From Florida to DC in Sixteen Hours

It's hard to believe we were in Florida yesterday morning and drove back to DC before midnight. We usually stop one night going down and coming back. But because the weather was perfect - after suffering two days from tropical storm Colin - we decided to do it all in one day. Once the sun starts to set it can be very pretty, and we definitely avoid a big traffic headache arriving later at night than any other time of  the day. There were only a couple work crews that caused a bit of a delay past Richmond and as we got closer to the city. It would be impossible to resurface roads and repaint lines during the day around here! Also big the way we only stopped  for a quick dinner in Lumberton, North Carolina and a couple times for gas and rest stops. It's probably not the best idea to drive almost 900 miles in one day. But as long as we are able to, and as long as we enjoy it, why not? This was the first trip we have taken since I retired in February.  I still have this nagging sense in the back of my mind that I still need to go back to work! Luckily it passes quickly. Maybe we need to change when and how we take these trips from now on. 

Chick-fil-A, Night Drive, South of the Border,and the Pope

We planned a visit to Florida a few weeks back. It's been three months since my Dad passed away, and we wanted to check up on Mom. We planned to leave on Wednesday this week but decided to leave on Tuesday so we would arrive before the Pope appears on Capitol Hill Thursday. We know how congested the neighborhood gets for inauguration and federal workers were told to stay home to avoid the mess. So after taking mom for breakfast this morning we left town at 11:30 and haven't stopped. We decided to make the whole trip in one swoop. We would arrive in DC around 2:00 AM and avoid the more than two hour typical delays. So to fortify our first night drive in over many, many years, we stopped at a very crowded Chick-fil-A in Florence, South Carolina. We've actually stopped here a couple times for the night in previous trips. Then we gassed up, and started the voyage back. It took a bit of getting used to, and if either one of us gets too tired we will stop. So here's hoping for a smooth ride.  How many times can you see Pedro's South of the Border in lights? Let's hope the Subaru holds up and we can find a parking space.