Where do I start? Ok, the next morning, Sunday I think, OMG we have been traveling for more than a week, anyway I am sure it was Sunday. We got up after a pleasant night's sleep and checked out of the Fairfield. I'm going to have to get onto Trip Advisor to talk up this place. Ok, stay focused...we ate at the diner again. CaDiva had lox and bagel with cream cheese. She passed on the onions and tomato. I am going to nickname her Bruce...and not because "Fish are our friends" type Bruce. Like dun du dun du dun du Bruce. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she practically melted into the booth as she devoured the sliced smoked salmon and cream cheese on an actual New York type bagel. She was truly a happy camper.
It was a good thing too, because the rest of the day was not as successful. Well it was successful. It was more harrowing. Yeah, harrowing is a good word for it...that or Horrifying. Maybe Horrific? White-knuckle, stomach in throat, anus-shriveling, terrifyingly horrific...Yeah that is closer to it.
We got back onto the I-95 and proceeded toward PA Cousin's house, which Jillian assured us we should reach by 1:00...except that I-95 did not skirt the Metropolitan area. It probably did for people who drive that way but not for the two of us. We went from the Bronx Thru-way, over the George Washington Bridge (actually not over, because we were on the lower level) and into the New Jersey Turn-pike. And this was when there was some sort of sporting event at the Meadowlands. It must have been major, because traffic was slow and go and there was a Met-Life blimp hovering in the distance.
Our arrival time was pushed back again and again. Precious visiting time lost to people who actually drive OVER the grassy verge to get to an exit they overshot, or turn around on the toll-road using that access point the Police sit in. Yeah, that place with the sign that says DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. Well they didn't think, they just did it. TWICE.
And they just kept driving after the end of the merge lane, right along side of us on the right to pass us. I saw one man counting coup by reaching out and touching cars he outdistanced.
Fortunately, it was CaDiva who was driving and she has driven in California and MIAMI. Even so she was a little appalled at where we found ourselves. When we finally reached the PA Cousins she asked if the offer was still good to stay with them that night. Then we were able to visit last night and again this morning.
Dinner was lovely, roasted vegetable and grilled salmon. I took a second glass of wine since CaDiva doesn't drink and this day deserved a few of those brain cells to give up the ghost. They held too many horrific memories. SHUDDER. The conversation is the only thing that out distanced the food. We will have to schedule another visit soon.
Leaving the next morning, much later than we planned, we tried to find Hershey, Pennsylvania. It is not as easy as you would think. Well, that's what Jillian told us at least. We took four wrong turns and finally ended up in a place where all roads were named after snack related food groups. It was gray and drizzly. Not nearly as much fun as B&J's.
We were probably just too anxious to relax. We didn't take any formal tours, we just shopped and squished pennies. The eastern United States must still be more fit than Mid-westerners, even in Candyland, because I only found clothes to fit my post-smoking but pre-arthritic neck body. I did come up with this wild idea to get a philly steak sandwich. Maybe it is not a great segue following my discussion on not finding clothes to fit, but it was my decision and so we headed out.
Jillian was again no help. So we told her to find Harrisburg (ok, that turns out to be a bad choice on my part, but that doesn't excuse Jillian getting us lost and not knowing where to find a philly steak sandwich).
Anyway, after a few false starts we made a sharp right turn at Friendly's, which CaDiva remembered was the name of a restaurant. They had what they called a philly steak melt...on sour dough sliced bread with american cheese. CaDiva hadn't ever had one so she didn't know better, and besides, they gave her a two scoop sundae just for being born before I was. I missed the hoagie bun but not the Cheez Wiz.
We pulled back on the road only to find we were in Harrisburg during a rainy, foggy rush hour with cranky people who didn't have Columbus Day off. Ok, not as bad as NYC, but this time I was driving. We pulled off as soon as we could. CaDiva ran to the ladies while I pumped gas. Did you know you can't do that in Jersey? You have to let the guy at the station pump it...and he doesn't check your oil or clean your windshield or anything else. Just pumps your gas and hands you the receipt with your credit card. I KNOW! Crazy.
We discussed what to do to ensure we were on the right path to St Louis, especially since we only mapped it that way one time and all our other directions were taking us back to Des Moines via Pittsburgh and Toledo. We finally determined it was two days to St. Louis no matter if we drove any further today or not. So here we are, in a nice Hampton, planning what to eat if CaDiva quits burping up the faux philly steak sandwich and blogging away. After dinner, I'll try captioning more of the pictures. I may even download the ones from the Non-Whale Watching Cruise....oh sorry - SPOILER ALERT.
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