Know Your States!

As you gathered yesterday, we are getting very, very tired and we are more than ready to be home. We have only our age, long days, and heavy traffic to blame. The weather has been better than one should expect "up north" for this time of year. It has rained very seldom. We did have some major wind and I apologize for the copy of the Globe and Mail newspaper that flew away and out over a highway in Erie, PA! Our SUV - a 2005 Ford Explorer - has been excellent and with the back seats folded down has worked well for us.

Hubby was chatting to a man the other day who works at the Hampton Inn in Olmstead, Ohio - he's 78, works three days a week and gets all his Hilton brand rooms for employee rate. He told Hubby that he and his wife do about 250 miles maximum per day when he and his wife are driving. So, we need to listen to that advice!

Some of the days seemed really long and some of the days the traffic was really heavy. The Toronto, Cinncinati and Columbus areas were all very busy and there were several times Hubby was not enjoying driving and I was not enjoying the ride. People who know me well know I avoid driving everywhere but leisurely "Sunday" and Shopping type driving.

The hotel rooms - which are not bargain rooms - have not all come up with AAA ratings. Some layouts are cramped, some are not clean, and sometimes we have had to ask for light bulbs and one time some heat. (A very nice man came up and - as engineers say, "jury-rigged" the unit so it would put out some heat.

The finest hotel stay was absolutely the Holiday Inn Express in Markham, Ontario, Canada!

So, the whole thing is - we love our own home!

Of course, we miss "Buddy" the Lhasa and today I found some new toys at a Wal-Mart. Buddy associates Wal-Mart bags with new toys so he will enjoy seeing that when he comes home!

There is an otter or beaver who is living his second life in Kentucky tonight. We just managed to miss him and I definitely saw him walk to the shoulder of the road in my sideview mirror. There and also in Michigan we saw a lot of roadkill including household pets right up to deer and bucks.

The restrooms are pretty much as bad as ever but worse are the service stations who have little signs on their doors indicating they have no facilities. (It is of utmost importance on a driving trip to have plenty of tissue and little packages of wipes in your purse.)

We have bananas and energy bars in the car along with lots of water.

This trip, the coffee has been extraordinary every stop. That will be good news for friend Denise who loves her caffeine!

When we were coming down today and the day seemed to be lagging although the driving was easy, the weather pleasant and the wildflowers beautiful (in Kentucky), I thought I'd see what my readers could tell me that I probably do not know about the states we have been through. If you play a game on Facebook, surely, you'll go along with my state game!

Now, remember, being a naturalized American of about five years, gives me an advantage because I have studied more recently than some of you. And, don't forget, Canadians know a lot about United States.

Here are the states we have been through and what popped up in our minds to associate with them. If you have some others you want us to know, just make a comment!

Texas - Lonestar State; cowboys

Arkansas - Bill Clinton; Clinton Library/Museum

Missouri - Harry Truman; Home of the Throwed Roll; Show Me State

Illinois - Hubby's Birthplace; Land of Lincoln (he was born in Kentucky)

Indiana - David Letterman's birthplace; Indiannapolis Speedway (Car Racing);
where Hubby went to school (Rose-Hulman)

Michigan - Water - lots of it! Michigan borders on four of the five Great Lakes and Lake St.Clair.

New York - I love New York!

Pennsylvannia - First U.S. Capital (Philadelphia)

Ohio - John Glenn

Kentucky - Horses; Kentucky Derby

Tennessee - Al Gore, Music and Elvis. (Graceland is in Memphis - Yes, Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi)

Tonight we are in Tennessee and tomorrow we will be in Arkansas again. Hopefully, the next night, we will be home!

Ah, yes, as a trivia buff, I should tell you that in Ontario, at Cathie's house we were just about in Aurora Ontario and today we drove through Aurora, Kentucky!