Category: Sassy Sisters

Holla! From Pollywogg Holler….

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15 June 2008

Dear readers,

Do you remember our earthen lodge experience from last year’s trip? You might have thought nothing could top it. You would be mistaken. Tonight we are writing to you from our treehouse in Pollywogg Holler, somewhere near Belmont, NY. By all means, please check it out at http://www.pollywoggholler.com/ otherwise you will not believe me. Keep in mind that we had looked at the website before we arrived, and the pictures look much better on the website than the accommodations look in person. Actually, it’s not the actual lodgings that are an issue, it’s more the fact that this eco-lodge is so eco friendly that it has no electricity or running water. So you know what that means…

Once again, I find myself holding my laptop in the dark, hoping my words run out before the battery does. But, at least this year I have a handy light that plugs into my USB port so I can see the keyboard! Thanks, Melanie H!! Joining us at the Holler tonight are about ten or twelve women here for a bachelorette party and a couple from Queens who are here because she’s a travel writer. They are sharing our experience, as they arrived here with not even a flashlight. We, on the other hand, being the seasoned primitive campers that we are, have a mini maglight, a battery operated lantern, and the aforementioned computer light. And a blanket!

Our ‘room’ is quite cozy, having one large bed, one twin sized bed, and one piece of foam on a wooden shelf. We also have a dresser and an oil lamp with a foil pie pan for a lampshade. I’m sitting in a normal chair and there’s also a chair made from a tree stump up here. The stairway up is made of tree branches and wood and it’s a spiral staircase. We’re thinking we will visit the “facilities” before retiring for the night, and if we have to go again, we’ll just leave. We have had nothing to drink except the homemade wine (red raspberry merlot) that we needed immediately upon arriving to Woodstock, Jr.

Yes, that’s right. No need for us to visit the newly opened Woodstock Museum, since it could be right here. When we arrived this afternoon, mercifully later than expected (surprise!) the Sunday afternoon pizza and music fest was just ending. We estimate that at least one hundred people were here, all drunker than they should be to drive on the roads that got them here, and we did feel like it was 1968 and the summer of love. We felt slightly out of place, the way you would if you showed up about four hours late to a party where you didn’t know ANYONE and they were all totally sloshed by the time you arrived. And you were stone cold sober. We had no piercings or tattoos and were older than many of the party people. We were greeted by a nice, normal young man on a customized golf cart kind of thing made out of wood. Sort of like a baggage tug at the airport… He’s the one who told us we had come to the right place and he gave us and our luggage a ride down the driveway into the Twilight Zone.

The band was just breaking down and people were wasted and trying to stagger back out to the road. A young boy came up wearing a mudpack on top of his head. Really, a brain-sized piece of mud was on his head with rivulets of muddy water streaming down his face. He was so happy! Another little boy showed us his stamps. He was stamped from the top of his head all over his body (three on his stomach) with “Funknut” in ink. He was happy, too! We were trying to figure a polite way to leave, but nothing came to us, so here we are. While the crowd was dispersing, Bill, the owner of the property, took us under his wing. Remember Harley from last year? Bill reminded us of him, only he didn’t stick his tongue in Kim’s ear!!! And he’s older. The normal man who had chauffeured us was his son, Quentin. His other son, Mickey, is our host. Mickey makes a mean strip steak on the grill out back and serves it with a fantastic tequila lime sauce that he concocted (and shared with us).

While things were winding down from the afternoon frivolities, Kim and I toured the property. That’s when we realized that plumbing was not happening here! We took LOTS of pictures (not as many as at Roadside America) especially of the tiki trail and sculpture garden. And the snake we saw lounging on a tarp by the path… Mickey told us we could get an internet connection by parking in the driveway next to the office (down the road – Kim said if we had seen it first, we could have just kept driving!!) so we did that and posted yesterday’s blog. Since dark was falling, we thought we’d better get back to our room while we could still see the path (it’s at least a half mile from the driveway to the ‘base’) so we stopped blogging before we had added all the photos. We should be able to catch up on the blog tomorrow night when we reach civilization at the Hampton Inn! We have not seen a TV since we left, and we’ve had cell service for about an hour a day. We’ve actually had more internet service than anything!

But enough (for now) about our evening’s experiences. The rest of our day was loads of fun! We spent last night at the Weeping Willow Bed and Breakfast in Tunkhannock, PA, and it was lovely! Our hosts, Patty and Randy, couldn’t have been nicer. Two couples, one from the Jersey Shore (Dennis and Eileen) and one from Mountaintop, PA, (Dave and Cindy) were at the B&B, too. We regaled them with stories of our travels at breakfast this morning, and they were kind enough to listen and laugh. We did not have a jam-packed day today, so we didn’t end up leaving there until after 11:00, even though we had gotten up at 7 again. By the time we got gas, fixed our teas for the road, and figured out our route, it was 11:30 before we were on our way.

Cindy had told us about a roadside giant in town, and Kim spied it as we zoomed past it. We turned around to snap a photo so Cindy would know we saw it. The people who live across the street from the giant (once a Big Boy, now a NAPA parts guy) were out working in their yard and stared at me as I walked from the car over to take a good picture. We are sure they’ve never even considered taking a photo of it themselves!

