Harrisburg

well.. I made it.. barely.. traffic in pittsburg sucked and people in PA don't know how to drive.. they didn't when I was last here and it hasn't gotten any better. Frank is not all that thrilled about living in the basement.. but he'll get over it. my mom and I are going up to philly to pick up my freight and I'm trying to plan a camping/discovery trip down to virginia so that I can start to get that whole thing started.. it's wierd being back here.. I worked so hard to leave here 3 years ago and here I am again.. it's not as bad as I remember it.. the scenery that is.. but it's good to be here and to not be driving anymore.. but I gotta get.
ciao

michigan

I have come to beleive that all of michgans highway system is under construction! dear god! anyway I made it my cousins' Janes house in port huron MI. It's a wonderful place.. chicago was a wreck.. just like I thought it would be. this is trip is taking longer than I wanted.. but it is nice to stop and see my cousins who I haven't seen since I was 13!! they ares till wonderful! All Glenn seems to remember me for was the chocolate chip cookies I made.. if I have enough time in the AM I'll have to make him some.. but I have to leave early in the morning to get to harrisburg.. from here I've eestemated that it's going to take about 10.5 hours.. not to bad.. but a long day none the less.. Frank is doing well he's currently in the bathroom hanging out for the night.. I don't want him to ruin anything of theirs.. over all it's been a good trip.. I was going to stop in Ohio to see more family but I need to get to PA and than to VA faster.. more tommororow!
ciao

this is taking WAY to F*$&^# long!

hola.. I'm in desmoines iowa and it's getting cooler as I go east however the gas prices are not! but I'm averaging 35 miles to the gal. so I'm doing pretty good. my post this morning was short so I thought I would let you know what I did yesterday.. I stopped at the little big horn battlefield that was pretty amazing.. it was hard to imagine the horses and indians and calvery men running across I90 at each other but thats what they did.. and in proper US military fashion they sent custer to fight it the battle.. ( he graduated last from west point.) reminds me of pres. bush .. but hey those who lead have followers right? anyway I'm not making much sence I know and also have lost all abilty to spell. it's been a long day 700 miles about and I'm not longer on i90 I'm on i80.. I'm 6 hours from chicago and since I'll be hitting it on a sunday I hope that it won't be to bad.. but who knows tommorow I'm of to detroit mi to visit some family and than I'm in harrisburg on monday night. I missed the badlands exit so I didn't get to go there was kind of a bumer but owell.. I needed to make time anyway.. my average speed is 78 and I've traveled over 1800 miles.. I stopped at a rest stop in south dakota and learned that I was following the somewhat path of lewis and clark. that was nifty.. I didn't realize that it was a military expedition.. but I guess they didn't have the NIH back then eh? anyway frank is doing well he hates road trips... but he think he's adjusted well.. I took him for a "walk" today that was funny he didn't really walk so much as run for shade.. it was about 101 when we had that little adventure needless to say he was hot so I put him back in the car with the airconditiong full blast... the best rest stops are iowa they have wireless internett not that I can get it to work with my mac.. but it's progress non the less. so iowa home of the dem. pres. primarys.. I wonder why they have them in iowa.. it's such a weird state.. not weird so much as well rebublican.. and well I won't go there.. but I saw a crop duster today a really old one it was yellow with double decker wings I also saw over 300 veh. in a military convoy from fort dodge.. they were going west so this thing with iran and hesbolah must not be that bad... haha.. so I'm out of sorts with out NPR I had it in southdakota for while but lost it when I got to minisota.. all I know is what cnn tells me which is that it's an upand coming world war.. with vladmir puttin saying that isrial should be nicer to the terrorists "or scale back their defence" I think is how he put it.. dear god.. so much for the G8... lol anyway so the worlds going to shit and I'm in iowa.. that just dandy.. should just head to canada now.. and avoid the draft.. sorry mom.. gas isn't getting any cheaper the average price I've paid is 2.99 and I haven't seen an espresso place for ever!! I'm being forced to consume drip coffee from convenience stores!!! which I quickly add milk and ice to.. i've come to snak on snow peas they are very good I also started a game.. lol you know those bags of trail mix with the really stale raisons and the bad m&m look alikes.. so I've set up a basket on the passanger seat and with my window open I toss the raisons out and the m&ms into the basket.. that kept me occupied for a little while.. lol it was quite entertaining.. frank is no longer laying in his litter box but more so in his crate.. or under my feet. at the moment he's sleeping on the bed. my back is killing me from my seat but owell.. the harder than shit hotel beds aren't helping either.. the one I stayed in last night was GREAT! the pool was nice and I got a free beer stout of course... but in my stupid tiredness I order not beef.. becasue I'm Not IN the greatest Beef capital of the world south dakota ( hint I was in south dakota) I order what I order fish.. waley to be exact.. I thought it was a way they cooked the beef but no.. the 12 oz ribeye was the same freaking price and I order fish.. OMG! it was funny my reaction when she brought it out.. beef isn't white for those wondering at home it also isn't served with lemon.. well not usually anyway.. but I ate it.. and it was good. weather for tommorow looks good.. I'm almost there.
ciao

