Day w/Ducklings

Day 4
Barkcamp National Park, OH - Columbus, OH - Cincinnati, OH
Travel Time: 4 hrs.

This morning I awoke to the sweet sound of barking dogs and a neighboring camper throwing up in the woods near my car.  This should have been foreshadowing for the outcome of the World Cup Game that ensued.  Great company...sad ending.  Two new friends, topiary, baby ducks, grilled tuna, a bed and a shower in the morning that less than 2,000 other people have showered in.  :-)  Overall, a plus.

Wright On!

Day 3 - Ohiopyle, PA to Benton, OH  - 2.5 hrs

Number of Frank Lloyd Wright homes visited today:  2 (Kentuck Knob & Fallingwater)

Miles from Ohiopyle State Park campground to the first house, Kentuck Knob: 2

Number of states I've been in today:  3 (Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio)

Campgrounds I tried to check into today:  2 (The first one looked like the Hotel California campground.  The doors to the office were chained shut with a note about calling for after hours check in...no, thanks.)

Chipmunks spotted: 2

Other wildlife:  birds and a raccoon...also, I can hear bats while I'm typing this

Today's Highlight:  Seeing two robins, in a nest attached to Fallingwater, feeding each other

Tomorrow I'll be visiting Anne, a friend from high school, in Columbus, OH to watch the Women's World Cup!  

Another Day...Another Goat

Day 2 - aka National Tapioca Pudding Day
Ithaca, NY to Ohiopyle, PA
Travel Time:  about 6.5 hours
Lowest Gas Price of the Day:  $3.59
Number of Bridges I Crossed:  Too many...see below.
What I Learned:  New York and Pennsylvania are full of mountains.  I think I went through the Adirondacks and the Allegenhys today.  
Most Unexpected Event:  Somerfest...complete with parade.  It was blocking my route so I stopped and watched for a while.
Expected Highlight for Tomorrow:  Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater

Today I visited Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY.  It is a giant farm for farm animals rescued from abusive situations.  It's amazing how relaxed animals get when no one is planning to eat them.  If you don't know where your meat and dairy come from it's likely produced in conditions that would give you nightmares and quickly make you consider veganism.  If you are eating animal products, it's healthier for you and kinder to living things to make sure the living things weren't tortured before you ingest them.  Hope you're not eating a big burger as you read this.  :-)  Farm Sanctuary has a great website and fun t-shirts as well.
Now, for the driving...I've realized today that our country spends a lot of money on signs that state the obvious.  I guess they are okay for people who have given up meaningful thought for Lent, but for the majority of people with a slight amount of common sense...they seem redundant and often a little ridiculous.  Here are a few of the messages that I surely would not have made it my destination without: Be Alert, Slow Down Now, Buckle Up, Slowing Down Can Save a Life, Bridge May Be Icy in conjunction with Bridges Freeze First...on every single bridge, didn't we all learn this in driver's ed??  And my favorite sign of the day...Beware of Aggressive Drivers (I'm wondering if there is a higher concentration of angry drivers in the areas with these signs...or if they are spreading like those attack bees from Mexico?)
Tonight  I also arrived too late for a fire but made one anyway.  Hope it goes out soon.  It's already tomorrow and I'm ready to hit the foam...that's on the seats...that turn into a bed...inside the car  :-)  

And the Journey Begins

Day 1
8ish hours
Ipswich, MA to Ithaca, NY
What surprised me today: a sudden lane split, a suicidal squirrel and something that fell out of a tree and almost hit me in the head
Word I most enjoyed saying today:  Schenectady
Place most likely to have a disease named after it: Schenevus
Things I learned today:  I still love goats, the Toyota Prius is taking over the roadways of America, out of the way is the way, although Ithaca is hip...it's hard to walk far before becoming overwhelmed by someone's body odor, the Erie Canal is a lot bigger than that photo in my sixth grade social studies book.
Best food I had today:  I guess the tofu burrito...that scares me.
What the Element would say about today if it could talk:  Phew!  (Should sound like my Grandmother when exclaimed.)
Most interesting famous site:  Bainbridge - Home of Elmer's Glue
Place I decided not to visit today: The Beer Cave in Oneonta
Tomorrow's predicted highlight:  Farm Sanctuary, Watkins Glen, NY

Preparations

I'll be hitting the road soon for my summer road trip.  Not sure where I'm headed, when I'll get there or what I'll do there.  Very different from my usual way of travel.