Once on our way, we hadn’t gone far when we had to stop for a wreck that had just happened. We were so thankful we had turned around for that picture, or we could have been in the accident. Ambulances arrived as we sat in line, so we turned around and followed the locals. At least, we hoped they were locals, since we were following them up a steep, narrow gravel road. When suddenly cars appeared on this road going the other direction, we knew we were on the right short cut. Soon we were on our way.

Our only planned stop today was at the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, which is south of Wellsboro. While in Wellsboro, we went to the local Weis grocery store and bought chicken salad, slaw, cheese, and cherries to have with our Amish bread and Rt. 11 Potato Chips, and then we went to see the Grand Canyon. It reminded me of Quechee Gorge in Vermont, only not as cool. But it was neat and there were lots of hawks soaring on the updrafts and they were very entertaining. We took a short (but steepish) hike out to another overlook and had our picnic then. Did I mention that it is now raining and thundering and we haven’t made our bedtime bathroom run? What were we thinking???? Rats!!!

Our route across northern Pennsylvania was on Route 6 through the Endless Mountains. It is a nice road with quaint towns and expensive gasoline. Lots of places were still decorated for Flag Day, and it was neat to see how some towns are thriving while others are just hanging on. Once we were done at the Canyon, we stopped down the road at Animaland. We ended up just having a photo op and checking out the gift shop. I took a pit stop there and thought I would share with you the lovely jungle-themed ladies room. You may not be able to see it in the photo, but the flusher handle is a jaguar (like a hood ornament off a Jaguar) and the mirror over the sink matched the toilet seat. We didn’t stay to see the animals there, as we thought we might be missing something here at the Holler if we got here too late. If only we had known…


From the canyon it was back to Route 6 until time to cross the border into New York. We got Ms. Garmin out for the first time, and boy, was she annoyed that we had not listened to her all day. We got here, though, and now we’re waiting for a break in the rain so we can go to bed in comfort. We’re thinking we’ll be checking out early, likely sans shower…



Until tomorrow, ribbet, ribbet, ribbet,
Jan

Pictures coming tonight, without fail! We survived the night, although it poured down rain most of the night…

175 miles traveled

This just in – check out this link to get a great overview of Pollywogg Holler. You must have audio to fully appreciate it! I’m pretty sure the man singing is Bill. Enjoy! http://youtube.com/watch?v=H4DOORDbms8

It’s a Grand Old Flag Day!

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14 June 2008

We got up at 7:00 this morning (Saturday) and had the car packed and loaded and were ready for breakfast a little after 8:00. We had thought about eating at Hershey Family Restaurant, but since they didn’t want us last night we opted for the Red Caboose instead. They have two real dining cars that serve as their restaurant, so we ate in one of them. We, and about 20 little boys who were about to wet their pants in anticipation of a Thomas the Tank Engine sighting. They were too excited to eat, but we weren’t. We managed to exert some degree of control, though, and we each ordered a “Little Engineer” – one pancake and a couple of slices of bacon. It hit the spot! Since we could get a wireless connection in the dining car, we took that opportunity to finish posting Friday’s blog and try to clean up the previous ones. Sometimes blogspot seems to have a mind of its own – must be related to Ms. Garmin…

While we were eating, we had plenty to watch out our dining car window. There was an Amish man plowing the fields with his horses and then a real train, being pushed by THOMAS (!!!), came chugging down the tracks. We soon had the dining room to ourselves. Once we finished, we decided to go up to the top of the View Tower (read abandoned silo now fitted with stairs) and look out over the Lancaster countryside. It was gorgeous! Very hazy (we learned at breakfast that rain was expected later in the day) but the terrain is rolling hills, green pastures, and fertile farmland. And we expended a few calories (maybe two bites of pancake) in the process. Finally, we were ready to depart from the wonderful Red Caboose Motel (check them out at http://www.redcaboosemotel.com/) and see what adventures awaited us today.


In case you are considering a trip to the Red Caboose – while it was sort of cool to say we’d slept in a caboose, it had nothing on the earthen lodge or the wigwams, and since it cost well more than both of those put together (higher rates on Thomas weekends…) we would have to say you’d really have to want to be there to pay those prices. We enjoyed our private (honeymoon) deck and it was great to be able to have internet access (a new router and a signal booster made it a wonderful connection!). If you were taking kids with you, it’s a great place for them – lots of wide open spaces for bike riding, a playground, the barnyard animals, Amish buggy rides, and it’s close to many attractions – The Choo Choo Barn, the Toy Train Museum (right next door), Dutch Wonderland, Amish Village, etc. And of course, there’s Thomas… we’re thinking he comes there right often. The food in the dining car was good and the people couldn’t have been nicer. So just file it on your list of places you might want to go if you had a good reason to.

Once on the road, we had in mind to take a couple of pictures – a giant Amish boy with some pigs, the Old Village Store in Bird-in-Hand, and the famous “Welcome to Intercourse” sign.

