First on the agenda was our second college campus tour of this trip. We’ve tried to make it a tradition to tour a college whenever we have opportunity to do so on our family vacations. We’ve only done so twice before this trip, but that’s because of both a lack of vacations and that the tradition is relatively new. Pam always tells people we do this because they’re free, but it’s also inspiring for the kids, I believe.
We went out of our way to see Hillsdale because of their history, and also because they do not accept federal money to operate their school, and therefore do not have to acquiesce to government oversight of how they choose to teach. Quite admirable, in my opinion.
We had to get back on the road after that, and again road construction and detours interfered. We didn’t make very good time for the first couple of hours, but we did get to see the character of rural Michigan and Ohio until we made it past Toledo. We didn’t stick around to find out if the John Denver song was accurate. They may have rolled up the sidewalks precisely at ten, but we were miles away by then.
Lunch was pizza at a travel center. The travel center is interesting, or at least different enough from what I am used to to mention here. Imagine, if you will, a cross between a giant truck stop and a rest area; that’s what it is. While you’re there, you can get gas, a meal, souvenirs, auto repair supplies, postage, road snacks, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and then hop back on the tollway. There is no other option for egress, so you don’t have to take care of your toll as part of getting off the highway.
Back on the road and across the top of Ohio, around the outskirts of Cleveland, and then we turned south. As we passed Chicago, Toledo, and Cleveland, we were oh so very close to seeing the Great Lakes, but we didn’t catch sight of them from the turnpike, and there was no slack in the schedule to go see them. So Salt Lake is still the only Great Lake I’ve seen.
We cut across the southwest corner of Pennsylvania, which was beautiful country. We drove through a tunnel that had to have been a mile long as we passed through the Appalachians. We stopped for dinner just after we crossed into Maryland, and ended the day at a friend’s house in Leesburg, Virginia. She was actually Mica and Delia’s clogging teacher before she moved out of Oregon, so it was one the the trip’s highlights for the two of them.
I'm sorry that you didn't get to actually see any of the Great Lakes, especially since the Great Salt Lake doesn't count! And thanks for talking about the travel center. I actually miss those! Silly, huh!
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't it count? Isn't it great enough?
ReplyDeleteI suppose there's no need for a travel center out here in the west, since there aren't any toll roads. Except for Colorado. Maybe just Denver; I haven't seen them anywhere else.