out with the Engineering Officer from Phill's cutter in Port Angeles. And then finally, we'll leave Virginia one last time and head west!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
We set out from Red Creek today around 9am. I think we both felt a little stressed and high strung leaving because we’re not entirely certain as to what our plans are for the next couple of days. We thought we were staying with some friends, but we’re having a tough time connecting with some of them. We spent the first miles of the trip reminding ourselves that we need to learn to just go with the flow. That was kind of the goal of this trip – to slow down, relax and learn to be a bit spontaneous. So, with a slower pace mentality, we took our time making the trip south and decided we ought to stop in Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell. I think we got to Philadelphia around 2 or 3, parked and walked around town a bit. The Liberty Bell is inside the Liberty Bell Center with a variety of reading material on its history. Surprisingly, a fair amount of its history is somewhat unknown.
The crack on the bell is due to an attempt to fix a thin crack that destroyed the bell’s tone at some point following the American Revolution. They don’t know when the crack developed, but repair work on it dates back to 1846. As the bell rang for George Washington’s birthday anniversary, the original crack reappeared and lengthened. It zig-zagged toward the top of the bell, silencing it – at least physically – forever. Historically, the bell used to summon members of the Pennsylvania Assembly, like Benjamin Franklin, to meetings. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that the Bell rang on July 4, 1776, to proclaim independence. In fact, by 1776 the heavy bell, swinging and vibrating with sound, threatened to topple the rotting State House steeple (now Independence Hall). In 1777, just before the British captured Philadelphia, patriots removed public and private valuables to safety, including the Bell. And now it stands for American liberties and has been an icon for a variety of movements including Civil Rights and Women’s Suffrage. The city was really neat and very historic. Again, just like everything else on the east coast, it’s amazing to think that all of the history that you’ve learned about actually happened in these towns. People like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin walked these streets.
We probably should have taken the time to take the tour through Independence Hall and Congress Hall, but we were getting awful hungry and ready to relax. So, we drove another hour south to a campsite in Coatesville/West Chester, Pennsylvania. I have to admit that we were a little leery about the site as we drove there because it seemed so completely far out of the way. However, as we got closer, the towns seemed to descend further back in time. The village of West Chester was incredible! The buildings and homes were largely made of stone and plaster. I don’t have any idea what Tuscany looks like, but this is what I imagine. It was all very European-looking, like little mini chateaus. It’s not like the typical country-side because it’s really manicured and groomed, but quaint - and incredibly historic. We stopped at the grocery store and picked up a few items and drove to our campsite. We went down this steep hill and all of the campsites were right on this river – and not a single other person was there. We spent about an hour setting up all of our stuff. It had been almost a year since we had set up our tent, and it only took minor adjustments to figure it out again. We cut up veggies and potatoes and threw them right in the fire for dinner. It sounds delicious, I know, but we got some hint of lighter fluid flavor in there. Not so delicious. Better luck next time. We just sat and chatted and now we’re ready for bed.
It’s supposed to rain tonight. We’ll see how that goes. The reality of our trip has finally sunk in – it’s quite romantic.
The crack on the bell is due to an attempt to fix a thin crack that destroyed the bell’s tone at some point following the American Revolution. They don’t know when the crack developed, but repair work on it dates back to 1846. As the bell rang for George Washington’s birthday anniversary, the original crack reappeared and lengthened. It zig-zagged toward the top of the bell, silencing it – at least physically – forever. Historically, the bell used to summon members of the Pennsylvania Assembly, like Benjamin Franklin, to meetings. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that the Bell rang on July 4, 1776, to proclaim independence. In fact, by 1776 the heavy bell, swinging and vibrating with sound, threatened to topple the rotting State House steeple (now Independence Hall). In 1777, just before the British captured Philadelphia, patriots removed public and private valuables to safety, including the Bell. And now it stands for American liberties and has been an icon for a variety of movements including Civil Rights and Women’s Suffrage. The city was really neat and very historic. Again, just like everything else on the east coast, it’s amazing to think that all of the history that you’ve learned about actually happened in these towns. People like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin walked these streets.