 

We are not sure about these Amish – besides Lititz (in Leacock County), Intercourse, Bird in Hand, and Paradise, there is also a town called Blue Ball, which we missed. Maybe it’s just me, but do you notice a theme here? We took our pictures and then we stopped at an Amish roadside stand and bought some homemade bread, and we found ourselves just a tiny bit behind schedule (we wouldn’t want to disappoint you!) but on the road by about 9:30. Ever since we set the Garmin to “shortest route” instead of “fastest route,” we have been traveling not necessarily on secondary roads or even tertiary roads, but the for real back roads. The ones that because only the locals use them, there’s no need for street signs, because they know where they are… Poor Jill, she spends her time recalculating for us. A lot. By the way, did you notice the Amish bicycle/scooter above? We saw lots of kids riding them, and most of the girls we saw were using them barefooted! On the highway!

We were on our way to Reading, PA, and its famous Pagoda landmark, located on top of Mount Penn. Although the Pagoda didn’t open until noon (we knew that) we enjoyed the ride up the mountain and thought the Pagoda was really cool. It was so hazy (pollution?) in Reading that we could barely see the city laid out below us. Jill wanted to make sure we got a real feel for Reading, so we drove through the PJ’s on our way out of town. Kim M, I know you wish you were with me. Kim C is getting used to my propensity for finding the really nice neighborhoods to get a tiny bit lost in…

From Reading, we went north to Shartlesville, PA, and the home of Roadside America, the World’s Greatest Indoor Miniature Village. Let me just say right here – THEY ARE NOT KIDDING!!!!! Kim and I LOVED this place! Picture one room about the size of the ground floor of your house. Now imagine that it has murals of the countryside painted on the walls. Now see if you can envision an entire miniature COUNTRY, through the centuries, complete with roads, cars, houses, factories, lakes, bridges, churches, downtowns, coal mines, caverns, mountains, Indian villages, parks, trains, trolleys, people, an airport, a circus, a waterfall – all in the same room and all created by ONE MAN!!! Laurence Gieringer began working on it as a child in 1905 with his brother, who stopped working with him when he became a priest. It’s been a tourist attraction in the area since the 30’s, and Mr. Gieringer died in 1963, but his family continues to allow his legacy and life’s work to entertain visitors.

 

Pictures do not begin to do this project justice, but even then I couldn’t pick just one or two, so I’ve posted more on the sidebar of this blog. If you have not been to Roadside America, please put it on your list of places to see before you die. And make sure you have plenty of time to take it all in! It was AWESOMELY STUPENDOUS! [NOTE: Sadly, Roadside America is no more, as of the early 2020s. Believe it or not, we even tried to buy it to move it to Paducah, but the owners (children & grandchildren of the creator) did not think we were serious buyers. Since there were no serious buyers (allegedly) they ended up auctioning it all off in tiny lots. I was so annoyed that I refused to buy any of it. Grrrr.]

Since we were now a little more than a tiny bit behind, we were forced to hop onto the interstate to get to Easton. The ‘slow’ lane was in such bad repair that everyone was driving in the fast lane, so everyone was going very fast. The posted speed limit was 65 for a short way and then 55; the observed speed was about 80. About the time the right lane got smoothed out enough to drive in, one lane was closed for repairs. Work zone speed was posted 45; observed speed, about 80. Has no one informed these people about gas prices? We were in Easton before we knew it, and since we could have been almost anywhere in the country (who could tell, on the interstate?) we almost didn’t know we were there.

We had a couple of destinations in mind here – the Pez Dispenser Museum and the Crayola Factory. We rolled into town about 2:30 and found our way through the seamier part of town into the very lovely and happening downtown area. The Pez Museum (http://www.eastonmuseumofpez.com/) is right next door to the Crayola Factory, but it closed at 4:00 and Crayola was open until 5:00, so we went there first. I had no idea there were so many different PEZ dispensers! The museum was very cool – great exhibits and displays.

The Crayola Factory (http://www.crayolafactory.com/) had an extremely bodacious box of crayons spilling out over the doorway to the factory – great photo op! Once in the factory, we watched a show about how crayons and markers are made (and really got to see that happen) and then we got free crayons and markers, and then we got to go make things! Saturday afternoons are a big birthday party day at Crayola. We were just a little out of place. And we thought all the children within a 100 mile radius were at the Red Caboose…

By now we were wishing we had ordered the Big Engineer for breakfast, so we found our way to Pearly Baker’s Ale House and enjoyed a delicious lunch of a small Chicken Cobb Salad and some ‘yam fries’, which is yankee for sweet potato chips. It was yummy and just hit the spot. We were able to summon enough energy to keep going, but first we took a picture of Centre Square, which was where one of only three readings of the Declaration of Independence took place on July 8, 1776. On our way out of town we saw Easton’s Free Bridge, which was built in 1895. It is the last of its type in the US – very Gothic. Again, we took a tour through the sketchier side of town. Just getting a flavor for all kinds of lives in America!

