Friday, October 5, 2012

I left Romney, West Virginia this morning--another glorious fall morning!  Winchester is only 40 miles from Romney, but there were 3 more mountains to cross!  The first was Sunrise Mountain.  It was a beautiful scene as I crested the mountain and the sun was just coming up over the next ridge that I was to cross.

I arrived in Winchester and started my "old ghosts" tour.  I lived in Winchester from 1978 until 1980.  What used to be rural land on US 50 west of the city is now quite built up--new high school, new hospital, shopping centers, etc.  I had no problem getting around and was able to find the two places I lived here.  They were pretty much the same.

Then I went to Handley High School, where I taught those two years.  It is a privately endowed public school and is one of the city's gems.  Very Jeffersonian architecture--red brick, white columns, and brick arches.

 John Handley High School

As I was wandering around town, I was looking out for any students that I taught.  There was a reality check after a while as I realized that I had been looking for people in their 20s and 30s.  At some point I had to change my age profiling as I realized that people I taught would now be in their late 40s, early 50s!

After a little shopping, antiquing, and eating, I left and went down US 11 south--the old Valley Pike.  It a pleasant drive with many vistas such as this along the route:

Having been to a covered bridge in Indiana, I had to stop by our covered bridge in the Shenandoah Valley-- Meems Bottom bridge off of US 11 near Mt. Jackson.  Unlike the one in Indiana, this one is still in use. 

Continuing down the road, I stopped in a few of the flea markets and antique shops.  And there were more amber waves of grain--

 Arrived back home in Waynesboro at 5:00PM to this scene--

Karen and Lady Bug

Lady Bug wouldn't even let me out of the car to welcome me back home!







Since leaving home 2½ weeks ago, I have logged 4390 miles and I have set my foot in 16 states

This has been an adventure that I won’t forget—thanks to pictures and the blog that I journaled.  I appreciate the time folks spent following this blog and the comments that were made during my journey. 

I was privileged to see the beauty in the diverse landscape, architectural styles, and people/cultures in this country.  I was reminded of and learned more about the significant history we have as a people blessed in this great land.  As I end this adventure, I have a renewed sense of pride in the USA. 

And I AM going to make to the Pacific Coast one day!!

Today was a beautiful fall foliage drive through rural Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland.  I hadn't realized that Maryland was part of this route.  I had a great time enjoying the weather and foliage and peaceful driving along US 50.  I had my windows down and enjoyed the fall air.  I wasn't speeding though--not in those mountains! Wasn't quite like a convertible, but I did enjoy having the fresh air blowing by!

Here are some of the scenes that I experienced today!

 

 

I had never driven through the mountains of West Virginia on US 50 before.  Like I said before, it was a beautiful drive, but the passes across the numerous mountains were seriously curvy.  I reminded me of the way US 33 winds as crosses the mountain at Swift Run gap—except it goes on for a hundred miles.  Lots of hairpin curves.  Karen, you would not be able to handle this road—not without a serious dose of “dramamimes” (quote from our cabin steward on a previous cruise)

Flexible – defined as susceptible of modification or adaptation.  

I have had to be flexible on this trip.  I must change my course again due to a situation over which I have no control!  My original plan was to take US 50 all the way to Ocean City, Maryland, then travel down the Eastern Shore and take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to Virginia Beach.  However, I was unable to get a room within 40 miles of Ocean City.  When I couldn’t reserve on-line at any of my choices in Ocean City, I thought maybe people were just trying to squeeze one last time at the beach before winter.  So I tried nearby towns – like Salisbury and Pokomoke City.  Nothing was available there either.  So, I called the hotel that was my top choice in Ocean City and explained my dilemma.  She indicated that she wasn’t surprised—that there is the big car show (2012 Endless Summer Cruisin’) there this weekend!  Well that explained that!!

So, I will take US 50 east as far as Winchester, VA, and look around there for a while, then head south on US 11 and home.  I lived in Winchester when I got out of school, so it should be interesting to compare present day with the way it was in my day!

Tonight, I’m staying in a retro motel in Romney, West Virginia called Koolwink Motel.  It’s the kind where you park at your door, has jalousied window on door, real room key (not magnetic strip), turquoise bathroom fixtures and tile—you remember those!!  And the coolest eames era lamp in the lobby.

Cool lamp!

 

Well, today I have been in four states!  I left Illinois this morning and travelled through rural Indiana, a little bit of Kentucky, and made to Cincinnati, Ohio.

It has been a beautiful drive going through Indiana--and very peaceful for the most part.  The fall colors are farther along here than they were yesterday in Illinois and Missouri.  There is farm land as far as the eye can see!  Huge farms!   Along the way, I happened upon an old covered bridge in Medora, Indiana.  It was built in 1875 and it is the longest covered bridge in the US - 460 ft.. 

 

 

 

 

I made it to Cincinnati.  Crossing over the Ohio River from Kentucky, I drove through a busy downtown and am staying with long time family friends Kristen and her husband Phil.  They live a charming neighborhood with older homes from the early 1900s and the street lamps are gaslights.   It has been great seeing them and spending time with them here.  We had locally famous Graeter's ice cream for dessert.

Kristen, me, and Phil at Arthur's in Cincinnati's Hyde Park Square

 

 



...Meet me in St. Louis, Louis...

It was a chilly morning today, but beautiful nonetheless.  I drove through the Ozarks towards St. Louis.  They reminded me of home.  It is starting to be fall here, with a brush of yellow here and there in the landscape.

I arrived in St. Louis and found my way to the Gateway Arch.  Did you know that it is commemorates Thomas Jefferson and the role of St. Louis in the westward expansion?  I didn't.  I thought it was just a symbol of the "gateway to the west".  As a matter of fact, it is also known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.   I rode to the top of the arch (630 ft.) where there are observation windows that provided amazing views of the city and Mississippi River and beyond.

