One of the neat things about taking a long road trip is the many interesting sights to be seen. I remember making the trip between Connecticut and Alabama to visit my grandparents as a child. The trip didn't seem quite as long to a child as it does to an adult. One of my memories is the advertisements to "See Ruby Falls". These advertisements used to be painted on barns and signs standing in fields where cows grazed. Most of the signs of yesterday have been replaced by actual roadside billboards today, along with advertisements for motels, gas stations and restaurants. However, there are still many interesting and entertaining sights to be seen along the trip. Here's a list of some of the things we observed or learned on our summer vacation.
1. a Dodge Viper is OMG FAST (according to it's license plate)
2. a Corvette is SOKWIK (according to it's license plate)
3. don't plant trumpet vine someplace unless you REALLY want it to grow there permanently (from Sonya's personal experience)
4. there are camel races in Virginia, in September (from an advertisement on a U-Haul trailer). If you doubt this, put "camel races" into your search engine and see what comes up!
5. salt kills thistle (thanks again Sonya)
6. the short bus pulls dragons (a small bus pulling 4 large plastic dragons from a ride at a carnival)
7. you will find the cheapest gas prices at the exit following your last fill-up.
8. it is impossible to travel thru the state of Pennsylvania without encountering road construction.
9. when traveling to Pottstown on 61, it is best to take the 222/422 bypass and avoid Reading altogether.
10. rest stops in Virginia have a hand dryer that really works. (Only ones I've ever used that are actually able to completely dry the hands because they are very forceful).
11. HERBVR (from a license plate) seems to indicate that there is at least one vegetarian in Alabama.
12. food being placed in a zip type plastic bag must be no warmer than room temperature, otherwise the side seams can be unsealed. Thankfully there was not a lot of liquid in the food. We were able to salvage the situation without too much of a mess.
13. the waves at Misquamicut still fill your bathing suit with sand.
14. seagulls are still opportunistic scavengers and you need to be ever vigilant to prevent them from stealing your food.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Home from Vacation
It's great to go away on vacation, but it's just as good to come home again. We had a wonderful time visiting with friends and family in Connecticut, but there is nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed.
A special thanks goes to Ray, Kathy, Natalie, Frank, Rebecca, George, Caroline, Colleen, Ronnie, Elliot, Garrett, Sheryl, Tommy, Jennifer and Joyce for making our visit special. We would have liked to have had the time and the ability to see more of our friends, but it just wasn't meant to be.
The only aspect of our trip that could have been better was Randy's health. He had some rough days and the return trip to Alabama was uncomfortable for him. It is sad that he wasn't able to participate in more of our activities during our stay. I'm very sorry that he missed out on our day at the lake. I know he would have had a wonderful time, as the rest of us certainly did. I had never toured the lake from the water even though I spent many, many days in my youth at the lake. I know the lakeside community has grown in the last 20 or so years, but seeing the growth from the water was very powerful. Almost every square inch of land surrounding the lake has a building on it. Gone are the areas of beach that allowed access to the water by anyone.
Now it's time to get back to the daily activities that make up our lives. I have to return to work today. Tomorrow Jeremy will need to register for the fall semester at the college and Jacqueline is set to have her Senior Pictures taken. Band camp will be starting any time now, probably next week and we will have to get used to a new Band Director. It's time to re-establish a routine that will help make the return to class as smooth as possible. Jacqueline will have to go back before Jeremy, but probably only a few days earlier. It's also time for routine to return to Randy's schedule. I'm hopeful that he will feel better once he returns to a more normal schedule.
A special thanks goes to Ray, Kathy, Natalie, Frank, Rebecca, George, Caroline, Colleen, Ronnie, Elliot, Garrett, Sheryl, Tommy, Jennifer and Joyce for making our visit special. We would have liked to have had the time and the ability to see more of our friends, but it just wasn't meant to be.
The only aspect of our trip that could have been better was Randy's health. He had some rough days and the return trip to Alabama was uncomfortable for him. It is sad that he wasn't able to participate in more of our activities during our stay. I'm very sorry that he missed out on our day at the lake. I know he would have had a wonderful time, as the rest of us certainly did. I had never toured the lake from the water even though I spent many, many days in my youth at the lake. I know the lakeside community has grown in the last 20 or so years, but seeing the growth from the water was very powerful. Almost every square inch of land surrounding the lake has a building on it. Gone are the areas of beach that allowed access to the water by anyone.
Now it's time to get back to the daily activities that make up our lives. I have to return to work today. Tomorrow Jeremy will need to register for the fall semester at the college and Jacqueline is set to have her Senior Pictures taken. Band camp will be starting any time now, probably next week and we will have to get used to a new Band Director. It's time to re-establish a routine that will help make the return to class as smooth as possible. Jacqueline will have to go back before Jeremy, but probably only a few days earlier. It's also time for routine to return to Randy's schedule. I'm hopeful that he will feel better once he returns to a more normal schedule.
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