We aimed north towards the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which took us right along the banks of the Delaware River. It was a very scenic drive! We wished that we had had time to walk around a bit and enjoy the park, but remember the rain that was forecast? We could tell it might be meeting us soon, so we continued on towards the famous Pocono Mountains. Kim was really upset that I had not booked us a honeymoon suite in the Poconos. NOT!! The drive was gorgeous, although again it was like we were in the land time forgot. I’ll bet some of the same cabins, resorts, and signs we saw have been there for fifty or sixty years!


Unfortunately, it was during this drive across the mountains on one of those very rural roads that the rains came. Since we were not in traffic (unless you call meeting maybe 10 cars traffic) it was not a big deal. Just limited our visibility somewhat and caused us to take the safer option of getting on the interstate for a few miles. Again, we had hardly been on the big road when we were greeted by lofts of firemen with flares and many emergency vehicles with lights flashing. There had been a horrible accident involving a car that had left the southbound lane, driven through the grass on the median, hit a guard rail, and then flipped down the hill to the northbound lane (that would be where we were). Thankfully it did not appear he had hit anyone head on. EMTs were extracting the accident victims as we crept past the site. So much for trying to be safe! We realized though that at least that guy got found in an expedient manner… We have been a bit shocked by how often we have not had cell phone service up here in the well populated north. How do these people live?

We made it to Scranton a little before 7 PM, and we took a lovely scenic route through town in search of the Glider Diner. Jill extracts her revenge at the most inopportune times. We found it, though, and had the house specialty of hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. Diner food at its finest! We passed on pie but had just a tiny bit of ice cream. And then we were off in search of the Weeping Willow! Jill knew right where to go, with just a couple of extra turns just to prove who was in charge. We were again driving along a river, the Susquehanna we think, and got to witness a gorgeous sunset. It was a great day – we rolled in about 8:45 after covering about 250 miles today. It was a fine Flag Day!

 

Patriotically yours,
Jan

PS This entry is being posted from Pollywogg Holler, NY, which is a story in and of itself. Pictures and the story to come later, when we have returned to civilization. Pray for us!

Lucky or unlucky? You be the judge…

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13 June 2008

Dawn came early this Friday the 13th. We were up at 6:15 in hopes of being on the road by 7 or so. Ha! We had a minor setback as we were pulling out of the parking lot and Kim reached for the tape recorder to add something about our day and there was no tape recorder to be found. We knew we had had it the night before, so we went in search of. Twenty or thirty minutes later we left, sans tape recorder. Unless it was packed away really well. Not to worry too much – she had brought a back up and we would have only lost a couple of days worth of entries. Strike one.

So, it was almost 8 AM when we pulled out of the Skyland Resort, heading north on Skyline Drive to its terminus (actually, its origin) at Front Royal, VA, where we would be having breakfast at Sandy’s Diner. Our first stop along Skyline Drive was the Big Stony Man overlook, so that we could see the man himself and see where we were standing on our hike the day before. So here he is, in all of his recumbent glory. It’s kind of hard to tell from this photo, but that highest part on the left if supposed to be his brow, and that’s where we were. Guess you kinda had to be there to fully appreciate it.

Back on the road, we stopped at least four (and maybe five) for these friendly encounters with Bambi’s cohorts. We were surprised how unafraid of us they were (of course, the fact that my car makes very little noise allowed us to sort of sneak up on them) and how LONG their tails are! We rolled into Front Royal about nine, which is when we wanted to be at our next stop. We found Sandy’s Diner with no problem. Except one…Sandy’s is now home to Virginia Auto Group Car Sales. Strike two. On to Plan B.

 

We had passed one place that looked like it might be open for business, so back we went to the Knotty Pine. Indeed, they were “serving complete meals from 5 AM to 10 PM” so we were in luck. The Pine was a happening place to be – we were lucky to get a booth. As it turns out, these people must be of hardier stock than we are. It was like a Frigidaire in there and they were all in tank tops and camisoles. Maybe their cigarettes were keeping them warm. It was sort of like being in the land time forgot. Kim had her usual scrambled eggs, but with ham this time, and I had a cheese omelet with home fries. They were tasty but nothing to write home about.

 

Now fortified, we were off to Middletown and the Route 11 Potato Chip Factory. Jill (our friendly Garmin voice) was having a hard time letting us get there without taking the interstate, but we overruled her at every turn. Eventually, we got there! Alas, unbeknownst to their website, they had moved production to a new facility thirty miles south of here. Three weeks ago. Strike three.

So we satisfied ourselves with some picture taking and potato chip buying. We purchased Lightly Salted, Salt and Vinegar, Dill Pickle, and Chesapeake Crab chips. We have not even opened the first bag yet, showing remarkable restraint, we think.

Our next stop was Dinosaur Land in White Post, VA, home to replicas of forty species of dinosaurs (very educational) and a “cheesy” gift shop. We did not test either claim, but here were a couple of our favorite big guys.

 

Given our late start, we opted to pass on stopping in historic Charles Town and Harpers Ferry, WV, and just zoom on to Antietam, Maryland. Although we decided not to take the 8.6 mile tour of the battlefields and the cemetery, we did stop in at the National Cemetery there. It was a solemn place, and it was interesting to see how little the area had changed since Civil War times – the battlefields are still lined with fencing and low stone walls, and there are several cannons strategically placed.

