Thursday, March 3, 2011

Delivery to North East, PA


After a long winter of “weather,” finally a week of good driving weather predicted. Snow was melted off the driveway making it possible to pick up the unit, bring it home, hook it up, pack it up, do our Genesis Bible Study, and one last night’s sleep in our bed.

A 36 ft Winnebago Sightseer did make it up our muddy driveway between snow banks in a dark early morning take-off. A stiff south-east wind, but clear roadway once we turned off the gravel road.

Partly cloudy sky is highlighted with shades of pink and mauve as the sun rises. Not much traffic. The effects of warm weather are visible. Bare ground in the fields and some open water in the rivers.

Praising our Heavenly Father as we sing along with our Ball Brothers gospel music CD. Crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois heading to Chicago. Chunks of ice are floating down the river. No barges in sight.

It is definitely not the “peak” travel season. The Rest Stops have very few cars, even Flying J was not busy, mostly trucks. The tree trunks have collars of brown where the snow has melted. Snow banks along the highway are a dirty grey.

Into Indiana loosing an hour as we cross out of central standard time. Large snowbanks and more snow cover everywhere as we travel east of Chicago on the toll road.

Into Ohio. Deer are grazing in the open fields. Flat farmland with neat farmsteads as far as you can see on the horizon. Two-story houses, large barns, sheds, silos and grain bins. No activity gives us the feeling that everyone is hibernating! One area has large hip-roof barns with 3 ends. A short barn is built from the side of a longer barn. Would be interesting to know who built them in this area.

Listening to the Prodigal Project series in which the author writes about his concept of life after the rapture. A vivid picture of how Satan twists people’s minds with words and phrases using their desires and lusts for evil while appearing to be for good. It seemed very real when compared to what is going in our world today.

Ohio Travel Plaza on toll way near Woodville for the night. Very nice place to stay. Separate area for RV parking, warm, clean, well-lighted with several choices of food, travel information and phones available. Our LP heater did not give us any heat! Cozy in our sleeping bags, but up early and took books into plaza to read where it was warm & eat breakfast before packing up for the last leg of our delivery.

A quick fuel stop after calculating how many gallons needed to get to destination. Back on the toll way heading east with an orange/red/pink/ mauve sunrise ahead! Past the exit to Hayes Presidential Home & Museum. We enjoyed our stop there last year. Grey black snow along the edge of the highway contrasts with the pure white on the landscape.

I-480 and I-271 make it easy to get past Cleveland. Only one area of traffic congestion where 4 high ways had exit ramps! The highways are dusty white from previous salt and sand applications.

Into Pennsylvania. We are driving through rolling hills covered with trees hiding our view of the countryside. Steep valleys with streams of slushy snow and ice mixture. Black wild turkeys walking thru the woods are very visible against the white snow.

As we get near the town of North East in Pennsylvania fields of grapevines are everywhere along with signs pointing to local wineries. The town has old buildings with lots of “character!” Grapevines growing where ever there is not a house!

Dealership was easy to find. Quick check-in.

We chose state Hwy 5 along the shore of Lake Erie as the sun broke thru the clouds highlighting the ice covered lake with acres of grapevines on either side of the road. The marinas have boats shrink-wrapped with white and blue plastic sitting on the parking lot.

We found our way to the port driving past large old brick buildings in Erie. The flagship, Niagara, calls this her home port, but she is getting some major “fixing up” this winter. The Maritime Museum is only open on the week-ends during the winter. Bummer! We did walk down to the edge of the lake. A small light house was sitting on the island across the ice covered water. Fishing houses dotted the lakeshore. A large ore boat and tug were sitting next to the dock for repairs. Behind us the sun was shining on the golden dome and cross of an Orthodox church built on a cliff overlooking the port.

Headed west and home with only one detour! Name was selected by Bennett Drive-Away office for a random drug test and directed to a clinic in downtown Cleveland, Ohio during after work commuter time! Thanks to our Garmin we found it and thankfully we were in the Saturn and not the motor home!

A Texas Roadhouse restaurant was near our motel, but full with people waiting. That left only an Italian restaurant or The Boneyard! Decided to give it a try. Excellent ribs, wonderful cole slaw and of course sweet potato fries are always delicious. Potato cheese soup was tasty. Bone décor is not so much appreciated. You can enjoy any sport you like on the dozens of overhead large screen TV’s!

Surprise! The snow banks beside our driveway had disappeared while we were gone. Can’t be very long until warm spring weather arrives, can it??

Thanks for traveling with us,

Prairie Schooners