We drove North for Thanksgiving rather than flying primarily because we prefer road trips to planes, but it also worked out to be far less expensive (approx. $250 for gas round trip) and a few nights in hotels along the way. We didn’t get any snow as hoped for, our chances being slim in Oxford for any flurries this Winter, but had a great time and got to catch up with family and friends. Was really nice to see everyone but the speed which time passes can be easily noted in the changes the children go through when you don’t see them on a regular basis; growing up so fast, as we are finding out ourselves. Our intended first stop was Asheville, NC to stay with a cousin, but after getting on the road later than we had hoped we bypassed NC and continued on until both drivers were fading … which ended up being a Hampton Inn in Lexington, VA – a solid 12 hour drive. We woke up slowly the next morning to a breakfast of bagels and black tea before setting off for Jeff Doyle’s house in Ridgefield, CT. Passing Washington, DC and NYC along the way, we got to Ridgefield seven hours later as Jeff was getting off of work and, after an emergency stop on the side of the highway, arrived with time for a quick dinner, some poetry and pictures before bed. It was only a few more hours to Adams and good to be back in the Berkshires.
The return trip was far less enjoyable then the drive up. Just below the Mason-Dixon line, I began to show symptoms of the flu and a few hours later it was an unplanned stop in Roanoke to try and recover. Not as far as we had intended to drive, but a solid ten hours. Not feeling much better in the morning but far less in my stomach, we drove about six hours to Nashville, TN where, after a short nap in the Doubletree downtown, we drove just down the street to catch Trevor Hall for a $10 show – Sophia’s first live concert out of the womb (click HERE to read about her first concert while still in the womb). He put on a great show as always and we left feeling a little better and inspired. The Pancake Pantry across from Vanderbilt was calling our name in the morning and I was able to eat a meal for the first time in a couple of days. Some poking around and then back on the road for the final four hours home.
Altogether, we drove roughly 2700 miles and covered twelve states. Not a bad drive at all. Sophia was probably the best passenger out of the three of us, sleeping most of the time and not complaining a bit about being strapped into her car-seat all day.
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