We had made plans to go back to Pipestem Campground in West Virginia earlier this year in April, but my brother hurt his knee so wasn't up to the long drive. He's the type that likes to do all the driving himself so we canceled the reservations. We decided to try again this September so we loaded up the car on Friday the 16th and headed out at 8:44 am. We had no reservations for Friday night as Johnny was going to see how far along the road we could make it. He wanted to drive down the Delmarva peninsula and go over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I didn't know what the Delmarva was! I had to look it up! Apparently it is a peninsula made up of most of Delaware as well as parts of Maryland and Virginia.
Anyway we left Cape Cod and headed west onto I 195 towards Providence. The last time I had been on this road going to or coming from Philadelphia, there had been no rain so everything was dry and brown at that time. After the recent rain and downpours, this time the trees and grass were green and more lush looking. There was even an occasional change in color of the leaves.
We hit a little moderate traffic near Warwick - my brother doesn't do traffic well. There were a lot of covered bales of hay near Clark Falls/Stonington which was our first stop to fill up the car and stretch our legs. There is a lot of moaning and groaning from Johnny and myself after sitting in the car for longer lengths of time - even shorter periods to be honest.
By 11:38 am we were taking the exit for the Merritt Parkway - again everything was green and the roadside so clean - no trash - the smell of fresh mown hay was quite nice.
We took the George Washington Bridge this trip instead of our usual drive over the Tappan Zee Bridge. There was traffic but it wasn't horrific. I have always been afraid of the George Washington Bridge, but not this time - although I was just sitting in the back seat. The worst part seemed to be merging into the traffic and then trying to get over to the right to take the lower level which does not allow trucks I believe. We headed for Rte 95/the New Jersey Turnpike and then continued more or less on the Turnpike or on parallel less trafficked roads. I hadn't remembered all the marshes in New Jersey near the Meadowlands. There was water on both sides of this six lane highway with bridges off to the left. I was wondering if there is a port opposite the Newark airport because of all the containers there. There were also a large number of fuel storage tanks.
We drove through the Borough of Middlesex - is this the area that advertises on Boston TV? At some point it dawned on me that huge power lines were lining the highway. We took the exit for Trenton but there was a flashing sign that there was an accident ahead so Johnny took the exit to Bordentown to get back onto 95. We eventually got off 95 and crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge then headed toward the Dover beaches - we ran into traffic here - we were stopped at one light, and I noticed an Acupuncture & Chinese herbs clinic, a sign for psychics, a Hooters, and a Gun Shop at one traffic light intersection. Gas was running $3.59-$3.38.
We noticed green plants growing in NJ and Delaware - Vickie looked it up and found out they were soybeans. We also passed recently harvested fields, corn fields, several large farms, horses but no cows. We passed a large stadium near Dover.
We saw lots of these irrigation systems - I'm always impressed by how big they are! Not sure if these are the soybeans.
We drove over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and went under the tunnel.
I think I had driven this years ago when my sister Patty and I drove down to Norfolk, Virginia where Steve Erickson was stationed - he had joined the Navy. As we were driving this time, I was wondering how we had ever managed to get there the first time - no GPS, no Google maps. We must have used paper maps - maybe the drive was simpler in the early 1970s. And how had my mother ever let Patty come with me! I was probably about 21 so Patty was about 17!! I was driving Steve's old car. But we made it down anyway - I don't remember staying over night - maybe we just picked up Steve and headed home. I DO remember that his car broke down in Bridgeport, Connecticut. We had no money to get it fixed so we sat in an all night diner or the car until Western Union would be open. We had called my mother from the diner - of course no cell phones in those days - to ask her to wire us money to fix the car - which I am sure we never repayed.
On our current trip, we were making good time - it was about 4 pm - so we decided to keep driving. We were commenting how flat the southern end of Delaware and upper Maryland were. We eventually landed at a Comfort Inn in Seaford, Virgina. Every place was sold out - there was one room with 2 queen sized beds so Johnny took that. We went across the street to the Stargate Diner - we got 10% off when Johnny showed his hotel key. There was quite a choice on the menu. I ordered a quesadilla and only ate less than half of it. It was delicious! I took the rest back to the hotel.