We probably should have taken the time to take the tour through Independence Hall and Congress Hall, but we were getting awful hungry and ready to relax. So, we drove another hour south to a campsite in Coatesville/West Chester, Pennsylvania. I have to admit that we were a little leery about the site as we drove there because it seemed so completely far out of the way. However, as we got closer, the towns seemed to descend further back in time. The village of West Chester was incredible! The buildings and homes were largely made of stone and plaster. I don’t have any idea what Tuscany looks like, but this is what I imagine. It was all very European-looking, like little mini chateaus. It’s not like the typical country-side because it’s really manicured and groomed, but quaint - and incredibly historic. We stopped at the grocery store and picked up a few items and drove to our campsite. We went down this steep hill and all of the campsites were right on this river – and not a single other person was there. We spent about an hour setting up all of our stuff. It had been almost a year since we had set up our tent, and it only took minor adjustments to figure it out again. We cut up veggies and potatoes and threw them right in the fire for dinner. It sounds delicious, I know, but we got some hint of lighter fluid flavor in there. Not so delicious. Better luck next time. We just sat and chatted and now we’re ready for bed.
It’s supposed to rain tonight. We’ll see how that goes. The reality of our trip has finally sunk in – it’s quite romantic.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Birthday party
Went out to Albany today for Cameran's 2nd birthday party. What a riot! She had a great time. Just thought we'd share a few pictures from the day.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Our adventure has a nice and lazy beginning
I spent almost the entire day relaxing today and catching up on a bunch of reading that I've been wanting to do. Phill didn't exactly relax, but he did get to spend time with his dad doing “man stuff” - ie: cutting down trees, driving tractors, etc. I was glad to be inside combining cat naps with some leisurely reading.
The reality and excitement of our adventure is beginning to set in, but we still kind of feel like we'll leave here and head back to our home in Virginia, just like every other time we come up here for a visit. I keep forgetting that we don't have anywhere to go back to.
The reality and excitement of our adventure is beginning to set in, but we still kind of feel like we'll leave here and head back to our home in Virginia, just like every other time we come up here for a visit. I keep forgetting that we don't have anywhere to go back to.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
It's begun
The truck is loaded to the brim. There's just enough room for the driver and Bailey – and even she is a little squished. I'm afraid to open the doors because any number of items could come crashing to the ground. We left at 7am this morning. Traffic was a nightmare! Poor Phill on his motorcycle had sore wrists from hanging on to the throttle ten minutes into the drive. Virginia is reluctant to let us go, I guess. I took pictures of the traffic from our car window. Miserable traffic will be the first picture in the scrapbook. Goodbye city. Our four-lane onramp merged with a four-lane beltway – and it was all bumper to bumper. I could see Phill ahead of me with his feet on the ground slowly inching forward on his motorcycle. I was afraid that he might walk on his tip-toes all the way out of the city. Then it started to rain! Poor Phill. We stopped for breakfast before Gettysburg and continued on our way. I think we got to the visitor center around 10 or 11. Phill said it was all brand new from when he was there last. They have an auto tour that takes you on a 24-mile circle of the park and tells you what each landmark is along the way. It seemed like the best way to do it, so Phill climbed into the driver seat and Bailey and I smashed together in the tiny space left in the passenger seat.
The park was fantastic! It's so strange for me to think that these events actually occurred here in our history. I just finished reading A Red Badge of Courage just a month or so ago, and these images are making the book seem so much more meaningful. It's difficult to imagine the young men sitting in their locations in the woods and just waiting for the other side to come along for a fight. How scary and almost archaic the fighting techniques seem to me now. Literally, the men would line up on opposing sides in their “team” color and whichever side had the best location and could throw the most lead, won. One member, usually a young boy (often called a “youth”), would hold the regimen's flag. The boy would hold the frontline and none of the men were to go past the flag. If the flag fell (usually because the boy had been killed), someone else was to take up the position with the flag. And medical care, of course, was terrible. So many lost limbs. The gorgeous fields we were looking at were, at one time, littered with hundreds and thousands of killed and wounded soldiers in a matter of days – and often in matter of hours. And during the battle, it was July, so the weather was humid and hot as can be.
One of our last landmarks in the park was Little Big Horn which is where the Union finally took the lead and won the battle. This is where the famous Pickett's Charge took place. Pickett's mistake in charging cost him 5,000 lives in less than an hour if I'm remembering correctly. From Little Big Horn, you can see the major advantage the Union army had with this standpoint. They're far up on Cemetery Hill to begin with and can see toward Seminary Hill for miles. Additionally, two major roads (Taneytown and Baltimore Pike) are behind them supplying the forces. Clearly, had they not been positioned in this ideal location, the battle would have had a much different outcome. Incredible view from there as well.