The cemetery was very well maintained, and this cool building sat just inside the ornate gates. The number of graves was staggering – it truly must have been a bloody battle. What a sad time in our history!


From Antietam, we went in search of the Washington Monument State Park in Boonsboro, MD. This was the site of the original monument to our first president. We were looking forward to climbing up lots of stairs to get to the top of it. Someone must not be wanting us to get our exercise, because when we got almost to the park (finally, with lots of pleading with Jill) the road was blocked by a big gate and a sign telling us the park was closed due to storm damage. Aha! That explained all of the downed trees and dead branches we had been seeing. Strike four!

Then, as we tried to move on to our next stop (lunch at Chubby’s Bar-B-Q in Emmitsburg, MD), both Jill and AAA tried to send us down some totally impassable roads. This one below is gravel and heavily rutted. And there are fallen trees all over. Argh!

We were thinking a little ‘que from a place recommended highly by Road Food (Jane and Michael Stern) might just take the edge off what was becoming a frustrating day. But nooooo!

The Sterns surely are not from the south, if they think Chubby’s serves ‘southern style’ barbeque! Bless their hearts! And the sides were no better – I had macaroni and cheese that looked good and tasted like pasta with yellow water poured over it. My baked beans were tasty and almost lukewarm. Kim’s potato salad tasted sort of like the variety that is usually served hot, but it was cold. And the barbeque was not up to our high SOUTHERN standards. The sauce was okay though. Not worth finding your way to Emmitsburg for, that’s for sure! And for those of you who are clean freaks, don’t even think about going in!!! Strike five!

 

Okay, so surely the rest of our day would be better. We were off to Gettysburg and a little more Civil War history, albeit with a Union slant. What we discovered instead is that we Americans can trivialize, sensationalize, and commercialize ANYTHING. Let’s just say our new name for Gettysburg is “Gatlinburg of the Civil War.” YUCK!!! Even the old Visitor’s Center with its Cyclorama and Electric Map are closed now, and it’s hard to know where to go to see the ‘real’ Gettysburg. But if you want the Gatlinburg/Disneyland versions, you are in luck. Your sisters passed. Strike six!

Moving on, ever the optimists, we struck out for York and the Barbell Museum and Weightlifting Hall of Fame. Jill took us all over the Pennsylvania countryside, which thankfully was pretty. At long last, we were about to give up on ever finding our destination, so we decided to make a pit stop instead. I filled up the car while Kim tried to figure out where in the Sam Hill we were. She asked two ladies who worked there and got two different answers. At the same time! Anyway, we left and then immediately found what we were looking for. We just couldn’t find how to GET there. But we did save this image just for you! So maybe that’s strike six and a half.

 

Now you want to know what’s really funny? I looked down at the gas gauge and it’s still showing the same thing it was before I filled up. Now it’s starting to make sense why the machine didn’t give me a receipt… AAAARRRGH! Okay, so maybe a visit to the Haines Shoe House would cheer us up. Ha, ha, ha. Traffic on Highway 30 was heavy and not moving too quickly. We were so spoiled from the parkway! And then there was road construction. Is it five o’clock yet??? No, but it’s so close to five that if we want to get to Wilbur’s Chocolates (and you’d better believe we HAD to get there at this point!) before it closed at five, we would have to come back to the Shoe House later. Off we went with a bead on Wilbur’s. Jill seemed to know she was guiding two EXTREMELY desperate and possibly dangerous women and we got to Lititz (stop snickering – we are in Paradise tonight and are going to Intercourse tomorrow!) just about 4:30. Hooray! Chocolate saves the day!

And we loved the quaint little village of Lititz. Finally, we got to do and see something we really wanted to! I bought milk chocolate covered potato chips and milk and dark chocolate Wilbur’s Buds, and Kim got chocolate coconut clusters. And we still have some, even though they are YUMMY! Check them out at www.wilburbuds.com. After getting our chocolate fix, we walked around town where they were observing their second Friday “Lovin’ Lititz” day. We love Lititz, too.

Enough sightseeing for one day (except for the Shoe House). We went in search of our resting place for the night, the Red Caboose Motel. We arrived around seven and got checked in to…. the HONEYMOON SUITE! Yikes!

Alas, the motel is full because it’s a THOMAS weekend here in railroad crazy PA. So guess who it’s full of. KIDS, lots of young Thomas the Tank Engine crazy kids and their parents who indulge their every whim. At least the honeymoon suite is separate from the other cabooses. Isn’t it cute?

And on the way to the motel (which is right next to the Toy Train Museum, which was closed when we got here and won’t open until after we leave) we got to go over this covered bridge and see lots of Amish folk on their buggies and funny bikes/scooters. At the motel has a farmyard, complete with roosters, hens, chicks, sheep, lambs, ponies (they bite), pigs, and fainting goats, at least one of whom is very acrobatic. After we got a wireless connection on the front porch and posted yesterday’s blog, we went in search of dinner. Alas, we had not only waited too late to go see the Shoe House (it was dark) but we had missed the last seating at the Hershey Farm Restaurant (allegedly open until nine, but evidently not). We did get to take a picture of Amish Abe, and we found our way (a minor miracle) to Jennie’s Diner, which is open 24 hours.

