A Quick Trip

It's taken me several days but I think I'm finally starting to recover from a whirlwind visit to West Virginia. I left my house around 5:15 on Sunday morning and I got back somewhere around 7:30 on Monday night. In between,I was able to see the great play and I got to spend a little time with Rachael.

I drove down and back with my sister, Laura. I think the last time I went on any kind of a trip with her was with the whole family - and that is probably around 45 years ago- maybe more.

It was good to see Rachael. And as I mentioned, we got to see her in an excellent play. Afterwards we went out to dinner and then went our separate ways for the little that remained of the evening.

The following morning we went to Antietam National Park. It was a short visit and one I wouldn’t mind making again someday, but I needed to get back, so we only spent an hour or so there.

We brought Rachael back to her room and left for the long, long ride home. Here are a few exciting pictures...

 Spotted this sign when we made a pit stop on the way down. Luckily, it took under thirty minutes to use the bathroom. Although, technically, it looks like the thirty minute rule only applies if you're "consuming food". I see no mention of bathroom restrictions.

 The lavish suite wasn't quite ready when we arrived, so Laura and I killed some time at a nearby grocery store. I had hoped to find some slices of country ham to bring back, but no luck. They did, however, have six-packs of crabs. Unfortunately, I'm not a crab eater.

 We killed a little more time by walking through town. Here's a picture of Laura taking a picture of a street.

 Here's a picture of Laura taking a picture of some birdseed.

 Finally, it was check-in time. Note that this was a deluxe room, which included something they called a "Q Shower".

 After checking in, it was off to see the play.

 Here's a picture of Laura taking a picture of a wall.

 After the play, we went to dinner. And after dinner, Laura played pinball.

After dinner and after pinball, it was time to go back to the hotel. A thunderstorm was rolling in and there were flashes of lightning everywhere. See that cloud? Picture it with flashes of lightning. Cool, right?

On Monday, we went to Antietam. The day was starting off hot. Sunday had been in the mid-nineties. Monday was predicted to be hotter. Here's a picture of Rachael defending her patch of shade from Laura.

And lastly, here's a picture of the battlefield, looking South.

And from there, we headed home.