Entry posted by Sumiki
476 views
-----There were several ways to get back to North Carolina from the Lexington area, but we had several provisions for a successful return. The fastest route by time would have taken us through the mountains of West Virginia, which we had sworn off on the way up and were not about to risk on the trip's final day. Instead, we opted for a scenic drive—by Kentucky standards, which means lots and lots of trees and mountains—through Appalachia, which saved miles but sacrificed a bit of time.
-----The scenery was about what we'd expect, what with the greenery and mountains and all. We've felt like we're basically in our backyard since we got to Spokane, and when this close, we felt the extra push. As such, we got up at a whopping 6:00 and were able to leave around 8:00.
-----We got gas in a small town before we got to the larger peaks of the Appalachians, and it was one of those places where McDonald's was probably in the "fine dining" category. There was effectively nothing to do on the journey until we got to Pikeville, near the border, where there were several signs about the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud. Stopping for such things is more suited for the beginnings of journeys than their ends, and so we pressed on.
-----As much as we wanted to get home as early as we could, we needed lunch, and it was here than our Jimmy John's habit caught up to us. There was none in Abingdon, but according to a random Facebook page, there was one in Marion—purported birthplace of Mountain Dew—just a bit further up the road. The process of navigating to it, however, took us straight up into a hospital complex with no through traffic. My dad began laughing maniacally while I got us to Arby's instead, where we each got some roast beef sandwiches.
-----The worst traffic was from Marion to Wytheville down into North Carolina via Fancy Gap. The road itself was fine, but truckers jockeying and weaving made for some hair-raising situations that evolved in front of us. Once into North Carolina, we went around Pilot Mountain and made it safely home at a little past 3:30, where we unpacked while marveling at the amount of stuff we jammed into the car.
-----Total mileage on vehicle: 10,151.9 Miles
-----Total mileage overall: Unknown (approx. 12,000?)
-----# of States, Provinces, & Territories: 20
-----# of Pennants Collected: 5
-----Pairs of Chicken Socks Purchased: 1
-----# of Breakdowns: 0
-----# of Culver's Eaten At: Too Many
-----Tomorrow: Costco
2 Comments
Recommended Comments