Hot.. Hot .. Hot

So this is one of those weekends in the midwest where you want to live in an ice cube. Record Hot tempatures are sparking wild fires all over the place and I'm in RApid City SD It's Saterday Morning and I'm about 900 miles away from where I wanted to be but owell.. such is life I suppose.. not sure where I'm gonna get to today.. I would like to get to michigan.. but who know's.. depending on traffic construction and all. Rapid City DOES have a starbucks I have seen one since ellensburg! it's obber exciting.. Frank seems to have taken to his life on the road well.. he has discovered that he can annoy me just as much running aroung the hotel room at 1am as he can at home! anyway this is going to be another long HOT day.. did I mention HOT! it's pretty in South Dakota in a sparce desolate kind of way. I was going to drive down and see mount rushmore.. but I just want to get going.. I want this damn trip to be over! I'm tired of driving.. the car is doing well surprised the tires having melted off in this heat but I guess goodrich thought of that. anyway hopefully milwakee will be my port of call today.
ciao

on the road again....

it's 4.15 mt time which means it's 3.15 back in seattle and I'm about to leave butte. I drive better early in the morning not to mention that their is less traffic. but I'm outa here!
ciao

well.. I made it this far

hey all..
ok so I drove for 12.5 hours and didn't make it my destination but alas.. it's a road trip and I stopped and looked at some stuff along the way.. but I'm in Butte Mt, 300 or so miles short of Billings but my butt was getting numb so I decided at 8.30 to stop and take a rest. I left Seattle shortly after my last post and after the sit. that was out of control was delt with. So far I have spent 85 dollars on fuel.. Thank GOD it's getting cheaper the farther east I go!! but remember that I fill up when I get to half a tank so that I never run out of gas... it's my roadtrip motto.. anyway so I've gone about 600 miles.. which the section with the most mountains I think I'm doing pretty good. Traffic was good and there was a little bit of road construction along the way.. I almost passed a sherrif doing about 4 over the limit (79) the speed limit was 75.. but he flashed his lights at me right as I was passing him, and right as he did that we entered a 65 zone.. it was crazy! but nice of the sheriff.. that was somewhere in idaho. But I stopped at the Gingo Petrified Forest by the columbia river in WA. It was really cool! if nobodys been their it's worth the stop.. however the treaty rock in post falls idaho.. not so much! I walked 1/2 a mile to see a big rock with what was supposed to be pyroglifs of a treaty between this captain of the US army in 1800 somthing and the cheif of the c'ord alain tribe ( I know I spelled that wrong.. sorry) anyway.. it was all spraypainted over by some jackass of a human being. but it was good to get out and walk around.. not much to look at though; it was right next to the freeway.. I'm sure that steinbeck would be very disasisfied with my journey so far. I haven't met anyone interesting.. but I haven't stopped to talk to anybody either.. my car is COVERED in cat hair! frank is losing his hair by the pound! the poor guy.. he's so stressed he's taken to laying in his litter box.. wish he wouldn't do that but as long as he's comfortable.. I saw a 30 veh. military convoy going east lots of different camo covered vehicles most of them semi like things carrying humvees and tanks and stuff.. one had this big metal box like thing.. might have been a transformer or something.. had alot coffee today but who doesn't on a road trip like this.. but now that I'm mostly out of the mountains I hope that the trip will go a little bit faster.. I'm thinking of taking 90 and going to the badlands.. I've never been their .. but I have to see what the miliage is like... tommorow I'll get started earlier.. butte is as ugly as everybody told me.. and the hotel is OLD! but it's cheap it has a lock on the door and had internet! anyway so where to tommorow so much for saint paul.. not gonna happen so I'm going to try and make it to sioux falls SD.. but if I stop in the badlands it's going to be a looong day but how many times to you get to see a place like the bad lands! I mean come on!! anyway Frank and I are doing fine.. me better than frank as you probubly guessed.. poor guy.. but I hope all is well.
ciao

Leaving.. soon

Ok so I got a late start due to issues out of my control.. supposedly I90 east is closed in Snoqualmie Pass but I can't find it on the WDOT road construction site so maybe the radios or wrong or the DOT.. I'm betting on the DOT since they update their website every other decade.. anyway so it's 6.45 I'm hoping to leave by 7.30 and if I can't get my act together by then than I'm leaving tommorow. I hate trips like this.
FRank hates his little bungalo I got him for the trip won't even get in it. He's also confused as to what is going on. Hopefully I'll make it to Billings today.. We'll see.

About to Leave.

Hi all,
It's Wendsday July 12th, and I am about to leave for the East Coast AGAIN! This time I am on my own, just me and Frank. Ala Steinbeck Travels with Charlie. Although our journey is much shorter and Frank and I will not travel so as many places, I plan to share my journey with you through this blog. I leave tomorrow from Seattle heading East on I90, I have to wonder what I90 looked like in Steinbeck day, or even if it was their at all. I will stay in Billings MT for my first night and my first day of driving will be about 12-13 hours depending on traffic , weather, etc.. From I90 I will take I94 on friday to Saint Paul, MN. I've never been to saint paul so I'll have to tell you about it when I get their. It's sad leaving Seattle again, but a future is calling and although a part of my heart will always belong to Seattle I have to hope that I will find people like the people that I have come to love here. But no one will replace the wonderful freinds I have found in Seattle. I'm going to Virginia to follow my dream of an education and a life with horses. But Frank and I will report back tommorow before we leave, we plan on leaving early around 4 am. Thats all for right now.
Ciao