And So It Begins

I was not able to update my blog in real time, so these entries are being published after my little road trip.

I am the type of person I would not want to travel with. I am far too AR (anal retentive) for my own good and I am sure I would kill myself if I was forced to travel with me. Makes lots of sense, eh?

Friday morning, Oct 6^th I began my annual journey to the state of my birth, West “By God!” Virginia. This yearly trek can occur in any month and sometimes occurs twice in any given year. It is a time when I pack up a few meager supplies into the van/truck/car that I am driving and hit the road for a fun filled 20 hour drive to visit my family and friends.

Yes, the drive from Dallas, TX to Clarksburg WV takes about 20 hours, give or take. I prefer to drive it alone, but I have on occasion taken my wife and son (OK, they only went once) along even though it is not their cup of tea.

On this trip I traveled a bit heavier than normal. The weather was cooler and most of the clothes I took were jeans and tee shirts. I took a cooler stocked with drinks and yogurt so I would not have to stop for them along the way. I took my sleeping bag and pillow since I would be spending the night at a camp ground near the half way point to break up the 20 hour drive. Call me a wimp, but I just cannot hang for more than 10-12 hours driving.

Also packed were my digital camera (which I never used on this trip), my laptop, PDA, cell phone and chargers for all the electronics I lugged along. I guess I could have lived without the PDA, but all my phone numbers are in it and I a too lazy to put them in my phone. While I planned to use my laptop more, it only got used to type up the drafts of my blog entries. Maybe I am just getting old…

My wife gassed up the van and got me some cash the day before I departed and her thoughtfulness touched me. She really takes very good care of me. She even reminded me to pack certain things she thought I would forget. What a woman!

I made sure I grabbed bible and my journal as well as my crossword puzzle book to keep me occupied if things got boring. I doubted that I would need it, but you never know.

With everything packed, I was all set to hit the road. I loaded up the van with all my supplies and even remembered to grab my toolbox “just in case”. Not that I am very mechanically inclined, but having that tool box has helped more than once. It is worth the space it takes up in the van.

I stopped off at Kroger to get some ice and a 4 pack of Rockstar Juiced energy drinks and I set off for WV. Woo-hoo! It was 7:15 and I was almost on schedule. Traffic leaving my neighborhood was a bit heavy and just before I got to the highway, I realized I forgot my maps. I had directions but with all the construction in TN and WV, I wanted to make sure I had a back-up plan. So with that in mind I turned around and headed back to the house to get my maps.

By 7:30, I was officially on the road, only 30 minutes behind schedule. I knew that over the course of the day I could make it up without a problem, but since I am so darned AR, I knew it was going to drive me crazy until I made up the time.

Keeping that in mind, I did not stop at all until I was in Little Rock, AR and that was for gasoline (2.09 a gallon). About an hour or so later I stopped to eat a banana and drink some tea for lunch. Anything to make up time and by this point I had just about done it.

I stopped off again in Jackson, TN since I was getting hungry (go figure…) and noticed gas was $2.05 a gallon so I topped off (about ½ a tank). I was not sure what gas prices would be link and IIRC, this gas station was the cheapest in the area. I realized as I was heading further east on I-40 that I was right.

I was only about 30 miles from the park, but I had to use the bathroom (I am not sure why I didn’t use it at the Hardee’s where I ate…) so I stopped for a much needed bathroom break. Five minutes later I was back on the road and 30 minutes after that, I was in the camp grounds. I made back my time and getting to the park by 5 PM was a right in my plans.

When I got to the park, I noticed it was quite full but I still managed to get one of my favorite spots. I have to find a very level site since I sleep in the van. I did not realize that the first time I slept in it and spent the night rolling towards the back of the van. It reminded me of something out of a sitcom. The air was cool and I soon needed my sweatshirt to keep warm.

Notes:

* Traffic was mostly light except all the 18 wheelers. I did not see many police cars at all.
* There were no accidents that I saw although a broken down 18 wheeler caused some onlooker delays.
* Cingular covers the entire area so far so I was able to talk with my wife a bit before I went to bed.