Road Trip Shout-Outs

Mary and I survived Road Trip DC, mostly thanks to the generosity of others and the kindness of strangers. While we can't invite everyone we met to sleep on our floors and futons (at least not all at once), we can pass along the favor by giving a shout out to the diners and restaurants that fed us well on the way.

Steak N Shake in Elkhart, Indiana:

Yeah, good old Steak N Shake. Not much to say about the food, but we were treated so well here. They gave us bibs and crayons and funny paper hats and kept us in coffee. So thanks for the hospitality. It was more than we could have ever hoped for from a chain diner off the turnpike.

Summit Diner in Somerset, Pennsylvania:

Somerset is called the city of signs. Or maybe it's the city of many signs. I forget which. The Summit Diner has a distinct pink and green snake-shaped neon sign rising like a beacon to hungry girls who've been trapped in a car for too long. The food here was classic diner and ridiculously good. Mary said, "This Reuben is better than any Reuben I've had in Chicago!" High praise from Mary.

The best part about the Summit Diner was that they treated us like rock stars. Maybe people don't go on meandering road trips any more, or maybe only boys do that sort of thing, or maybe it's just that nobody does that sort of thing in December. But our waitress was totally into what we were doing and told all the other patrons about us, and the next thing you know, we're laughing and smiling and telling everyone about the Duquesne Incline. Thank you, Summit Diner! We had a fabulous time at your counter.

More shout-outs to follow...

Road Trip DC!

Mary and I are on a great adventure. It seems as though we're not eating any burritos on this adventure, but it is an adventure nonetheless.

We are driving from Chicago to Washington DC for no reason at all, other than we both have some time to kill and credit limits that don't match our income. Yesterday, we spent several hours in Chicago traffic trying to leave town, which was almost enough adventure for both of us. But we pushed through Indiana and Ohio, stopping at the Toledo Airport Days Inn. While the Toledo Airport Days Inn lacked some of the amenities of a fancier hotel (like an elevator and a nice-smelling room), the sweet coupon Mary found in a rest stop book and the charming night clerk more than made up for it.

Why do road signs on the Ohio Turnpike warn of animal presence? Aren't they everywhere? Quote: Animals Present When Flashing. Though we saw no animals, I could feel them lurking in the shadows and avoiding detection.

Today, we braved the mountains of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has some pretty freaky road signs about things like airplanes watching you, cliffs, and falling rocks. We stopped in Pittsburgh to check out the famous Incline. Travelers be warned--what is supposed to be a museum is really some pictures on a wall, a bunch of locked doors, a cable car you can't get on unless you first somehow make it down the incline and let it take you back up, and NO BATHROOM. Should you be clenching your thighs together, the gift shop lady will direct you to the public bathroom at the Pittsburgh mall a mile down the road. But, oh, the postcard-buying opportunities. Our first choice was some church that has 5,000 relics (that's pieces of dead saints, for non-Catholics), but they are not open on Wednesdays. Their recording informed us that Sister Margaret gives tours on Sundays, so hopefully we'll hit it on the way back.

Maryland (Mary-Land, get it?) passed in a blink, and Virginia so far has been nothing more than Mary's awesome friend's apartment and two really cute kittens to play with. But we'll keep you posted. (Get it? Posted. Ha.)