Trip to MassHOPE Day One (note sent to my boss!)

We were having the world’s most perfect traveling day. Had breakfast with our sweet friends at MainStay Suites in Roanoke (an EXCELLENT HOTEL ) and on the road, driving through the glorious spring of the Blue Ridge – oh it was stunning! We stopped in Harrisonburg to eat and plot our Chipotles/Trader Joes run and found out we are way OFF the mark on TJ’s boo hoo hoo, BUT Chipotles was 2 hours away. And the ONLY Chipotles today, or until Sunday. So we decided to take advantage of the fact we were in the Shenandoah Valley and could see a battlefield. New Market was close by. We went and it was beyond wonderful – too bad we only had 2 hours to spend. Phenomenal place! This is THE battle site for the Confederate Engineers (Dave’s first CW group) and they are coming to fight here in 2 weeks. Every year, they fly out from CA to portray the Engineers – so totally cool! This was a 5 year dream to see! THANK YOU!

Then, off shimmy on up the road. We had already done some Tennessee, crossed VA. We were headed up the top of the Shenandoah Valley – the Blue Ridge majestic in the distance, having the happy we just saw a battlefield time of our lives, and noticed a bunch of police zooming up I-81. We were sandwiched in between trucks and so we HELD UP THE POLICE, us a van behind us that was totally on our tail, and had to wait ½ a mile to a mile to get out of the trucks way – you know how narrow the 81 can be when trucks are all around. We were so concerned for whatever the accident was. Dave finally pulled between two trucks, leaving room for the van behind us to fall in, and instead, he zoomed past us TALKING ON HIS CELL PHONE – with a smarmy look on his face. The police were chasing HIM. We were in the  middle of a police chase. This all happened very fast – but at one point, the van swerved, heavy trucks all around and everyone just flying and police on all sides and just like LA – you keep going or get run over. So long story short – they chased him, he was swerving, they got him over, and we drove by in time to see him slammed on the floor getting arrested. Nice. Up the road about a mile, was an officer with the tacks, and at the WV line was another one with tacks – so they were out in force – but no way to warn the drivers AROUND the chase. Hunky dory – life in the city – and why did we leave?

We hit traffic – what is that???? We forgot.

God is soooo good though!

So, we carried on, crossed a tiny swath of W. Virg, then crossed the Potomac (oh happy day) over into Maryland, in the historic town of Hagerstown (which we had read umpteen books about with the girls) was Chipotles. We got messed up and cruised the old town, charming row houses – all beautifully restored and it was the ghetto – not the rich district. They must have tight historic standards – very cool. Then off to the brand new shopping mall with Chipotles. Anti biotic free, hormone free, deliciousness!  THANK YOU

Then back in the car. Saw a horrible wreck as we got back on, one the one side, the other side a mile up we saw another hideous flipped truck. Is it Friday the 13^th? What is going on? The Lord saying – “when you think of moving back to the city to make more $$, this is what it means.”

So – we happily rolled into PA (although we missed the sign) saw the signs to Gettysburg, Antietam, HERSHEY, and trudged another 150 miles up yonder road to make it to the hotel. We left at 6am – got here at almost 11. Granted we stopped for our friends in Roanoke  (and free breakfast) and did the CW battlefield – but we needed to walk after 5 or 6 hours of driving.

We really did quite well, considering and look forward to tomorrow. Dave is pretty frayed – keeping the car on the road between car chases and all.

We have noticed quite a change in accents. No one has blessed my heart all day, or said “God love her.” It is new ground.

I also blew it  – trying to figure out the cheapest hotel in PA (they were all pricey, or in the capital) and we have to reroute directions to Mass in the AM. Oh lucky day! but that is okay – this is the path the Lord apparently has for us!

So – I must say I am so thankful for a child that prays for SAFETY – we have certainly needed it so far!

Also –we realized, with the bigger ride, we brought Em’s cash register and we do NOT HAVE ELECTRICITY!. Duh!

We also left the cord to download my pix unto my laptop – argh – so I can only shoot 600 pix and already did 150 or so on the road – BUMMER. We will have to try and delete some, so we can do New England – boo hoo hoo!

Oh well.

I also finished my column on the road and wrote up most of the info on New Market Battlefield – so super productive, caught up on SOME of my email from the last week and responded to folks I needed to. All in all, super productive for being on the road!

Holler if we can fix the electricity.