Hi Gram,
I forgot that Philly wasn’t the last of that road trip. I still had the drive home! This will be brief, but I took some pictures that reminded me of my journey home to Illinois. I drove for a while on Sunday, determined to get some distance after leaving so late. In hindsight, I should have just stayed another night at Annie’s then hit the road early Monday morning. But hindsight is never available when we’re making decisions, is it? I made it as far as Clarion, PA before I found a hotel. I’ve never heard of Clarion, and the exit didn’t give me any indication of what was to come, but man, oh man was that a nice hotel! Very clean, friendly desk staff, my room had a second door that opened onto a center indoor courtyard with a pool and billiards table, and breakfast was actual eggs and sausage, not just stale pastries and a waffle maker. After breakfast, I got on the road for a few hours before stopping to stretch my legs in Mansfield, OH.

When I got off the highway, I found a park with a duck pond. I saw a sign stating “Skating Today – Safe Ice” assuring everyone that the ice was fine… In May… When it was 75 degrees out… I think the sign was wrong. I walked around the pond before seeing an entrance to the B&O Trail that followed the old railway.

I really love these paths that follow creeks, railways, and other paths that cut through civilization and give us a chance to get the blood pumping away from car horns and city noise. After my walk, I headed over to Doc’s Deli for some lunch. The ladies working there were super friendly and we got talking about my road trip while they prepared my lunch. I had an amazing sandwich and soup combo with the Dr Phil sandwich and some roasted pepper soup before getting back on the road. A few hours later, I was back at my house in Illinois where I unpacked and headed off to bed, tired from a long day.