Hotel we stayed at in Fairmont, WV 8-23-12
With our first day of travel behind us,Kathryn and I were were ready to get on the road once again. the cats were not quite so sure they wanted back in that crate and we had to fish them out from underneath the bed.
It was so late when we arrived last night that I had no idea what it really looked like outside our hotel. I wanted to get up early and count a few birds, but I was just too exhausted and there was too much to do to reload the car and get on the road again. this view of the highway from the hotel parking lot was an indication of what lay ahead for us on this day. I was soon to learn that there is no such thing as a straight or level road in all of West Virginia! Since Kathryn had done so much of the driving yesterday, I elected to start off the day driving to give her a rest.
Before we left town we gassed up the car and grabbed a quick breakfast sandwich at a local fast food joint. as we sat in the parking lot eating, this is what we looked at across the street. I liked the architecture but I believe is is a Funeral Home!
Soon we were on the road again!
I drove mile after mile up and down hills and around curves!
We saw lots of turkey vultures and possibly some black vultures as we drove down the highway, but we did not stop until we got to a rest area. We quickly walked the dog, then got on the road again.
View of West Virginia rest area 8-23-12
Soon we were in Kentucky, but where were all the horses?
We didn’t even see any white rail fences until we got to Lexington.
We did find a castle however!
But, we were in a hurry. There was somewhere we wanted to be!
With Family! Alex, Diane, and Natalie!
It had been a year since I had seen my little grand-daughter and my son and his wife. How happy I was to see and hug them!
Then Alex burned some steaks for us while we sipped some wine on the back deck. It was such a relaxing way to end out day. we would be staying here for 2 nights so that we could spend some time with them. It was a good break for all of us!
Most of this day went by in a blur and I was so glad when we finally stopped! Oh, but there were nighthawks flying over the parking lot of our hotel as we pulled in! They were “peenting” as well. It was a glorious sight to behold!
Note: This blog post is part 3 in a week long trip across the United States as I moved from Andover, MA back to Tucson, AZ. You can read more by clicking on the links below or clicking the label that says From Andover to Tucson. The story will continue tomorrow!
Wow, I know I had a busy summer and hardly blogged at all, but how did I miss that you were moving back to AZ? I know I live under a rock, but I thought I peeked my head out once in awhile. Kathie, good luck there! Mass. will miss you. But we'll get to see some new birds via your blog!! Yay! I scrolled through some of your archived posts and I must say, you have a gift! Your pictures are super. There is one of a Cactus Wren that is National Geographic quality!! ~karen
ReplyDeleteOops! See reply below!
DeleteI must have been tired of sitting in the car...
ReplyDeleteKathryn, I think we were both hot and tired!
DeleteThe wine sounds great at the end of the day:) Travel is exhausting across the country and I so hate driving loooong distances. For our Colorado Springs trip in the next couple months, I'm planning for us to make 3 stops along the New Mexico route to do some birding and enjoy the hot spots:) There are some really cool spots that I hated driving past the last time. At the end of the day though, it's exhausting. So wine is nice....and having a friend help drive is wonderful:)
ReplyDeleteRohrerbot, tiring but fun. I was glad to have my friend. I hope you enjoy your trip to Colorado!
DeleteKaHolly, I know everyone gets busy during the summer and who wants to be inside when you can be out? The move happened very quickly so I am not surprised you missed it! Thanks for reading the archives!
ReplyDeleteYour trip looks amazing...looks like you got lots of birding in. Oh, how wonderful that you got to see your family again! That little grand-daughter is a cutie!
ReplyDeleteMarie, it was fun but exhausting! I am so happy we were able to stop and see my kids!
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