Lieberland

Boy am I glad to be home.  Don’t get me wrong: I had a great trip and a very interesting time.  But I won’t be driving back to CA anytime soon!  I left at 6a from NC and made it to NJ at 2:30p.  8 1/2 hrs and 547 miles.  And one speeding ticket.  Virginia had more speed traps than anywhere I have ever seen!  And they have no mercy. 

Reflections:

1. Books on Tape are amazing for passing the time while driving.  I might have gone mad without them
 
2. The fuzzy seat covers in the Porsche, while I always though they were dorky and didn’t go in a sports car, are extremely comfortable.  I guess they were very good quality covers that were put on in 1984. 

3. Leave more time!  It was a shame to pass through famous landmarks but not really have time to stop and check them out. 4. A co-pilot would have been nice for checking hotel prices, areas to stay, conversation and to share the driving.  On the other hand I did exactly what I wanted without comprimise and drama.
  
5. Make time for family: nobody is ever on their death bed saying “I should have worked more”.  I’m glad I did the detour and stopped in GA for thanksgiving.

 
Thanks to everyone who supported me, distracted me, and helped me out along the way!   

I made it from Georgia (actually Alabama) to Mt Airy, NC on my first leg of the trip back to NJ.  I knew after eating a large thanksgiving meal I wouldn’t be able to make it the whole way in a single day.  I’m lucky I made it as far as I did!  I left at 4:30p and made it here at 11:30p for a total of 7 hrs of driving, just stopping briefly for gas. Tomorrow is the last leg back to NJ.  Its around 560 miles which is nothing to sneeze at.  I hope the “black friday” mall traffic isn’t going to slow me down!  I’ll be so happy to sleep in my own bed again.

I made it to Columbus, GA!  368 miles today and 7 hrs of driving.  I got confused and misguided in Birmingham.  I was suddenly on an interstate that wasn’t in the GPS and got freaked out.  Still not sure exactly what happened.  Perhaps the nuclear power station in the area skewed the GPS signal  At least I thought I saw one off 78 in Mississippi but I don’t see it listed anywhere.    I was very happy to be rolling int Columbus just after 4p, tired but in good shape.  It is a very big country out there!  Now just the final leg to NJ.  I’ll leave Thursday after thanksgiving dinner at Butch’s family’s place, drive as far as I can and finish up the trip Fri morning.  

Boy are my eyes bleary.  Boy does Memphis suck.  I hope to get back there with someone who knows their way around the town though (or with perhaps even 10 mins of internet research to see where to go).  I was lost, confused and irritated trying to find food and / or Lodging there.  I did find the Blue Monkey (after giving up hope on Memphis) which was had decent food, a nice crowd and wierd vibe. Amarillo to Holly Springs, MS was a 12 hr drive, 770 miles.  Factor in a 2 hour Memphis delay and that’s not bad time.  Forgot to mention the suicide tumbleweeds in TX.  When i saw tumbleweeds blowing onto the highway, as tall as myar and moving fast, I decided it was time to stop.  Now if these truly existed or not I am not sure but regardless it was a bad sign…

Day 2 I made it from Needles, CA to Amarillo, TX.  814 miles and around 12 hrs of travel.  I am beat!Thank god for books on tape!  It makes the time totally fly.  Thanks Wayne for sending these to me.  Now I just need to get started driving earlier tomorrow so the fatigue of night driving isn’t so bad. The car is behaving very well.  I kinda hate putting the old girl through such a rough drive but it seems to be just fine.                        I am at the Comfort Suites in Amarillo.

Day one of my cross country drive was not bad.  I got a later start than I had hoped but drove from 4p until 11:15p and made it from SF to Needles, CA.  I almost made it out of CA!  560 miles total.

The car performed very well.  My ass - nearly as well. 

I’ll get up early and drive as long as I can tomorrow.  I hope to make it around 900 miles which will be 3 tanks of gas.