Day #7. Homeward bound

So we're off, Lagniappe and I. Heading back for the Lair after a week of fun and adventure. The van was cleaned out and re-packed, and once he saw me packing, he continued to bolt outside and wait by the doors, insisting on being loaded himself. He wasn't about to get left behind if he could help it. And once on the road, he settled into his favorite spot on the rear bench seat where he could snooze or look out the windows.

We rolled down into Ohio and hit US-2 across, running it from Oregon to the Lorain/Elyria exits. Enroute we saw this truck which served as a good reminder of why it's probably not a good idea to hire dyslexics to put the labels on your trailers. But maybe that's how they do things in Youngstown, OIHO.


As I went on, I had time to reflect on the trip. I should also mention that it was Aaron's birthday the previous day. Happy Birthday, guy! I give the guy a hard time about a lot of stuff, one of the things being about his near-obsession with newfangled technological felgercarb like his blackberry, his bluetooth phone and especially his GPS, which he absolutely refuses to drive without. (Dude, they have these things called "maps". They're actually printed on paper and have all the info you'll ever need. Check one out sometime.) Now admittedly his GPS was handy for determining that my old but apparently well-maintained van was capable of running at 103 mph one afternoon when we were--as usual--late getting back to his house and anticipating the wrath of his long-suffering, once-tolerant wife Natasha (aka: Hurricane Tash.) But other than that, gadgets like that just get you in trouble by distracting you from the road and by creating a false sense of security. I'm certain that all of these gizmos are working in collusion and once mankind is all dependent on them they'll all break down or shut off at once, instilling global panic and of course maniacal laughter and a chorus of "We told you so" from the small minority that I belong to who have and will always eschew such nefarious devices. I have never trusted technology, not since the movies "Wargames" and "The Terminator" came out and exposed the plot of the machines. That's why I prefer old cars, old guns, and other low-tech, proven gear.

Moving on, we crossed into PA again and hit the two-lanes. We headed for Altoona and stopped by the National Park Service's Allegheny Portage Railroad center. This was a continuation of the rail line we first saw at Staple Bend on the way up. Although slow, inefficient, expensive and dangerous (it killed or injured passengers and employees weekly), it was still an important link in the transportation network of the 1800's. Read more about it here.

I then got suckered into nearby Gallitzin, lured by the promise of signs pointing to "tunnels". Now I like tunnels and all things underground, so I followed them until they led to a small park--no dogs allowed yet--that overlooked a 3,600 foot train tunnel through the mountain.

That's it? This is what I came for? Well-played, Gallitzin. You got me to bite. I did of course note the smaller, closed tunnel just to the left of the main two-track tunnel. In older days, that fence wouldn't have kept me out, and to be honest, the prospect of a mile-long hike in the dark still sounds good. Now if I can just get Aaron down here without his wife suspecting...

Lagniappe and I continued on, meandering along the two-lanes and just taking in the sights of small-town real America. A drive that should have taken eight hours was stretched into almost 14, but it was fun and relaxing and definitely worth it.

Now we're home, and getting things cleaned up. And I promise that I'll work harder on keeping the regular updates coming.