Were we in luck there! Kim had Chicken Corn Noodle soup, which was true to its name plus it had broth, and a small salad. Well, at least she thought she ordered a small salad. In reality, it was maybe two small heads of lettuce. I had marinated grilled chicken with a baked potato and stewed tomatoes. I did get a small salad, a softball-sized potato (that’s a conservative estimate – it was almost volleyball sized!), some really sweet tomatoes, and THREE chicken breast cutlets. We were stuffed! And so now we’re back on the front porch and it’s half after midnight and we have another early morning ahead of us. So you know we really love you! Let us know it was all worth the trouble by posting some comments! We are moderating them, just in case you write something personal that you didn’t intend for the whole world to see, so if you don’t see your comment immediately, keep looking.

We’re sure glad it’s not Friday the 13th anymore, but we’re feeling lucky!

Sleepyhead Jan

Today’s expenses (for both of us, not counting tips)

Gas $31.02 for 7.92 gallons
Food: Breakfast 9.73
Lunch $27.83
Dinner $20.57
Chocolate $19.34
Potato Chips $5
Hotel $178.50 (cabooses are extra on Thomas weekends…)

Old Stony Men

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12 June 2008

We’ve started off on the right foot – we were up by 7:15 and on the road to Lexington, VA, by 8:15. Our stay at the Natural Bridge Hotel was adequate, but it was not without a couple of unpleasant surprises. Let’s just leave it that our first assigned room had clearly already been assigned, and in our second room, we were glad that we observed our Road Rule about checking the tub (shower stall in this case) before getting naked.

On the bright side, we had a huge, lovely balcony (our reward for the first room fiasco) and an eventual internet connection (after making friends with the maintenance man, while in our PJ’s, and one trip back to the front desk for the ONLY Ethernet cable…) And we had a TV that worked (unless you turned the light switch off) and beds with clean sheets and an AC that worked most of the night. And we got to take a trip down Memory Lane back to junior high gym class when we used the towels after our showers!

So, we were not sad as we made our way up the road to visit my two honorary fraternity (Phi Mu is officially a fraternity) brothers, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. But first, we were in search of a good breakfast (don’t go too far without one)! As we wandered the streets, we didn’t find a breakfast place right away, but we did see this great sign. And then we hit paydirt when we found Sweet Treats, where Kim had scrambled eggs and bacon (I know, it’s a total shocker) and I had (now this is a shocker) a veggie egg white omelet. Both were served with great potato hunks and homemade bread. Yum. And they had freshly brewed iced tea. Our day was looking up!


 

Little Lexington, VA, is home to two institutions of higher learning, which happen to be adjacent to each other. Washington and Lee is where Robert E. Lee and his whole family are interred, and Stonewall Jackson is buried (well, except for his left arm) at VMI (Virginia Military Institute). The schools could not be more different – W&L survived the Civil War almost unscathed, so the main buildings are those that were there in George Washington’s time. Lee Chapel, where the Lees (and R. E.’s horse, Traveller) are buried, was built immediately after the Civil War. We were even allowed to take one picture (we got two, since we each had a camera) of the general’s statue, though photos were not allowed in the Chapel. We were on our best behavior.

VMI looks like a tremendous spartan citadel with a huge parade ground (no trees) out front. Jackson is buried there, and his horse, Little Sorrel, is preserved (not stuffed – more on that later) in the museum in the basement of Jackson Chapel. We found Little Sorrel’s story to be of particular interest because of our beloved Peppy, who is made of plaster of Paris. Little Sorrel’s taxidermist used a brand new technique to preserve him – he removed his hide, made a plaster cast of his body, and covered the plaster cast with his hide. He’s been restored just once, and he looks great, don’t you think? We just don’t think Peppy would be quite the same with fun!

 

As we left Lexington for the Blue Ridge Parkway, we buzzed right past a funny silvery tin house, and then we noticed it had a spout. Oops, time for a U-turn! I wish I could say it was the first of the day, but alas, Jill (our disembodied Garmin voice) had led us astray more than once in Lexington, so we had already gotten in some good practice. After we took the picture, I realized that I had read about this coffee pot house (closed, no trespassing) and had even made note of it, but it still surprised us.

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Back on the Parkway, we thoroughly enjoyed our scenic drive. The weather was gorgeous, blue skies and a temperature of about 73 degrees. We rolled down the windows and turned off the A/C, and we loved watching the computer tell us we were averaging over 41 miles per gallon. We stopped at a few overlooks and again enjoyed very little traffic. When we got near Waynesboro, we got off to take a little lunch detour to Wright’s Dairyette Drive In in Staunton.

 

Of course, even though interstate 64 was right there, we opted for highway 250, but Garmin Jill did not agree with us. Too bad, it was her problem and she spent the whole trip ‘recalculating’. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I swear that by the 20th time she said, “recalculating” it was sounding pretty nasty and sarcastic. We just laughed. But she may have had the last laugh, since the only reason we let her keep talking was we thought she would be helpful when we actually got to Staunton. But no, she directed us to Car Dealer Row and we had to call the drive in for directions. Which they were unable to adequately give us, other than to tell us we were on the right road and “we would just see them – can’t miss it.”

