VA
STS Hop 4: Manheim PA to Lorton VA
161 miles via I-76, US 15, I-270, I-495 (MD and VA) and I-95. This was, for the most part, a familiar trip on familiar roads. We have done it before, most notably on our GTW way back in 2012. US 15 in MD is memorable as the site of our very first (and very traumatic) … Continue reading
QTE Hop 4: Lorton, VA, to Foxboro, MA
This was a get-more-states-on-the-map hop. We stayed just four days at Pohick – and it warmed up after that icy start, fortunately – then did three quick trips to MD, DE and CT. It was an uneventful hop… until the end. QTN Hop 4, Day 1: Lorton, VA, to Greensboro, MD 105 miles via I-95, … Continue reading
QTN Hop 3: Roebuck, SC, to Lorton, VA
Yes, back to Lorton and the Pohick Bay Regional Park for our fourth visit. This will be the shortest of the four – just four nights this time – because we are committed to getting the MD and DE stickers on our map. These little states are hard to get to – particularly Delaware. Who … Continue reading
QTE Hop 6: Lorton, VA, to Littleton, MA
2 day, 534 miles via I-95, I-495, US 29, I-70, I-695 (near Baltimore), I-83, US 30, US 222, I-78, US 22, PA 33, US 209, I-84, I-90, I-290 (near Worcester), I-495 (near Boston) amd MA 2A. This was a grueling weekend, primarily due to the fatigue from the previous weeks, the complicated route to our … Continue reading
QTE Hop 5: Georgetown, KY, to Lorton, VA
2 days, 569 miles via I-75, I-64, I-77, I-79. I-68 and, near DC, I-270, I-495 and I-95. Day 1: Georgetown, KY, to Sutton, WV The only things that made this day difficult were the terrain – very hilly – and the rain – intermittent with occasional downpours. I was also pretty weary after the work … Continue reading
GTW Hop 8: Hillsville, VA, to Heiskell, TN
225 miles via VA 100, I-81, I-40 and I-75. Cumulative distance: 1,303 miles. It just keeps getting worse. Another day, another blowout. This one occurred at 60 mph in the middle lane of a very busy I-81 on a downhill curve near Wytheville, VA, less than 30 miles into our 225-mile journey. It was the … Continue reading
GTW Hop 7: Luray, VA, to Hillsville, VA
207 miles via US 340, I-81 and VA 100. Cumulative distance: 1,078 miles. We traveled to Hillsville for one reason and one reason only: it was just over 200 miles from Luray. We have determined that we don’t want to travel more than 230 miles in a day, that being the comfortable limit of a … Continue reading
Luray, VA, and the Shenandoah National Park
The plan for our 2-night stay in Luray, VA, was to take a leisurely road trip along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and, possibly, take in the famous Luray Caverns. But I learned that Jett is not a spelunker (her response when asked if she would like to tour the caverns was “No freaking … Continue reading
GTW Hop 6: Lorton, VA, to Luray, VA
96 miles via I-95, VA 234, I-66 and US 340. Cumulative distance: 871 miles. Our first non-ding hop! OK, it was just 94 miles, mostly over interstate, but we have done short-and-easy before and still managed to collect a ding. Let me feel good about this. The route was pleasant enough, with rolling hills lining … Continue reading
Lorton, VA
We are currently 5 days into our 7 days at Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, VA. We are spending a week here not because we love Lorton or northern Virginia (though we are growing more fond), but because the park is less than 30 minutes from the house shared by Jett’s twin sons. It … Continue reading