Day One of SC Trip
When: 03:44 15 October 2008
Where: Rochester, NY area
The Mountain Dew and protein shake breakfasts are packed in the cooler. Our journey begins.
When: 04:44
Where: Dansville, NY
Rai stopped for gas-excuse me, fuel-and there is a very large man in the pump to my left who is singing a rather beautiful falsetto. It’s fun what people do when they think you’re not looking.
I am going to rest my eyes for a few hours on the road. It’s been a beautiful drive so far since the moon is full and the sky is clear. Mist covers the rolling hills-for the most part, it’s staying off of the road (which we like). She has seen deer, but I’m too sleepy to help her look. ‘Night.
When: 05:40
Where: Pennsylvania.
I whine about the country music playing, and this is the response I get: “Anything south of New York is Southern country.”
I fear she is correct. We proceed with fear and trembling.
When: 07:01
Where: Somewhere in Pennsylvania (near Lewisburg)
The sun is rising at last, and its fiery red and orange hues that are reflecting on the already scenic vibrant colours of autumn all around us would have us speechless-if it weren’t for us being distracted by the Reptile Museum on Route 15. I want to go inside!
My stepmom just called to inform me that she called into a radio station in Erie that was offering free chocolates on a trivia show-and won! The question: How many hours per day does a wife and mother have as time to herself in an average day-30 minutes, 45 minutes, or an hour? The answer: An hour. Who knew.
We are following a Hershey truck, and Rai is threatening to crash into it so we can get free chocolate.
When: 08:43
Where: Route 83 South outside Harrisburg, PA
We just finished listening to Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain” amid absolutely gorgeous sunny weather as we passed by the reflection of Pennsylvania’s capital city in the river alongside it. Our protein shake breakfasts were guzzled down immediately following our traditional stop at the PA convenience store Sheetz, and Rai is being sustained with a medium coffee loaded with six sugars and two separate creamer flavours. The music we’ve chosen is doing it for me!
We decided to begin the license plate game (the American road-tripping tradition of seeing whether you can witness plates from each state), and so far we only have five: New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kentucky, and Nebraska. What fun.
When: 09:12
Where: Just before the Pennsylvania/Maryland border
We just reached 301 miles on this journey.
When: 10:00
Where: Returning to Route 695 South near Baltimore, MD
Ugh, the country music has commenced. I’m not the driver, so I don’t make the rules. I am working on a life-long project to document my travels to every U.S. state, and I am having trouble finding something uniquely Maryland (license plates don’t count because you could see them anywhere). My eyes are peeled and my camera is at the ready. Maybe we’ll get something good.
We made a pit stop in a really ghetto part of town, but we’re heading back without incident.
When: 12:22
Where: Outside Richmond, VA
We have been in this state for-eh-ver; however, it has helped us gain a lot of ground in our license plate game. Just for fun, I decided to compile a list of all of the U.S. states (including the District of Columbia), and there’s just one we can’t remember. I blame it on the Western Frontier for not being as entrenched in American history and therefore as historically memorable. Admittedly, I miss Nick right now because he is probably geeky enough to know that-well, and I just miss him. Rai agreed that at least the two of us can miss our man together.
I’m hungry.
When: 12:57
Where: Still outside Richmond, VA
My mom just called to see where we were and to thank us for making this trip to see my brother. I still haven’t thought of the state.
When: 13:03
Where: STILL outside Richmond
UTAH! Phew.
When: 15:37
Where: Fayetteville, NC
Nothing interesting has happened during this entire state (but I did see some cotton growing in a field-boy, this is the high life!). We did, however, decide to count all of the billboards for the restaurant South of the Border-and so far, have seen 17. Each billboard is unique and reportedly, their frequency increases with distance. We have travelled over 700 miles and have just over 200 to go.
My posterior is in protest.
When: 16:43
Where: South Carolina?
Once we reached each of the state borders along the way, Rai and I celebrated with a whoop and by raising our hands (but it was way cooler than it sounds, just take my word for it). She says we are in South Carolina, but it was not confirmed with a sign; therefore, we substituted it with a false Woo.
*Looks up* I’m starting to believe her. North Carolina was a VERY boring state, salvaged only due to the 51 signs to the aforesaid Mexican-inspired ‘South of the Border’ attraction. I think it’s a giant amusement park with sombreros-cheesy to the max.
Nick would love this.
ADDENDUM:
I would like to formalise a complaint.
The Washington, D.C. license plates allegedly refer to a highly political and historic American tradition-the battle cry, in fact, of our famed revolution. Historically, we charged the crazed King George of England with taxing us without first granting us colonial representation in government-hence, “No taxation without representation”.
Well, every one of their plates read ‘Taxation without Representation’.
I find that to be a sick joke-the province of our most prominent figureheads can’t even get the iconic phrase properly printed on their self-issued license plates.
If that’s the way you want it, Washington, I am certain the American people would be more than happy to tax you back.
When: 18:47
Where: About 45 miles from Beaufort, SC (our destination)
The sun is setting over South Carolina’s eastern coast, and we decided to use our hunger for dinner as physical fuel to drive us to get there. I think I’ve heard more classic and Southern rock today than the sum of what these ears ever have.
15 more states’ plates to go.
When: 19:44
Where: Our hotel, Beaufort, SC
After over 930 miles of much toil and trouble-including the car panel lights not working in the pitch darkness and relying solely on my navigational instinct (which brought us to the right place I might add-ok ok and the stop at the convenience store was of some assistance), we have arrived. Rai is inside the lobby checking into the hotel whilst I guard the goods from inside the car. I make necessary calls to concerned parties and wonder if collapsing or eating is the better option.
Then again, I think I’ll take a nice, long shower. Something about travel always makes one feel grimy and bored of their own clothes.
When: 21:44
Where: Our hotel, Beaufort, SC
We are here at last, and I’m writing to you in my makeshift pyjamas and an Internet connection as slow as a deep-fried chicken trying to escape the oil pot from which it has already been cooked.
I took a lovely shower, we shared an appetizer for dinner, and we’re both quite ready for bed.
For tomorrow morning-Family Day for all you military novices-we are spending the day with my brother and his new band of brothers. We had the option to see their Motivational Run which is a spirited team jog at 6am-but we decided against that (we’ve seen my brother run, and he’s fast. That’s enough for me after today). Besides, the longer he doesn’t see us, the more surprised he’ll be that he actually will.
My big hope for the day is that he is wildly surprised at my coming and that I’ll see his big, beaming smile reflected on all of our proud faces. I am so ready to hug him.
Oh, and that we don’t sweat our faces off. That would be cool, too.