Road Trip!!!!

The life and times of three crazy women over Labor Day weekend 2008...

I left home Thursday night with my mom and her cousin Sandy. We flew to my aunt's house in Massachusetts. Actually, we flew into Hartford, CT where she picked us up and we drove to MA. It should have been an hour drive back, but ended up being about three hours because of night time roadwork. It was 1:30 am before we got to bed. We were exhausted! But back up about 7am so as not to waste a moment of time sleeping. We spent Friday afternoon in Boston. Ate lunch at Legal Seafood...Yum-O! I had their world-famous New England clam chowder and a Triple Roll (lobster, shrimp and crab) sandwich....then we did some window shopping. Actually, my mom and aunt bought me the loveliest wrap around skirt thing...because they love me and thought it looked very African on me. Then we high-tailed it out of town before every native Bostonian got off work for the long weekend. Spent the evening relaxing at home and playing cards. They taught me two new games. I won one. And it was fun. I'll teach you some time if you want. My head was hitting my pillow around midnight again.

Then back up about 6 am yesterday morning. Though we flew into MA...it was going to be a fun-filled drive home! My aunt was selling her little VW Beetle...the cutest little thing...and way fun to drive! My mom and step-dad bought it! So off we went...next stop.....NYC! Yep...New York City! My mom and Sandy have this thing....they were in Mass. in March visiting and on that trip took a day and drove up into e.v.e.r.y New England state to the North. So it only made since that we had to hit all of the rest of the states that we could on this trip! Plus...how could you be THAT close to NYC and not do a drive-by! So off we went....

We hit the Bronx, Queens, then Manhattan. We saw the Empire State building, The Late Show building, Times Square, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty and Battery Park. We also got a parking ticket.....in New York....kind of a bubble buster. Boo! And all because the v.e.r.y tail-end of the bug was out of the appropriate spot. Boo! Had to stop and get a NY hot dog...at a real-life NYC hot dog stand! It was YUM-O! Then a quick stop in Dunkin Donuts for dessert. Then over the Brooklyn Bridge...into Brooklyn and then all the way down Staten Island.

We hit New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, then Maryland. We rolled into DC about 10:30 last night. We had to go to DC because you can't be that close and not do a drive-by! Neither of them have ever been to our country's capital, so I got to play tour guide. I had to drive around and show them a few of the monuments lit up at night....BEAUTIFUL! I've been to DC at least a half dozen times in the last ten years or so...but had only seen the monuments at night about two years ago. If you get a chance to go, I highly recommend hitting the monuments after dark...it's well worth staying up for the pictures! Then off to find a hotel room. Finally laid my head down in Arlington, VA around midnight last night! Then back up at about 6am this morning. Did I mention I'm not too much on just a little bit of sleep?

But up and away we went. Drove out into the suburbs to park the bug, then caught the Metro to Union Station. If you ever go to DC, the Metro is the ONLY way to get around! It's easy, cost efficient, clean and safe...and you don't have to deal with parking when there is no parking to be found! Once at Union Station, caught a sight-seeing trolley so we could cover lots of ground in the shortest amount of time. Saw the Capitol, White House, Supreme Court, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, FDR Memorial, Smithsonian, and lots of other government sites that are really cool! We had this really great tour guide. His name was Clayton. He's retired from the Marine Corps and has a Masters in American History. I'm telling you they need to find about twelve more of him. He was AMAZING! And he was SO passionate about our country's history! It was the coolest! The only place we got off of the trolley at was the Lincoln Memorial. You get some great pictures there....and well...it's my favorite. Ended back up at Union Station. Had a yummy lunch in the food court, then hit the Metro back to the burbs and the bug. Finally got on the road around 2pm this afternoon.

Recap....it's currently 7pm Sunday....since Thursday at 7pm...CT, MA, NY, PA, NJ, DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, and almost back to good 'ole TN! YAY! Before all is said and done, we'll have about a thousand miles behind us and probably even more pictures than that!

Hit Virginia and West Virginia on the way out. Right this minute....driving through the way beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains! They really do shout His Glory. It's almost dark and I think we're going to try to drive all the way home tonight....which is about 7 more hours from now. Did I mention I'm at my best with lots of sleep? Just kidding. There are three of us. We'll switch up lots and be just fine. I'm glad to be home with the family tomorrow for Labor Day.

Have I said lately how much I love my broadband card? I had to sweet talk my honey to take the internet with me...and the i-pod. Thank you, honey! I'm quite spoiled to having internet access in the car on road trips. Better get over that quick, huh?

I've had such a blast making memories with Mom, but I'm missing my fellas. See you soon!