We continued on our way around 1pm. Phill got back on his bike and I got back in the driver seat. The further north toward Red Creek we got, the colder and more miserable the weather turned. Each time we stopped for gas or a bathroom break, Phill put more clothes on in an attempt to stay warm. We tried to ride out more weather at the Liberty gas station in Pennsylvania where we actually saw ice pellets coming down. Again, poor Phill. By the time we left there, he had on more clothes than he wears when we go snow skiing. He got rained on pretty much solid for the final two or so hours of the trip. Needless to say, he was relieved to finally arrive at his parent's house in Red Creek, NY tonight.
The park was fantastic! It's so strange for me to think that these events actually occurred here in our history. I just finished reading A Red Badge of Courage just a month or so ago, and these images are making the book seem so much more meaningful. It's difficult to imagine the young men sitting in their locations in the woods and just waiting for the other side to come along for a fight. How scary and almost archaic the fighting techniques seem to me now. Literally, the men would line up on opposing sides in their “team” color and whichever side had the best location and could throw the most lead, won. One member, usually a young boy (often called a “youth”), would hold the regimen's flag. The boy would hold the frontline and none of the men were to go past the flag. If the flag fell (usually because the boy had been killed), someone else was to take up the position with the flag. And medical care, of course, was terrible. So many lost limbs. The gorgeous fields we were looking at were, at one time, littered with hundreds and thousands of killed and wounded soldiers in a matter of days – and often in matter of hours. And during the battle, it was July, so the weather was humid and hot as can be.
One of our last landmarks in the park was Little Big Horn which is where the Union finally took the lead and won the battle. This is where the famous Pickett's Charge took place. Pickett's mistake in charging cost him 5,000 lives in less than an hour if I'm remembering correctly. From Little Big Horn, you can see the major advantage the Union army had with this standpoint. They're far up on Cemetery Hill to begin with and can see toward Seminary Hill for miles. Additionally, two major roads (Taneytown and Baltimore Pike) are behind them supplying the forces. Clearly, had they not been positioned in this ideal location, the battle would have had a much different outcome. Incredible view from there as well.
We continued on our way around 1pm. Phill got back on his bike and I got back in the driver seat. The further north toward Red Creek we got, the colder and more miserable the weather turned. Each time we stopped for gas or a bathroom break, Phill put more clothes on in an attempt to stay warm. We tried to ride out more weather at the Liberty gas station in Pennsylvania where we actually saw ice pellets coming down. Again, poor Phill. By the time we left there, he had on more clothes than he wears when we go snow skiing. He got rained on pretty much solid for the final two or so hours of the trip. Needless to say, he was relieved to finally arrive at his parent's house in Red Creek, NY tonight.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Slight change of plans
What a day! I got up this morning at 7:30 and almost immediately began cleaning our house in order to move out. Our landlord had ridiculous requirements for cleaning for moving out. I cleaned nonstop from about 8am to 4pm while Phill loaded the truck, ran some errands, and took care of final paperwork at headquarters. I was absolutely exhausted. Our plan was to take care of final things and clean and then head to Gettysburg that night and camp there. Phill would ride his motorcycle and I would follow behind him. With just a few additional errands to run, we made our goal to be on the road toward Gettysburg by 6pm. At almost 6pm on the dot, we were all ready to go just as a thunderstorm rolled through. I guess Virginia would have us for one extra night. We had a big dinner and a beer at Chili's with the money I had made trading coins in at Coinstar. Hooray for pocket change. I had a bottle of champagne I bought earlier in the day to toast to our new adventure that was meant for our campsite, but it seemed appropriate despite the circumstances. We blew up our air mattress, drank a bit of our champagne, and will probably fall right to sleep.
Moving Day
The movers came yesterday. It was supposed to be a two-day job, but they decided to do it all in one day. And what a day! Twelve hours later, our stuff was all packed and headed to a storage unit in Stirling, Virginia. Phill and I have decided that you really shouldn't watch the moving crew pack and load your stuff. We cringed the entire time. There's too many little things that could – and probably will – get squashed and broken. And watching them pack every little piece makes you so paranoid and worried. Our truck was too small for all of our belongings, so they spent a good amount of time trying to make it all fit. It was meticulously crammed into every little nook and cranny. In the end, our mattress, box spring and patio table sat on the loading ramp strapped to the back of the truck – Hillbilly style. It took us a solid hour or so after the fact to chill out and realize that it's entirely out of our control at this point. That's what insurance is for, right? Corrie and Mike had us and Paul over for a BBQ afterwards and we played the final few games of Rock Band. It was a nice way to end a grueling day. We're going to miss those guys.
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