SNOW AND ICE BEGONE! NORTH CAROLINA WARMS US!

Saturday, January 4, 2025

Fairfield Inn
Erie, Pennsylvania to Elkin, North Carolina
Snow much of the way, 32F

 

Skyline Drive, Erie

January 4, 2025

8:22 a.m.

Thankfully TK keeps good track of the weather, especially when he spied a winter storm that would push toward West Virginia and Virginia on Sunday, our original departure date.  I’m more of a “the weather is what the weather is” kind of gal.  Since we were already packed, we left Erie this morning at 8:22 a.m. with a temperature of 20⁰ F and snow flurries threatening more Lake Effect snow.

The roads finally improved around Mercer, with mostly dry roads from then on.  We still saw some snow on the fields as we passed through West Virginia into Virginia. 

Here we are, West Virginia!

We stopped for lunch and our traditional “TK made” delicious pita sandwiches stuffed with tuna at the Walmart parking lot in Flatwoods, WV.  We bypassed the Fiesta Outlet in Flatwoods this time, hard to do, but our dear daughters in law have enough Fiesta dinnerware to open a small store.

West Virginia

January 4, 2025

I opted for only one sandwich for lunch because I must lose 8 pounds by Thursday so I can fit into my artful leggings. I texted Friend Donna to make sure she brought hers—she replied that she did, mentioning that we better wear them early in the cruise before they truly do not fit. Our dear friends Donna and Lawrence (Wisconsin) and Gwenda and Colin (England) are joining us on this cruise, and we are excited to see them!

With TK’s skillful driving through the windy roads and hills of West Virginia, we arrived in Elkin, North Carolina, about 500 miles from Erie, by 5 p.m.

TK is tired from expertly handling the GMC Sierra, and with snowy roads, crossword puzzles, a James Patterson book, small towns, pit stops at Flying J and Pilot, hawks soaring in the sky, creeks, rivers, New River Bridge, some ice, drivers who are nailbitingly careless, and Casey Kasem’s top 100 of 1978, I am tired too.  [More credit is obviously due to TK!]

After corralling our luggage into our room at Fairfield Inn, we had dinner--the other pita/tuna sandwich!

Dear Readers, here we go again!!

 

 

A COLD WINTRY TRIP TO ELKINS, NORTH CAROLINA!

Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Fairfield by Marriott
Elkins-Jonesville, NC
27F

 

TK's very dirty truck--he keeps it so immaculate

with a wash every other day at home

Flatwoods, WV

Awakened by “Travelin’ Man” by Ricky Nelson this morning, I jumped out of bed anxious to get on the road. TK has been asking “Alexa” to play a favorite song each morning for my wakeup call since just before Covid. I love that he does that.

Packed and ready to go, last minute details attended to like turning down the heat, turning off the water to the Great Room, and travel mugs filled with coffee, and we were in the truck before 8:30 a.m.  Erie’s temperature was 11F.

For an hour and a half, the driving was not good. Snowplows and salt trucks were on the roads. Wisps of snow blew across the nearly plowed highway; visibility was between 2 car lengths and 10 car lengths.   I realized my hands were clenched and I did not dare talk to TK. The news played on the radio.

By New Castle, Pennsylvania, conditions improved somewhat, and I relaxed enough to start doing crossword puzzles and reading magazines.  TK kept on driving, that old driver of big fire engines was not daunted!

Welcome to West Virginia

"Almost Heaven"

By the time we crossed the border into West Virginia we had only seen one car in a ditch (except for the car on Grandview and Zuck when we left).  Our route is always I-79 to Route 19 to I-64 to I-77 S.  As we passed the Monongahela National Forest, I was comfortable enough to observe the snow laden tree limbs, icicles on rock “shelves,” and the slushy roads.   This was Civil War country! TK observed that some of the travelers on the road were probably returning from the Bills/Steelers game.

As an aside, my nephew R works at that national forest. I am not sure what he does there, but I know he has an important job. The Monongahela National Forest, established in 1920, covers over 920,000 acres/10 counties and is considered one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the United States. In 2023, the Forest contributed two pine trees (The People’s Trees) for the White House and the U.S. Capitol for Christmas.

At 1 p.m. we stopped in Flatwoods to go to the Fiesta store. We were good and only bought two mugs for TK. Our daughters in law have benefited from our many stops here, but they have plenty of dishes now. 

We love this Fiesta Store

We ate our tuna fish pita sandwiches—TK’s specialty when we travel—in the Walmart parking lot nearby. No stop at New River Gorge this year.

TK and his special tuna pita

We were hungry! No time for breakfast!

Now I was really getting comfortable, the weather was not so threatening. I read articles about colonial meat and seafood preservation in the American Spirit magazine (May/June 2022) and how deputy husbands (wives) kept the fires burning while the men were fighting for the American Revolution (American Spirit, Nov/Dec 2020)—catching up on my magazines.

By the time we reached Ingleside, West Virginia, it had warmed up to 18F as we drove to the songs of Sirius 70s music,  “Ain’t No Sunshine Since You’re Gone,” “Layla,” Cat Stevens, and so on, all helping to pass the time.

Good thing we did not  forget our E-Z Pass!

By almost 4 p.m. we were in Virginia for a gas stop, and at 5 p.m. we were driving into North Carolina.  Hardly any evidence of snow, a few splotches, and a warm 27F when we checked into the hotel.  We ate another tuna sandwich and after that I went to the lobby for a DAR Zoom meeting while TK decompressed.

It’s almost time for bed! After nine hours on the road, we are tired. It was a good day thanks to TK’s safe driving!

 

TK’s Takes: West Virginia keeps its roads up better than Pennsylvania.

ON THE ROAD 2023, FIRST LAYOVER: NORTH CAROLINA!

 

Fairfield Inn & Suites
Elkin, North Carolina
Monday, January 23, 2023
Erie, PA:  31F; Elkin, NC: 35F

 

This is what we are leaving!

The white GMC Sierra was loaded and ready to roll by 8:15 a.m. After filling our coolers and coffee cups, we were on the road to I-79 to begin another adventure.  The last time we drove to Florida for cruising was December 2019 for our New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles and the 2020 Panama Canal trip back to Fort Lauderdale. It is great to be on track again after Covid and other things!

There was snow on ground, but the roads were good---this winter has been mild except for the snowstorm we missed in November while we were in Europe.

 

Fiesta Outlet in Flatwoods, West Virginia

TK is a very good driver and soon enough we were in Flatwoods, West Virginia for a stop at the Fiesta Outlet. The colors are wonderful, and I could not resist buying a couple of butterscotch and blue dishes and bowls for my dear daughters in law. We decided to eat TK’s world famous tuna sandwiches while parked there—for years and years tuna sandwiches have been our go to lunch on the road to Florida.  

 

Our traditional selfie at New River Gorge National Park

New River Gorge, West Virginia

The beautiful New River Gorge Bridge

We just had to stop at New River Gorge, another tradition—it is so beautiful with the dusting of snow.

Finally, at 5:15 p.m., nine hours on the road, we arrived at our hotel for the night. This year we are taking four days to drive to Fort Lauderdale instead of our usual three.

TK's Takes:  He was grouching about road construction in West Virginia. There was a lot going on. The temperature fluctuated between 29F and 35F.   Hopefully it will get warmer as we travel further south.