Thankfully, we persevered and were rewarded. I had a Superburger (a Wright’s original and specialty of the house since 1952), Kim had a corn dog, and we split some homemade onion rings. We even got to call in our order (dial 71) on the phone at our table! How cool is that? We were strong, though, and did not have milk shakes. But we wanted them…. Peppy was in plaster animal heaven though, as he got a new car!

Just across the street from the drive in was an enormous old facility – lots of big brick colonnaded buildings and lovely grounds that looked like what I imagine old-timey sanitariums (or sanitaria) were like. We could not tell what it was, so we went exploring. Whatever it is, it’s being turned into condos. We listened to the radio real estate info and all we found out was that it was called “the Bindery” (couldn’t decide if that was as in book binding or strait jacket binding). Oh well!

 

Anyway, we figured out how to get back (with no help from the stubborn Jill) when we saw a giant watering can in the middle of the road. Again, I belatedly remembered I knew about it, too, and the two flower pots on the other side of the bridge. So, we turned around again and got this shot. Did I remember to mention that Staunton was home to Woodrow Wilson? Just thought you’d want to know. What we really liked about Staunton was their gas prices – $3.88, so we filled up on the way back to the Parkway.

The Parkway quickly became Skyline Drive and we entered Shenandoah National Park. For some reason, there was a long and slow-moving line at the ranger station, so even though we had our NP pass, we just sat and waited, and before we knew it, we were pulling into Skyland Resort, our lodging for the night. We almost missed it, but we hung a quick left just in time! We checked into our room, and this time, instead of lugging our bags to a room that may not be ready for us, we went to check it out. It was perfect! If only we could get in the door efficiently…

You know how Abe Lincoln’s log cabin had a drawstring latch or something? Well, this door has some strange latch. We had a hard enough time getting in, but getting out is a whole ‘nother story. There is no handle!! We had to practice before we went back for our bags! It takes both of us, but with a little teamwork we can get in and out of our room… We had a fantastic view of the Shenandoah valley and the town of Luray below us. Because of the late afternoon sun, I didn’t take a picture of our view, but it was beautiful. Since the day was so nice, and since we had arrived at our destination at about 5:15, we decided to go for a hike. We hiked the Big Stony Man trail, which took us on the Appalachian Trail for a piece (in fact, we were at the highest point on the AT in the Shenandoahs) and then we hiked up to the second highest peak in Shenandoah NP. The view was spectacular, and we learned lots on the trail on the way up.


As we started to head back down the mountain, we realized we had not taken a good picture of the back of old Stony Man, so we went back. And look what we found…


By 7:15 we were on our way back to Skyland and a well-deserved beer. And dinner. On the way, we saw a big doe just munching away by the side of the road.

Back at the lodge, we tried (quite unsuccessfully) to connect to the internet via dial up. What century are we in here? Since that didn’t work, we satisfied ourselves with uploading our photos and blogging on Word. Sorry our post is late! We had dinner at the bar (!) at the lodge. We shared a plate of sweet potato fries (health food) and each had a house salad. Given that it had apples, goat cheese, and candied pecans, we thought that would be dinner. And it would have, if it hadn’t been served on a bread and butter plate. So I ordered some chili and Kim ate the cornbread that came with it. We then had some ice cream (just one scoop, and not one Cold Stone Creamery scoop, but one that the US Government would serve you). Kim had chocolate and I opted for blackberry. Yum. I might mention that the whole time I was blogging or messing with photos, a duo (Shen Fine, as in Shenandoah’s Finest) was playing guitars and singing live music in the bar. To an almost full house. They were pretty good.


Today’s totals:
Mileage 170
Time on road 9 hours
Money spent on food: B, $15, L, $12, D $30 beer, $16
Attractions: $4 (plus NP fee – we used our pass)
Gas: $18
Lodging $61

On the road again, naturally

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11 June 2008

Gas prices are at an all-time high, temperatures are soaring, and crazy weather is happening all over the country – it must be time for Peppy and the Sassy Sisters to start another road trip! After weeks of researching and planning our routes, I’m ready to get going. On this trip, we’ll be looking for more roadside giants and anything that’s the least bit curious, off-beat, or downright strange. That’s why this trip is dubbed Ye Olde Curiosity Tour! Our route is loosely based on ‘The Appalachian Trail’ trip from our Road Trip book, although I’m sure we’ll make plenty of deviations. along the way.