After dragging our bags in, I changed and went down to the pool for 30-45 minutes - I had it to myself. I was tired when I got back to the room - I took a shower - we watched Midsummer Murders - J&V went to bed about 10 when I was watching some of Queen Elizabeth's services. I had been glued to the TV all week watching all the happening in Balmoral, Scotland, Northern Ireland, London. Friday King Charles had been going to Wales so I missed that and the vigil by her 4 children - I did see the miles long line of people waiting to pay their respects. It was so historic but so much pageantry! Anyway since we were all in the same room, I shut off the TV and went to bed way before 11 - I usually am up until at least midnight so this was a change!
Saturday, we tried the breakfast at the hotel - certainly not diner quality! I met a couple at the elevator when I went out to the car to get clothes from my suitcase. They said they were headed to Suicide Gulch for a paddle boat crab fest. When I was going down to check out, I met a couple that were headed to the same crab fest - they said they had 100 people going! I just tried looking it up, but I couldn't find any information on it. They all said it was a great time!
We hit the road before 9:30 am. We were stopped at a red light when a truck full of white chickens pulled up beside us. The poor chickens were in cages piled on top of each other. One was looking out the cage at us. I became attached to chickens when Johnny Murphy and I had them in East Falmouth. I was so horrified that they were probably heading to be butchered that I forgot to take a picture. But the sight certainly turned me off chicken - at least temporarily.
We took some back roads to see what the area was like - there were lots of large chicken farms - quite fowl smelling! They were in long short buildings up off the ground with 2 huge fans at the end I could see - the windows were all closed. How inhumane. We took back roads towards Virginia Beach - we passed more chicken farms as well as recently harvested corn, watermelon, and pumpkin fields - we could tell by the left over watermelons and pumpkins in the fields.
We passed through Princess Anne - a community of Virginia Beach. Vickie found out that the last lynching in Maryland happened there - not a great occasion to be remembered for!
I just happened to look up Princess Anne tonight to see who she was. I am sitting here now flabbergasted that the town was named after Princess Anne of Denmark and Norway whose sister Mary married Protestant William of Orange - he beat Catholic King James (who was Mary and Anne's father) at the Battle of the Boyne. William and Mary had no heirs so Anne succeeded as Queen when William died. This seemed so appropriate after all the Royal watching I had been doing this week on BBC following Queen Elizabeth's death. Plus when I was in England with my sisters Patty and Joanne, we visited Kensington Palace which had a room dedicated to William and Mary and another one dedicated to Queen Anne.
Anyway, we drove on to Virgina Beach and continued down past the hotels and came to the more touristy area - fried food places, souvenir shops with Playboy costumes and Hooters shorts. Across the street the beach was huge! I commented on the Dairy Queen right on the beach - next thing Johnny was driving around a couple of blocks until he found a parking space. We walked back to Dairy Queen but before indulging, we checked out the beach - it was a large beach compared to the beaches in Falmouth now. It had soft sand - Vicky made her way down to the water and said it was warm. Someone told us that there was a giant turtle down on the beach but then said some fishing gear was likely what had cut off its head - so we decided to skip the turtle. Lifeguards were patrolling on quads/ATVs because the beach was so expansive.
We walked back to Dairy Queen and ordered 3 mini heath bar blizzards. Then we sat on a beach watching people on the beach and passers by. It was up in the 80s by now but not too humid.
We headed for Norfolk where Vickie had lived until she graduated high school. We drove by a couple of houses and schools that she remembered. One house was a couple of blocks from Ocean View beach. We parked near the entrance she used to take to the beach and walked down to the sand. It was much more private than Virginia Beach and you could find parking on the street. Vickie said that she and her friends would walk there every day after school - they loved it there. Being in the area again naturally brought back many memories. It was also Vickie's birthday which I thought made it more special.
We took a drive along Ocean View beach - it was a long stretch - there were several areas with parking and picnic tables but no souvenir shops, restaurants, etc. We were discussing that this would be a nicer place to vacation especially after they saw a retro motel that they liked.
It was getting late and we had only had a very light breakfast and DQ. We ended up eating at a restaurant on the pier. There were quite a few people fishing off the pier both before you get to the restaurant and behind it. I guess J&V had eaten here with their kids in the past.
Tomorrow we are heading for Appomattox Court House, Boonesville cemetery where Vickie's family are buried, and finally on to Pipestem.
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