 

View of city from top of arch

View across the Mississippi River

 I also went to the "Old Courthouse" which is where the Dred Scott case was tried in 1857.

View of the dome  from inside:

 

 

A fun city--

I strolled around downtown for a while playing tourist.  After lunch and after enjoying more of the city scene, I headed out of town east on US 50, crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois.  The drive was a stark contrast to the traffic I had maneuvered in the city.  Much of this country is still rural or at least that's the way it has been in the places I have been on this trip!  There is big farming in Illinois with big tractors.  It was nice to see that this still goes on!  I have had fantastic weather while on this trip for the last two weeks.  This morning was a typical clear and crip fall morning.  Once I crossed into Illinois, however, it has been raining.  I'm sure they need it here, though.  I'm not complaining!

I went into Oklahoma City today and added to my collection of state capitol buildings visited.  It's an impressive structure.

After enjoying the architecture of the capitol, I went to the Oklahoma City National Memorial--which honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995.  It was a somber, peaceful, yet alive memorial.  The architectural elements in the memorial all have meaning - the number of "empty chairs", the number of rows of chairs, how many were in the row, the water feature, the trees, etc.  It is quite well done and I hope that it is a help to those who lost friends and family that day.

 

 Plaza that surrounded the actual building in 1995

168 empty "chairs"

 

I took a stroll down to Bricktown--a section of downtown that is filled with shops and restaurants and a baseball park.  It's the old warehouse area of town that they are working to reclaim for commercial and entertainment ventures.

Then I wandered down to the business and museum district.  Here is the skyline of the city.  Note the tall building of glass and steel in the center of the picture.  It is the Devon Energy Building.

Closer view of Devon Energy Building

How would you like to wash the windows of this building?  I zoomed in on those who do that job!

Having enjoyed my time in Oklahoma City, I headed out of the city and towards my next big stop --St. Louis.  When I wasn't on historic Route 66, I was on I-44 (Will Rogers Turnpike).  Look at this rest stop on the turnpike. 

These golden arches span the entire width of both directions of the turnpike roadways.  You can access the McDonalds from either side.  It is called the Glass House McDonalds.  FYI - I did not eat there!

I did get to drive historic Route 66 out of Oklahoma and right into Kansas.

 

Route 66 just goes through the southeast corner of Kansas.  Before I knew it, I "wasn't in Kansas anymore".  Today's travel took me around the Ozarks through Joplin, Missouri and Springfield, Missouri and am staying just west of St. Louis.  It was another beautiful travel day!

 

 

So.........tomorrow, "meet me in St. Louis!"

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'”  Psalm 122:1

I went to church today with Mark and his family--Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo. Ah, there's nothing quite like a good Texan Baptist church service--and I mean that with all sincerity!   I enjoyed the vibrant Christ-centered worship.   Their church has two worship services--one at 8:30 which is traditional and one at 11:00 which uses contemporary worship music.  We went to the contemporary service.   One thing that impressed me was that their church is very mission minded.  This church has many ministries in the Amarillo area as well as a pretty strong foreign mission support.

Me, Mark, Pam, Lee, and Lauren

After having a delicious lunch at another local restaurant -- Joe Tacos -- with the Ellis family, I said my goodbyes and headed east for Oklahoma City.  I am generally taking the old US Route 66, though not much of it exists. 

The land sure is flat!!  So it wasn't hard to see from a great distance, this 200 ft. steel cross along side the road at Groom, Texas.  They say you can see it for 20 miles.  Anyway, I pulled up to it and snapped some photos.  This cross is surrounded by smaller sculptures of the stations of the cross. 

As I was traveling through the little town of Shamrock, Texas on historic Route 66, I saw this restored old Concoco gas station.

 

 

A little later, I was in Oklahoma.  The panhandle of Texas does not take nearly as long to drive through as central Texas.

There is more of Route 66 preserved in Oklahoma than any other state.  But still, a lot of the former stops and attractions that used to line this road are abandoned and/or in ruins.  Kind of sad to see.  But this one was pretty cool--the Route 66 Museum in Elk City, OK.

 

 

 

It has been a beautiful day for drving.  Even though the landscape is still pretty flat, I can see some small changes in elevation in places!  I'm staying just west of Oklahoma City tonight.

 

In western Oklahoma, I drove through these huge wind farms with this gigantic electricity generating wind turbines as far as you could see.  This is a smart use of that "wind comes sweepin' o'er the plain"....  Someone should write a song about that!...

 

 

Today, Saturday, Sept. 29, I had a great time exploring Amarillo with Mark.  After an amazingly delicious breakfast at the famously local Ye Ol' Pancake Station, we went downtown to the where US Route 66 went through town.  It is now home to numerous antique shops and cafes.  It was fun to peruse one particular shop called "the Nat" or Amarillo Natatorium.  It was originally built as an indoor pool in 1922.  The pool was covered with a dance floor in 1926 and this place became a social center along Route 66 in its day.
 

 

 

 "The Nat"








After eating a simply delicious burger lunch at Blue Sky, Mark, his son-in-law Lee, and I went out to Palo Duro canyon.  It's funny how you expect to see something in the terrain that indicates a canyon is coming up, but in this very flat land, you just come upon a big hole in the ground.  And what an amazing and awesome hole in the ground it was.  These pictures do not begin to portray the grandeur of this place!  I was in awe of the vistas from the rim and down in the canyon.  Such a magnificent work of art!

 

 

 

 

 

"What a wildly wonderful world, God!  You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations."  Psalm 104:24 (The Message)