TTN Hop 6
Going through PA is the lesser of two evils: the other choice would be to go through NJ, which we will avoid at any cost due to the traffic and the tolls. But we don’t like PA much, either. The roads are rough and there are hills.
We had a lot of rough roads and hills on this hop. Plus a 5-mile section of stop-and-go (mostly stop) traffic on I-83 due to construction. We made it, but it wasn’t much fun. There were a few nice vistas on I-83 – a section of road which I don’t believe we ever traveled before. But mostly we listened to a book on tape and let the miles roll by.
The refueling stop was challenging. We stopped at a Sheetz station which was much smaller than a truck stop. I had to thread my way around the back of the building to get back on the road. But I am glad I chose that stop, in MD, because the diesel prices jumped about 50 cents per gallon after we crossed into Pennsylvania.
The biggest surprise on this hop was the change in the foliage. In VA the trees were pretty much in full foliage (with lots of pollen). By the time we approached White Haven the trees were just budding. It was almost as if we had traveled through summer into fall. The temperature also dropped – from about 75 when we left Lorton to about 60 when we arrived in White Haven. Windy, too. Jett immediately closed all the windows, put on a sweatshirt and turned on the heat.
The Pohick Bay Regional Park Campground was, as always, wonderful. Our site was large, with a nice table and fire ring. We had campfires two nights, with the requisite s’mores. There were a lot of children at Pohick over the weekend – more than I have ever seen there before – but they were, for the most part, well-behaved. We did our laundry and ate out with family many times. Too many times. I gained about 5 pounds during the week.