Touchdown...arrived in Schnecksville this afternoon.  I have no pictures for today, it was just driving.  As I left West Virginia the big "Welcome to Pennsylvania" sign looked strange to me, could I really be in Pennsylvania?  The roads became familiar...as did the speeding drivers.  For the most part in the western states, drivers would drive the speed limit, of course, on some of the roads it was 80 mph but no one was zipping by me.  In Pennsylvania the speed limit was 65 unless I was in one of the MANY work areas and yet I felt like I would be run over if I didn't go faster.  Work areas were 55 or 45...you don't dare do the speed limit or you might get hit in the rear.

What was best?  From a scenery and driving experience the 4 wheel drive down into Echo Park at the Dinosaur National Monument was exciting and fun.  New Jeep, dirt road, high canyon walls, petroglyphs and caves...what's not to like.  From a meeting people point of view, it was great to stop in and visit with my radio restoration friend and his wife and I loved meeting the people of Sistersville WV.  I never had a bad people experience during the entire trip.  Folks at the various museums and tourist stops were all chatty and helpful, both site workers and other tourists. I had a fellow sitting next to me at dinner one night and we got to chatting.  He was a race driver (dirt modified I think he said) and he restored racing cars in addition to being a photographer.  He showed me pictures and I showed him my restored radio photos...it was a pleasant evening.

The only "bad" thing to happen was somewhere in Kansas where my gas cap is lying at the side of the road.  I had bought a locking cap, but unfortunately it did not have a tie that connects it to the car body like the OEM cap has.  At one of the gas stops I must have left it on my bumper and driven off.  Fortunately I had the OEM cap with me so no big deal.

In the eastern half of the country the horizon is only as far away as the next stand of trees, houses or buildings for much of the time.  Traveling along the Ohio River was a nice change and very scenic but still, an eastern view in my mind.  In Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, even Kansas, the horizon is most often very distant and whether its mountains in the distance or just the end of a long flat expanse you get a sense of the true vastness of the open space in the West.  I did not tire of looking at it...well maybe a little in the flats of Kansas but its so different from the East. 

One friend asked me to comment on how the reality of the trip measured up to the original thoughts of taking the trip.  While the concept of the trip was never a very detailed vision, I have to say that the reality of the scenery zipping by the window, radio playing, wind blowing through the little hair I have left, seeing sights that I don't normally see and meeting people along the way that were interesting did, indeed,  measure up very nicely.  I'm glad I made the trip; I would do it again. 

Thanks for taking this trip with me...
Cheers
Bob