Day 2: Into the south

August 1, 2005
Lancaster, PA to Knoxville, TN

Today's leg was supposed to take 9 hours but ended up taking 12. No construction or traffic. Just 600 miles. I crossed through five states today: Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee.

I'm glad I got that out of the way first, though. After this, shorter trips. I must admit I did not follow Mapquest's interstates-only directions. I took Route 30 from Lancaster County through York and Gettysburg to I-81 at Chambersburg. From there I went south all the way to Tennessee where I picked up I-40, which will be my main route westward. I highly recommend Route 30 as a way to see the "real" Pennsylvania.

Lots of interesting signage, and a great mix of farms, small towns and sprawl. Plus you hit tourist destinations galore, like Gettysburg. I'm not one for battlefields, but the tiny piece I saw from the road looked beautiful as the fog started clearing.

I spent most of the day on I-81 driving through the Appalachian Mountains, from the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah to the Great Smokies. Pretty, but dull. Fortunately Rosco has decided he's game for a cross-country trip and has found a place to sleep just behind my seat in the car.

More of the extra time added onto the nine hours was spent trying to find downtown Roanoke and then finding a parking spot. No problem with the signage, just me. I thought Roanoke was a great city, at least based on the half-hour I spent there. Looked for postcards and a pie around the market area, but found neither. I was stocked up with food by Susan's mom before I left her house, so I didn't need any of the offerings of the market.

Markings of the south, fried chicken and churches, are plentiful here in Knoxville. I didn't get into downtown tonight, but drove through the University of Tenessee campus and ended up eating Italian for dinner outside overlooking the Smokies, which the waiter said were there, but couldn't be seen through the haze.

Onward to Day 3>>>

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