For those of you who are new to riding along with us, here’s a quick review of our “Sassy Sister Road Rules”:

  • Talk to strangers, the stranger the better.
  • Drive on two-lane roads as much as possible.
  • Be off the two-lane roads before dark.
  • Eat at local restaurants (not chains) for every meal possible.
  • Always stop for ice cream, regardless of the hour.
  • Start early and eat breakfast before you go too far…
  • Check the tub before you get naked.
  • If you think you should take a picture, stop, get out of the car, and take it. Go back and take it if you have to.
  • Turning around is advised – you’ll always regret that you didn’t stop.
  • Stop and see any attraction that costs less than $5, especially if it has great billboards.
  • If there is an alternate route or detour, it’s worth a look.
  • If it’s a national park, monument, lakeshore, or recreation area, it’s worth stopping for. That’s why you’ll want to have a national park pass!
  • Ask for what you want. Just because a place looks closed doesn’t mean you can’t go in.
  • Keep your cell phone charged and handy.
  • Laugh loudly and laugh often, especially if you’re lost.
  • Have an idea where you’re going and do your research so you won’t miss anything good.
  • Be prepared to change your mind and your route at any time.
  • Be flexible. Call ahead when you’re running late and make alternate arrangements.
  • When you get lost, blame the mapmaker or the road signs instead of the navigator or the driver.
  • Be prepared. Travel with plenty of ice and drinks (always have one beer per person in the bottom of the cooler) and take your favorite snacks, too.
  • Remember all the little stuff you may need – Tide to Go, TP, Sharpies, batteries, paper towels, pocket knives, GPS, etc.
  • Have great music and play it loudly. And sing.
  • Synchronize the date and time on all cameras.
  • Blog or journal and download your pictures every day. It’s amazing what you forget! Use a tape recorder, too.
  • Take a file for your memorabilia, maps, tickets, plans, etc. and use it.
  • ALWAYS have a camera with you.
  • 300 miles in one day is a lot to travel on two lane roads with lots to see and do; however long you think it will take, add several hours.
  • Always have plenty of gas in the tank.
  • Remember that the ‘rules’ are really suggestions – be safe and have fun!

Kim got a big laugh when we came up with all of these rules, since I’m one of those people who thinks rules are for everyone else…

This year’s trip has started off differently from all the rest – we were on the road before eight, we checked in our hotel before seven, and we saw everything we wanted to see and then some! I met Kim in Salisbury, NC, where we spent a most enjoyable evening with our friends Lynn and Robert and two of their kids, Sarah and Will. We even got to celebrate Lynn’s birthday. And a birthday shout out goes to Skip, too! Peppy could hardly wait to get going…

From Salisbury, we went to Winston-Salem in search of two curiosities – the Shell station shaped like a shell and the big tin coffee pot in Old Salem. And we found them! It was not too far from Winston to Mt. Airy, home of Andy Griffith and the inspiration for Mayberry. We had breakfast at the Snappy Lunch, which is famous for their Pork Chop Sandwiches, but we were too early for one of them. We walked all over town and saw Floyd’s Barber Shop, the Old Jail, Andy’s squad car, and more. Good times!

Fancy Gap, Virginia is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Mt. Airy, and we picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway here. It was a fine day to be on the Parkway – about 15 degrees cooler than it had been, blue skies, and hardly any traffic. We saw mostly motorcycles and a few other hybrid cars and hardly any SUV’s. Our first stop on the Parkway was Mabry Mill, which is allegedly the most photographed spot on the Parkway. You have to admit it makes for a lovely photograph!

 

The mill is a working mill, grinding cornmeal, grits, and buckwheat. There are also lots of other exhibits there – our favorite was the blacksmith’s shop. Traveling on the parkway is leisurely perforce, since the speed limit is 45 mph. That proved to be a good thing, since we saw LOTS of live animals VERY close to our car!

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Like Asheville, NC, Roanoke is right on the parkway. We got off here and went in search of the O. Winston Link Museum. Link is famous for his photographs (mostly black and white) of steam engines and the Norfolk Southern railroad. We were very impressed! The museum also had an exhibit about Raymond Loewy, who is famous for many American advertising icons (coke bottle, Exxon and Shell logos, designing Studebakers, and more). He also had re-designed the Roanoke train station. After we had seen the museum, we walked past the Hotel Roanoke and over to City Market where we had a quick lunch. I opted for Cuban food (carne vaca) and Kim had a turkey pita. Then we were off in search of Miniature Graceland (really!) and the Mill Mountain Star. They were worth the trip!

 

Miniature Graceland is in someone’s yard in an otherwise normal residential area. You sort of have to see it to believe it! The Mill Mountain star is the largest man-made star in the world. At night, it is lit up in red, white, and blue to show support for our troops. While there, we were on StarCam and our daughters got to see us in real time. Unfortunately, we showed them not our best sides…

Back to the Parkway, and on to our next attraction – Natural Bridge, VA, which is supposedly one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – higher than Niagara Falls, older than the dawn. We beg to differ. It was cool (well, actually is was muggy steamy buggy HOT) but we much preferred Foamhenge and other enchanted creations of Mark Cline. We went to his Enchanted Castle Studio and got to meet him and his daughter. Again, you’ve got to see it to believe it! That’s him posing with Kim and Batman, which was one of his tamer productions.

 

We had dinner at the awesome Pink Cadillac Diner and called it a night. Except for blogging, which I’ve been doing for the past two and a half hours! Uploading all these pictures is slow going, so we hope you enjoy them. So, until tomorrow, good night!