Day 1 - Monday

My adventure began at 10a.m. today and after a stop in Croton for something special, I made it to my regular stop for gas in New Jersey. Full tank at $3.03/gal compared to $3.47 in Peekskill. Told the attendant to fill it right to the top and he did. $51.00 and 16.7 gallons got me to Chester Va. My Caddy averaged 20.3 miles per gallon which impressed me. Gas is now $3.19 and good for another 400 miles or so after another fill-up in Virginia. I thought the trip today went very well. I was at the Delaware-Memorial Bridge in 2 hrs. 35 minutes and the Baltimore Tunnel at 1:48 pm. My first stop in Maryland, 259 mils at 2:05 was pleasant. It was a tourist informational facility and the two folks working there were very pleasant. Told the lady what my Garmin’s directions were and she showed me the difference and was very knowledgeable about such things as these new fangled GPS gizmos. The Garmin’s way was 3 miles shorter BUT curvy roads and you couldn’t do the high speeds you could by going the opposite way…the beltway around Washington to the east rather that around to the west. So, with two stops of 1/2 hour each, I pulled into the motel here in Wilson, SC at 7:22pm...550 miles later. I thought the traffic was light and wasn’t at all tired. There was an I-295 'beltway' around to the east of Richmond, VA that I took and, I'm sure, saved me a ton of time, especially at rush hour, 5 pm. There was hardly anyone on the road at that hour. It reminded me of driving the Sprain Brook Parkway before anyone knew of its existence. I drove most of the way at 75-80 mph. Radar detectors, quite clearly posted at the state line, are illegal in VA, so I put mine away. Near the other end of the state I thought I was doomed when I saw the patrol car in the median and there I was cruising at about 78 mph…..in the passing lane no less. Well, he must have had the threshold speed set a tad higher than what I was doing because he made no movement for “revenue enhancement”. For the entire trip today, I may have seen 5 patrol cars, most of which were in Virginia.

The Days Inn here in Wilson, NC is clean, quiet, and most pleasant; very suitable for my one night stay. Wilson seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Everywhere you look along this route, new construction…homes, condos, malls, hotels/motels everywhere are all in various stages of completion.

I’ve had a salad for dinner and have finished my plastic cup of Chardonnay. See ‘forgotten items’ below. Tomorrow, after my shower, complimentary breakfast in the lobby (this place used to be a Hampton Inn), I will try to be on the road by 10 a.m. again. Tomorrow’s trip to Bluffton, SC should be just over 5 hours and just over 300 miles. I look forward to seeing Roger and Wendy. I’ve shared with them the tragic news of our deceased colleague, Debbie Miller, and know from my friends at school back home that today’s funeral mass was attended by a large number of staff. The on-going attention to detail by Vicki had provided all the necessary arrangements to allow the staff the opportunity to make that mass. She continues to handle the formalities that makes that school run efficiently even in times of sadness, stress, and emergencies.

When I left Peekskill, the temperature was 37 and now it’s 55. Just south of Trenton was the first I saw the characteristic maroon buds on trees and by the time I reached Virginia, the flowering pear trees were in full bloom; such a beautiful sight after not seeing color at home since November.

Here are some other items of interest that will make you sleep better tonight. I went to great pains to provide myself with all the “creature comforts” that are so easily taken care of when you drive versus the limitations with luggage when you fly. My trunk is my closet. Yet, the “I forgot” list…so far includes:
1. My folding beach chair for use outside my Daytona Beach motel----you know, the one on the ocean?
2. Wine glass(es). Plastic motel room cups just don’t do it.
3. Slippers; just spoiled, I guess.

Well that's it for today. I want to check out maps tonight before I say good night. Nine hours of driving should make me tired and sore but, alas, it has not. Now that's a good thing.