A Very Unparked Domain

For this morning’s work session we held class outside. We were well supplied with tea and buns from historic Ebenezer’s Tavern. Other than some sparrows in a meeting, our cube-mate consisted of a very industrious chipmunk. He was quiet and didn’t interrupt while we were on the phone, so work went smoothly.

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We are checking out of the Sturbridge Publick House tomorrow, which means it is high time to figure out where we are going next!

The weather here in Sturbridge, Massachusetts has been unseasonably rainy, with higher temperatures predicted in the next few days. It doesn’t look like we’ll be able to remain in the northeast and escape the rain, but at least we’d like to go far enough north that we can escape the heat.

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I was so astounded by the beautiful meals that our friend Janet concocted while we were in Fairfax, Virginia last month that some of the first pictures I took on this trip were of her dinner table, much to Janet’s amusement.

Here’s some ocular proof of our fine dining adventures, along with two of Janet’s recipe for light and simple summer dishes that should tempt even the weakest appetite on hot and muggy days: Watermelon with Orange Oil and Smoked Fish with Cucumber “Noodles“.

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In the spin-offs from the 1970′s disaster movies (think Towering Inferno, Aiport 77, the Poseidon Adventure and their ilk) there were a disproportionate number of water rescue scenes where the rescue diver had to share the only oxygen tank with the (skinny and scantily clad) damsel he was attempting to retrieve from the watery depths.  They pass the breathing mask back and forth until they make it to safety with just molecules of oxygen left in the tank.  (There’s usually a presumed-to-be dying-breath smooth in there somewhere, too.)

And that’s why, when Neil and I are sitting in a public place, using two laptops, and sharing just one power cable, I think of it as the “Laptop Scuba Dance.”

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Sturbridge Massachusetts is the source for our first postcard to our nephews in our 48 States Postcard Project.

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We have come up with a new way to have fun with our road trip: The 48 State Postcard Project.

First of all, we’re going to try to hit all 48 contiguous US states on this trip.

Secondly, we’re going to send a postcard to each of our nephews from every state we visit.

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We received a sternly-worded reprimand from a friend by email this morning taking us to task for failing to tell her we were going to be in Ellicott City where she had some great recommendations for us.

Never let it be said that we are beyond correction.  (At least not by anyone other than our mothers.)

While it’s a challenge on a no-plans, no-deadlines trip like ours, we’ll try to give everyone a heads up on where we are heading in advance.  (Just don’t be surprised if our plans change.  It’s that kind of trip.) We really appreciate all the suggestions and introductions we’ve received from friends, and we want to make sure we can receive your ideas in a timely manner.

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The little trip that we first envisioned as a fortnight’s drive across the country has now expanded into its second month.

Because we were busy getting the hang of things, as well as battling some patches of rainy weather, we’ve built up some good stories that haven’t made it to Your Milage May Vary yet.  Here is a quick recap of where we were and what we got up to in the month of July.

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After making the most of getting lost in Mt. Washington on July 19 with an unexpected afternoon of sightseeing, we got our directions right and crossed over to the correct side of the Jones Falls Expressway to discover Mt Washington Mill, a former 19th century industrial mill that has been renovated into an office / retail park.

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Today we entered a whole new phase of our trip: we woke up, looked at each other, and said, “Where do we want to go today?”

No deadlines. No plans. No expectations.

All we knew was that we were leaving Baltimore and heading north in search of cooler weather.

To chart today’s course, we checked out the national weather report at weather.com, where we discovered predictions of high heat and thunderstorms for the south and west.

We didn’t want to spend 10 hours to drive all the way up to the deliciously cool 66 degree weather in Maine, so we headed for the closest cool spot in our general vicinity instead: northwestern Pennsylvania, where a comfortable 74 degrees was predicted for today.

After a brief detour to Bird-in-Hand Village, in the Amish area of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, for a rib-sticking late lunch (to call it hearty would be an understatement), we meandered along the back roads up to Pittston, just short of Scranton.

Pittston is currently cloudy and 73 degrees (and, for that matter, dark). The temperature is delicious.

We haven’t really traveled this way up until now.  We’ve had people to see, things to do, and (free) places to stay.  Today was our first day of absolutely open road. (Hooray!)

Knowing that we can go absolutely anywhere (in the continental US) feels really exciting.  Knowing that we’re now paying for our accommodations after a month of being sheltered by our incredibly generous friends feels a little intimidating. Overall, the mixture averages out to feel pretty good.

It also feels strange to change gears from a “regular” life of schedules and deadlines to a life where we don’t have to rush.  The sudden absence of social fetters is reminiscent of removing a cast or braces: it feels strange and new and very free to have all those weights and shackles fall suddenly away.

I am guessing that the adjustment we are going through is probably similar to what many people go through when they retire.  On one hand, I hope we can get the hang of this quickly, and make the most of our wandering opportunities rather than fritter this trip away on turnpikes and highways. On the other hand, I hope we retain our sense of wonder at this strange new life for as long as possible.

Tonight we sleep in the charmless but affordable Knight’s Inn of Pittston, which has proven easy to find and satisfyingly clean.  Tomorrow we check the national weather and set our course accordingly.

And the only question we need to answer is: “Where do we want to go today?”