I was really beat last night. After driving almost 12 hours and watching the sun set I just wanted to eat food, relax and sleep. This hotel did the trick. I slept well and feel refreshed. I wanted to sleep an extra hour, but my body is on Eastern time (I crossed over into Central time during the drive yesterday) so, 6AM central will do.
Yesterday’s drive, as I mentioned in the previous post, wasn’t too eventful, with the only drama being stuck behind an accident for an hour.
The drive through Western Maryland and West Virginia was the most exciting of it all thus far. The interstates through the Appalachians are windy and hilly and quite scenic. Unfortunately most of my drive in this part of the country was overcast, with even some drizzle from time to time. However, I was still able to see some cool features such as the image in the header of the post.
I had never driven through the heart of WV before and it’s pretty scenic. Charleston is a bit further than I thought it would be. Once I got through Charleston I felt like the terrain started to flatten out gradually. The roads became straighter instead of curve after curve that you had to keep both hands on the wheel for and one eye on the traffic next to you to ensure they stayed in their lane. Crossing from WV to Kentucky, I was able to successfully check off another state. I had driven through Indiana and Illinois before on my 2009 road trip, but not Kentucky. Today I get to add a few more states to that list, since I have never driven in Missouri or Kansas.
In Louisville there was a large military cargo jet flying around and doing some passes. If you were wondering what that pic in the last post was, that would be it. You can make a plane flying around if you look really hard. đŸ™‚
My fellow drivers, for the most part, have been good. One theme that seems to repeat itself over and over (and over and over) again is the complete inability of most folks to execute a proper passing maneuver. Step 1, look for traffic and determine if you will be an asshole or not (i.e. will you cut off someone else who would easily pass you in a few seconds if you remained as is). Step 2, signal your intention to change lanes. Step 3, take your lane. Step 4 (this is where it gets tricky folks) depress the gas pedal (the one on the right, you know) until your speed increases such that a passing move is guaranteed to be successful. This part should take no more than 15-30 seconds depending on your vehicle and how big of a douche the person you are passing wants to be. Step 5, once you have passed, take your lane back.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been stuck behind two cars, side by side for miles, on a 2 lane interstate. It’s ridiculous. It’s like they purposefully match speeds with each other. And when you finally pass them, you realize these folks are completely oblivious to everyone and everything around them. Meanwhile when I pass people in the GTI you can tell from their reactions they think I’m going too fast. Well, I wouldn’t need to pass you with authority if only you didn’t waste the last 10 mins of my life forcing me to memorize your license plate.
Anyway, Mt. Vernon, IL. It’s where Day 2 begins. If successful, I will be shacking up at a Denver hotel tonight. I’m pretty excited. I am going to get a shower, eat some breakfast, gas up the car, and be on the road in the next 45-60 minutes.
