Author Archives: Sparky
“The Fallen” by David Baldacci
Copyright 2018 by Columbia Rose, Ltd. Published by Hatchette Book Group, New York. This is #4 in the series (currently 7 in number) of Memory Man novels by Baldacci. The “memory man” is Amos Decker, a former pro football player who, due to receiving a brain injury on a blind-side hit, lost his career and … Continue reading
TS_12 Hop 3: Acworth GA to Brooksville FL
449 miles via I-75, FL 121 and US 19 with a break at the Ellis Brothers Pecans in southern GA. Cumulative route miles: 1662. Cumulative auto miles: 1745. We made two shopping trips in GA that accounted for over 20 extra miles. This was an easy trip in terms of navigation: just get on I-75 … Continue reading
TS_12 Hop 2: Manteo NC to Acworth GA
617 miles via US 64, I-85, I-285 (north of Atlanta) and I-75 with a fuel stop near Rocky Mount NC, an attempt to visit the Family Dollar corporate office in Charlotte NC (more on that below) and some zig-zagging on local roads in NC. Cumulative route miles: 1213. Cumulative auto miles: 1263. I will never … Continue reading
TS_12 Hop 1: Worcester MA to Manteo NC
616 miles via I-90. I-84, I-91, CT 15, Hutchinson Parkway, Cross-County Parkway, I-87, I-95, DE 1, US 113, some back roads into NC, US 50, US 13, I-64, VA 168, US 158 and US 64 with a refueling stop in Carney’s Point NJ and a couple of bio breaks. This was a LONG day of … Continue reading
TS_12 preview
The twelfth trip south (TS_12) will be, in many ways, the reverse of TS_11. It will take a week and most (but not all) of the nights will be with family and friends. But there will be a bit of sightseeing on this trip – two days in the Outer Banks of NC. Then there … Continue reading
A week in Worcester MA
Our home for a week in Worcester MA was the home of my brother-in-law, Ray, and his lovely wife, Kim. It was mostly a stay-at-home week, but the main reason for even being in MA was my 55th college reunion. Or, more specifically, a fraternity reunion that coincided with my 55th college reunion. There were … Continue reading
TN_12 wrapup
This was a quick trip north. No sightseeing. Just a few days with friends and family. By the numbers: Highlights: Lowlights: Planned and actual routes: The greatest deviations from the plan occurred north of Brooksville FL where we didn’t get on ether I-75 or I-10 and north of Dumfries VA where we took a westerly … Continue reading
TN_12 Hop 3: Montclair VA to Worcester MA
576 miles via VA 234, VA 28, VA 7, US 15, I-83, I-78, I-287, I-95, I-495 (west of Boston), MA 9 and US 20. Auto miles 596. Cumulative hop miles: 1611. Cumulative auto miles: 1631. The 20 non-hop miles were due to a trip to the casino near Montclair VA. This was another very long, … Continue reading
“The Forgotten Man” by Marcus Miller
Copyright 2017 by Marcus Miller. Self-published. This is the first of a series of 6 “forgotten man” books by Miller. The forgotten man is cast in the image of Jack Reacher – an iconoclast loner who roams the world, carrying few possessions, owning nearly nothing. But trouble finds him and he has an almost supernatural … Continue reading
TN-12 Hop 2: Brooksville FL to Montclair VA
This was a LONG day of travel – over 14 hours door-to-door. 839 miles via US 19, FL 24, US 331, US 301, I-95 and VA 234 with a short detour near Savannah GA, several construction delays, fueling stops in FL and NC and a lunch break in SC. Total miles: 1042 Total hop miles: … Continue reading