Day 30 - Verona, New York

A  3 1/2 hour drive today to Verona, New York.   Nothing really here, just half way to our next stop near Boston.  We'll be here tomorrow and head out on Thursday morning.   There is a nice casino and a few spots we will check out tomorrow.  

When Martha was 5 her family crossed the country.   And several times since then.  It took them 4-5 days to make the trip.   When my family moved from Ohio to California when I was 14 it took us five days.  After I graduated from Corona High School, actually just the day after, my family moved back to Ohio, crossing the country in five days again.   I was in Ohio with them for about two months.  Then, at 17 years old, I took my car and headed back to California.  I figured I could do it non-stop in two days, stopping only to close my eyes when absolutely necessary.  I actually remember at one point holding one eye open with my thumb and forefinger while resting the other eye.   You see, I was not only 17, but 17 and stupid.  I had three events take place on the way out to California.  One was in New Mexico.   It was probably around four in the morning and I was exhausted.  My eyes were barely open.  It seemed that I was the only one on the highway.   Sometimes a car would come from the other direction and I'd see the headlights way off in the distance.   Although it was a divided road, as the car drew nearer it seemed to be coming right at me.   I was wondering if somehow I happened to get on to the wrong side of the road.  The closer it got, the more concerned I became.  Even to the point of slowing down.  There was no shoulder and I started wondering where I would go.  I was, remember, 17 and an inexperienced driver.  Finally I could see it was on the other side and breathed a breath of relief.   That actually was not the event I want to tell you about.   Not long after that I was hoping a find a place that was wide enough that I could pull over and rest,  as I was fighting hard to keep my eyes open.  It was pretty dark, so there must not have been much of a moon, if any.  Suddenly!  A tumbleweed that was taller and bigger than my car rolled right in front of me.  I smashed through it busting it into a thousand pieces.  After that happened, I drove about two more hours, my eyes the size of silver dollars.    That was awakening.  Another time, in fact the first time I pulled over to rest my eyes I was in the middle of nowhere.   On the roadside all by itself there was a trucker's bar.  A big gravel lot, cars and semi trucks filled most of it.  My guess is that it was probably one or two am.  I pulled over to the extreme right of the lot away from where everyone else was parked and shut off my car.  I laid down in the front seat and closed my eyes.  I do not know how much time passed before I was awakened by a blinding white light filling the front seat of the car.  Then the blast of a horn from a diesel engine.  A train engine.  Baaaaammmmmmm   Baaaaaammmm   I jumped up scrambling for the keys and steering wheel in a sheer panic.  CRAP!  I must have parked on railroad tracks!  As I frantically scrambled around in the front seat the train began to pass by about three feet in front of the car.  I did not wet my pants but I did get out and stand next to the car and urinate for about ten minutes with my heart pounding out of my chest.  The bar was dark now and I was the only car around.  I was awake enough after that event to continue on my journey.  I did end up arriving in Corona just two and a half days after leaving Ohio.  

So now, Martha and I have nearly traveled across the entire country and we are on day 30.   I highly recommend the 30 day method.  Five days is tiring, and two and a half days insane.  Especially alone and 17 years old.  

So in California alongside the freeways there are rest stops.  On the toll roads here, there are service exits.  You don't exit or re-enter the toll road, just pull into them like the rest stops out West.  The difference is the service stops have several fast food restaurants, gift shops, huge restrooms, and a gas station.  There are signs posted prior to the turnouts to let you know what is available and these service areas are about 30-50 miles apart.  Sometimes there is a McDonalds, sometimes a Burger King, sometimes both.  We even saw one with a Panda Express.   If you know me or have been reading the BLOG you already know which service areas we stop at.  Or maybe since I am doing the driving, the service areas that I choose to attend.

Keep the faith.  Thanks for reading the BLOG.