We had made it to Milan, Ohio (exit 118) at the end of Day 1 and stayed in the Super 8 hotel. I am fond of Super 8 and Red Roof Inns because they are cat friendly. My person likes these two hotels in particular because they are convenient to the Four Monks Italian restaurant – an oasis of simple good food and wine amidst the culinary desert of I-80.
Speaking of food and wine, my suggestion to cat friendly hotel owners is this – a kitty hospitality basket. After a long day on the road, a little organic catnip, a can of Pounce, some fresh litter, bottled water, and something intriguing to play with after we get bored of smelling all four corners of the room, would mean a great deal. Think about it: happy cat people, less yowling, more sleep.
After our refreshing night of sleep, we skirted around Cleveland and, soon after, dipped into a wonderful gorge – the Cuyahoga River Valley – giving us a little taste of the geological wonders that awaited us in Pennsylvania. We also encountered “long scary truck.” Who decided that a big truck could safely pull th
ree long trailers down a highway at 65 mph? Watching these things slide and shift from side to side is, well, scary.Did I mention that it rained through much of our trip? But on Day 2 of the drive, the clouds and the fog were quite wonderful.
Pennsylvania was a treat. Eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania have a lot in common – they are both dominated by the Ohio River Valley. As we drove further east on I-80, we met the impressive Appalachian Mountains – long wrinkly folds of hills running kitty corner from northeast to southwest.
The pictures we took didn’t do them justice but the clouds were quite wonderful and the rain had slowed to a light drizzle. Midway through the eastern half of the state we crossed the Susquehanna. As Midwesterners with experience in big rivers, my person and I were, nevertheless, again impressed by this winding big river.
When we hit New Jersey, almost eight hours after our driving day began, I had had enough. I relaxed in the back seat for the remainder of the trip, even though the Delaware Water Gap was ahead. I only came up to announce to my driver that I was ready to be home as we crossed the George Washington Bridge.
It was midnight by the time we navigated the twists and turns of the NYC expressway system, made the drive along the spine of the fish toward the lower end of the tail, and landed in the little house. At last, we were home on our island on an island.
I have instituted a six month moratorium on car travel for me and for Alex.
