12/02/2000
Ok, ok - I admit it. I've just been too brain dead for the last month
and a half to get motivated to keep everyone up to date. Plus, Internet
connections have been a little more difficult this time. But, now, I've
got no excuse. We are in Myrtle Beach, SC, and the phone lines come
right in to the RV, so we have great Internet connectivity.
For the last month and a half, we've been working on our great circle of
the US. We've been through Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa,
Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York,
Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
North Carolina, and now South Carolina, on our way to Georgia, Florida
and then points west. We're slightly more than 1/2 way on elapsed time,
and on mileage we've covered almost 6,000 miles so far.
Highlights:
- Zion and Bryce Nat'l Parks in Utah. If you've never been there, go.
- Driving 180 miles at 5AM over a mountain pass in an ice storm in the
RV, as we sped toward the Provo, Utah trauma center (the nearest major
hospital) for Cordula, after a branch jabbed her in the eye as she was
walking the dogs on a rainy night. You could actually see the cut on the
surface of her eye, just by looking at it. It turned out to be a badly
scratched retina, and healed itself after a week. The doctors were
unimpressed with the severity - said that you could do some amazing
things to your eye, and it would come back fine.
- Catching up with my parents in Grand Junction, Colorado for a few
days, as they were headed west, toward California, on their own cross
country journey (we Farbers just can never stay home).
- Visiting Madison, Wisconsin. What a great city! Beautiful setting on
two large lakes, lots to do, a great university town, tons of
neighborhood shops and restaurants, the home of a boyhood legend (Yellow
Jersey Bike Shop - it still exists and thrives!). Too bad it gets about
8 feet of snow in the winter.
- Pittsburgh, PA. Our good friends Barry and Elaine Silverman live
there. Our original plan to park in their driveway for a few days fell
through when the old narrow roads and stone walls didn't let us in. We
almost couldn't get out of their little street - took almost an hour to
make the last turn - thereby creating a neighborhood event, blocking the
street, and nearly requiring us to tear down a stone wall to get out.
We ended up parked in front of the cemetary where the famous robber
barons are buried, and had a great time with the (living) neighbors who
were quite amused to have a big RV parked on their street.
- Connecticut - parked in front of my parents' house while they were in
California. Used to their cable TV to watch the crazy election. Family
friends Fran & Ed Cohen gave us a nice brunch, while other friends came
over. Also had a rewarding visit with Greg Cohen in NY where I got to
see the really interesting alternative public high school he "runs".
- Northampton, MA. This could be the future home of Cordula and Steve.
Very nice college town. We saw lots of real estate - at about 1/5 the
price of Bay Area, and a property we may make an offer on. Haven't
fully decided yet about the move to there. Northampton has been called
Harvard Sq. of the West. 5 colleges & universities, tons of
restaurants, boutiques and shopping. We saw property only 10 minutes
from central Northampton/Amherst in a very rural away - seems to have
the best of all worlds (except it would be nice to be warmer in the
winter). Just 90 miles to Boston, 2.5 hours driving to NYC.
- Newton, MA. Stayed with cousins Neal and Varda in Suburban Boston an
extra day, after we discovered Bolo chewed up headlight wires under the
dashboard. Thanks to Neal for driving to Home Depot for electrical
parts. A nice visit and a chance to catch up with family. Dinner at
their house on Friday night included the Surgeon General of the Israeli
Air Force who is taking classes at Harvard Bus School. He's also an
active and accomplished helicopter gunship pilot, and had lots of
stories about recent activities (And you thought you had an impressive
resume).
- Annapolis, MD & Washington DC. Weather turned bitter cold but RV held
up fine. This area is too big for us to live in, but interesting to
visit. We went to Capitol Mall on Thanksgiving, saw the monuments,
Arlington, White House, etc.
- Virginia. Spent 2 nights at Colonial Williamsburg - saw how they
lived in 18th century. I like it in the 21st century better.
Overall, trip is going much more smoothly than first trip. No vet
visits. No RV problems. Weather has been more challenging - we are
leaving Myrtle Beach tomorrow AM, in advance of oncoming snow, and keep
moving south.
I'll try to do better in Georgia and Florida, and will report in from
New Orleans!
- steve & cordula -