| Carlisle,
PA: May 18
It rained all night and opted
not to go back for the second day of the 3-day car event. When it
barely cleared, roads wet, trees dripping, I headed south. I had
to stop twice just to thaw out over a cup of coffee. Saw a wildly
painted tattoo place in hambersburg with 3-D graphics coming out of the
front of it. Made short work of Maryland, seeing only one town. Crossed
the Potomac River--what a great film that would have made of Seno on the
bridge. A quick drive thru a little piece of West Virginia.
Saw many businesses for sale, trailers, double wides, modular homes and
financing for all, first come and all that. Saw a one-story grey
wood building with no windows and a pink sign
that read: SHOW GIRLS.
And I had to wonder what a West Virginia show girl would look like...
Winchester, Virginia--make
a note, I need to come back here. George Washington has a surveying
office here and there is a library building that is drop dead wonderful
and appears to have been designed in Europe. A charming, wonderful
historic town with many of our forefathers' names on many spots.
AND there was another car event. Most Sunday's you'll find a car
event near you anyway. I saw one car. OK. Then another car
and I KNEW. They were all at the park in Winchester and altho I arrived
late, Seno drew a crowd before I even got him parked.
A wonderful vendor there saw
my "Going Topless" on the side of the car and offered to make a shirt for
me with type: CRUISING TOPLESS. I don't have room for a spare
pair of earrings so no more shirts, thanks. So he took the red Crayola
shirt I bought in Easton and put the type on it, front and back!
His kids Amber and Bryce climed in Seno--you'll get to see all of this
in photos--and I got my "grandmother" fix playing with them. I thank
them SO MUCH for that. Mom, Dad and these 2 go every weekend with
their T-shirt trailer to car events. So it's a family deal.
Again, the best way to show
the cars is to SHOW the cars so photos are in the process. Check
back.
The day stayed overcast and
threatening rain so I made short work of the street fair also going on
in downtown Winchester. I had to donate to the bake sale and try
the lemon poppyseed muffins. Also ran into Alice and Wonderland and
the Queen of Hearts--really! Alice made a huge papier mache teapot
and of course, Alyce had to have her picture taken with Alice. Good
music, interesting craft things for the garden, yummies and a sale on puppets
that broke my heart because I could buy the whole rack.
Easily found the hostel east
of Winchester because I've stayed there before--3 years ago, I think.
It is a large, regal place built of stone and the Appalachian Trail runs
about 50 feet from the house. Formerly the private residence of a
doctor, this forest retreat makes an ideal hostel. I met Ryan, a
young man (3rd) grade who was gracious enough to show me "The Rocks" that
spreads the entire Shenandoah Valley at your feet. The distant road
looks like an aerial photograph of a road from up there.
Then, SURPRISE! a woman appeared
in the driveway, the same woman who had shared the dorm room with me at
the Ironmaster's in Pennsylvania. "I didn't know you were going to
be here!" I said. "I didn't either," she said, "Did you know you
made the front page of the newspaper?" David did an accurate job
of reporting (the media doesn't always get everything right but he did!)
and she gave me the color article from the Carlyle Seninental.
There were plenty of interesting
people at the hostel that Saturday evening and the lively conversation
went on til 11:00 when everybody stopped talking all at once and realized
sleep was in order to continue travel the next day. I very much enjoyed
Mike Orr and his son Ryan and the twins Justin and Nick. These guys
even camp out in the snow and I whine if I have to sleep in a draft.
Ron and Dawn's kids and Mike's
boys--they were all super kids and it gives you the idea that maybe some
of America's children are actually in good hands despite all news reports
to the contrary. Bright, well-behaved and interesting--that's how
I've found all kids on this trip.
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