WeatherTop (Journey Part II)
[I've had this entry written up for a long time, but only got to posting it now, same with the next one.]
Day 4 (Beebe, AK ~ Nashville, TN)
We started off driving out of Searcy and Beebe, the long flat road taking forever again. We stopped in (quite literally) the middle of nowhere to eat lunch (or breakfast, or something). Stefie panted more than I've ever seen a dog pant. Once we were out of nowhere, we started our ascent into somewhere...
This was a particularly easy day of travel, the journey into the mountains beginning finally. The scenery became increasingly more beautiful as we escalated into Tennessee, ears popping. I think we ate a Cracker Barrel in the morning and O'Charlie's at night, but the days start running together the more I think about them. The Day's Inn in Nashville was the worst one we ever stayed at, the room my parents got seemed to have been left without upkeep for at least a year.
Day 5 (Nashville, TN ~ Wythville, VA)
And the gauntlet begins. The day began fine enough, with breakfast at a Cracker Barrel and a resolution not to make any long stops after that. Shortly into the journey we found Storm King (the ravenous thunderstorm which pelted us in Arkansas) causing havoc accross the mountain regions. It started as a voluminous grey cloud, hanging desolately in the sky. We could see that it had already washed the area somewhat, we noticed the roads were already sparkling with wetness and we saw some drenched travelers on the side of the highway. Soon enough Storm King hit us, and hard--we could barely see the cars in front of us, let alone the road. After seeing about half a dozen accidents (one including a pickup truck with its end perched on a guard rail) and parked vehicles, we decided to succumb to the attack. We took a break somewhere in the area at a large gas station with a Subway attached until the Storm subsided. When we got there it became clear that half the interstate had the same idea, for a while it was extremely crowded.
So we ate dinner at Subway, spending about an hour and a half there and teaching me more of the patience which I claimed to have plenty of earlier in the day. I found at the gas station an arcade machine with a huge selection of old favorites: besides the usual Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man there was also Pac-Man; Pac-Man Jr.; Galaxian; Frogger; Donkey Kong; and Donkey Kong Jr. The weirdest thing was the cabinet only had artwork for Ms. Pac-Man on the outside.
The troubles of the day weren't over, however. We had been taking Route 40 East the last couple of days, and when it came time to switch to Route 81 North, I was stupid. Even though my parents' green Saturn Ion was right in front of my face, I didn't take the right highway. We got separated, and for a few precious seconds my dad was in range with the radio and told me to turn around; he'd wait for me on 81. Subsequently the radio was too far away and I was on my own. Starting to get freaked out, I took the next exit (which seemed to take forever to reach). Once out there I attempted several times to get back on to West 40, and failed: the signs deceived me and sent me far out into a country road. By that time I wasn't just nervous, I was angry. Eventually I read the signs correctly and got back on the interstate. This time I took the right exit and was thrown onto 81, but suddenly my mind realized: I'm ahead of my parents! They're stopped behind me! Beginning to panic, I pulled over onto the side of the road and freaked out. Looking back that was rather foolish and I don't like the way I "handled" the situation. Eventually, with slight prodding from my brother, I resolved to look a short ways up the highway and if I didn't find my parents, to turn back around and try to find them that way. My panic wore off as I was suddenly within range of the radio again, and shortly found my parents parked on the side of the road a short ways up. We were traveling again.
Wytheville was a Godsend that night, I was gladder than ever to get off the interstate.
Day 4 (Beebe, AK ~ Nashville, TN)
We started off driving out of Searcy and Beebe, the long flat road taking forever again. We stopped in (quite literally) the middle of nowhere to eat lunch (or breakfast, or something). Stefie panted more than I've ever seen a dog pant. Once we were out of nowhere, we started our ascent into somewhere...
This was a particularly easy day of travel, the journey into the mountains beginning finally. The scenery became increasingly more beautiful as we escalated into Tennessee, ears popping. I think we ate a Cracker Barrel in the morning and O'Charlie's at night, but the days start running together the more I think about them. The Day's Inn in Nashville was the worst one we ever stayed at, the room my parents got seemed to have been left without upkeep for at least a year.
Day 5 (Nashville, TN ~ Wythville, VA)
And the gauntlet begins. The day began fine enough, with breakfast at a Cracker Barrel and a resolution not to make any long stops after that. Shortly into the journey we found Storm King (the ravenous thunderstorm which pelted us in Arkansas) causing havoc accross the mountain regions. It started as a voluminous grey cloud, hanging desolately in the sky. We could see that it had already washed the area somewhat, we noticed the roads were already sparkling with wetness and we saw some drenched travelers on the side of the highway. Soon enough Storm King hit us, and hard--we could barely see the cars in front of us, let alone the road. After seeing about half a dozen accidents (one including a pickup truck with its end perched on a guard rail) and parked vehicles, we decided to succumb to the attack. We took a break somewhere in the area at a large gas station with a Subway attached until the Storm subsided. When we got there it became clear that half the interstate had the same idea, for a while it was extremely crowded.
So we ate dinner at Subway, spending about an hour and a half there and teaching me more of the patience which I claimed to have plenty of earlier in the day. I found at the gas station an arcade machine with a huge selection of old favorites: besides the usual Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man there was also Pac-Man; Pac-Man Jr.; Galaxian; Frogger; Donkey Kong; and Donkey Kong Jr. The weirdest thing was the cabinet only had artwork for Ms. Pac-Man on the outside.
The troubles of the day weren't over, however. We had been taking Route 40 East the last couple of days, and when it came time to switch to Route 81 North, I was stupid. Even though my parents' green Saturn Ion was right in front of my face, I didn't take the right highway. We got separated, and for a few precious seconds my dad was in range with the radio and told me to turn around; he'd wait for me on 81. Subsequently the radio was too far away and I was on my own. Starting to get freaked out, I took the next exit (which seemed to take forever to reach). Once out there I attempted several times to get back on to West 40, and failed: the signs deceived me and sent me far out into a country road. By that time I wasn't just nervous, I was angry. Eventually I read the signs correctly and got back on the interstate. This time I took the right exit and was thrown onto 81, but suddenly my mind realized: I'm ahead of my parents! They're stopped behind me! Beginning to panic, I pulled over onto the side of the road and freaked out. Looking back that was rather foolish and I don't like the way I "handled" the situation. Eventually, with slight prodding from my brother, I resolved to look a short ways up the highway and if I didn't find my parents, to turn back around and try to find them that way. My panic wore off as I was suddenly within range of the radio again, and shortly found my parents parked on the side of the road a short ways up. We were traveling again.
Wytheville was a Godsend that night, I was gladder than ever to get off the interstate.