|
(I didn't take so many pics- but others did- here's my best for now- I will upload full size ones later)
I didn't think it was possible to love my car any more than I already did, but I do now. 
The roads Stu found for us were just perfect for Emmy, it was glorious driving and I got into the rhythm of the roads. The weather was made to order, around 80 sunshiney glad I already had my sunscreen on as we wound down and around by the canal and into the forest. Most of the time we were on the roads thru the woods- turns wiggling on those yellow signs and telling us 20 and 30 mi/per hour... I don't know how fast I was driving, it was just the right speed to have windows and top down, hair loose and the breezes felt like a light back rub. 
Jon, John and I have a new game to play on the cruises.... it's called "catch up". We let everyone get ahead and then.... vrooom vrooom :)
Emmy go vroom vroom.
OK so lunch in the Gap was beautiful but odd. There is a fairly wicked stop light that is red for a LOOOOOOOONG time
and green for a short time, which split us into 2 groups. The second group was not interested in being sectioned again so we all ran it. We munched at tables by the water- but were fenced off from the water- which was particularly disenheartening if you'd visited the "Pocono Potties" (thanks for the warning Stu!) and had no where to wash your hands. Luckily Lesley came prepared with that stuff that disenfects your hands and we all ended up "washing" with ice cubes. The other odd thing was the picnic tables were so far apart they required their own area codes. Visiting each table I found that one of our 3 cruise virgins had brought a bottle of wine and proper wine glasses. (Keith, there has been a request for wine glass holders for the Z3) at another table was a red and white checked table cloth and Darlene was serving paté at another. So if you put us all together we could have opened a little restaurant.
We pressed Tom into another panoramic shot after we had a chance to peruse eachthers new toys and and were off again.
Over the river and through the woods to grandmothers house we go....
To a scenic overlook....
Now here were have a few stories.
Most of the time people who see the parade of cars are surprized or wave and smile or say nice things like "oooooh aren't they cuuuute?" but this time we encountered a woman and her companion who not only walked into the path of our oncoming cars more than once but cursed at us as well. Perhaps she was unaware that there are actual hiking trails in the gap and she is not required to use the paved portion. I dunno, I barely missed hitting her. Can we have an "Amen" for BMW brakes?
And then there was Stu... wonderful trip planning, detail sweating Stu. See, Stu let one of us go ahead of him "Because he likes to go fast". And then Stu said, "Gee, that looks like fun" and dusted the rest of us.
Before we begin to ponder about the logic of "Because he likes to go fast" let us consider the other 18 or so of us continuing on without the leader of the group. More on that later- but Stu hon, if you decide again you would like to "go fast" let me tell you now- you will have company.
Later in the day Jon stopped to avoid a squirrel on the road and I saw the squirrel and stoppped too, and so did the car behind me and so on and so on and I thought everything was cool- but then we all heard some screetching- apparently the hot rod behind Craig and Jack didn't have BMW brakes and they nearly got hit.
Can we have an "Amen" for BMW brakes?
Speaking of the Animal Kingdom.... So Space Time Continuum, Space Mountain, SpaceBalls where the heck were we? Space Farms? Turns out to be a zoo-like experience. Kind of an exercise in animal torture really, but we saw DC's girlfriend and a real Yak (which lent a lot of color to the term "Yak Puke Green") and got to feed some animals which was a load of fun. By this time we finally caught up with Howie- the birthday boy- and Robin. They had been shut out of the first part of the trip by some horrendous traffic and went to Frenchtown anyway and followed our route which is fairly amazing. They skipped the mountain and got to Space Farms before us. So here we are hanging out under the shade of a lovely tree- surrounded by caged animals and some free range roosters so I am lying down and trying to catch half a cat nap (no cats included). Suddenly I feel something hit my thigh and thinking of the huge bees that are around I jump up with a start and brush the spot with my hand- only to find it smeared with bird poop. Oh well better me than Emmy. Again, the ever- prepared Z3'ers were on the spot- Tom and Rose with a selection of wet naps.
So, again I am washing. There was a lot of washing on this trip. One saving grace, Jon didn't have his camera. :)
Robin says its good luck to be hit with bird poop, in that case it should have happened to Howie, because as they were leaving Space Poop Farm Howie got something in his eye, and could hardly see- and his eye looked pretty gruesome as well. We also lost Dick and Pat 'cause he was pretty green around the gills. They were doing a pretty amazing job of "sweeping".
(Mike and Lesley learn about the "catch up" game)
On to the Walpack Inn, which was a really nice restaurant with a really mean owner. As we pulled in there was a nice clean line of parking spaces we were filling in 
when out of nowhere this Mercedes SUV parks in- for no apparent reason. The next line was even closer to the restaurant and just as available. To top it off, it was the owner of the restaurant. We had one irritated waitress for 3 tables of ten. The view was gorgeous the restaurant was lovely and the food was great- but don't try to get a smile out of the owner.
The Pennsylvania Z3 choir sang Happy Birthday to Howie- and as Tom and Rose's contingent was making a break for the road- we learned that Robin has to drive them back in Howie's ///M - and she hasn't driven a stick before. I am taking bets she will end up buying a Z3.
Four of us headed for Route 80 and having Tom lead the way was very much like being on a plane.... the captain has turned off the no smoking signs- but... In the dark, surrounded by deer (I am not kidding) and various other road hazards he found our way out of the Gap and we said goodbye to the fauna after one more loooooong stop at that crazy light.
They found the entrance to Route 80 east for me but last I heard on the talkabouts there was no entrance for them to go west on Route 80. That was 912pm.
My ride to the Big City was remarkably pleasant with a couple nasty bits. Route 80 was much better than 78, and Hudson Parkway was nasty nasty as usual. I was cruisin along there at one point and noticed a funny light and :::poof::: it turned red and I saw the crosswalk and wondered if I should run the light- but I checked the rearview and it was clear so I stamped on the brake and of course, stopped short of the crosswalk. Can I get an "Amen" for BMW brakes?
I drove across town on 30th street. It's apparently under repair- I was so close to home I stayed on it thinking it had to get better or couldn't get worse. I was wrong. There was one inescapeable- whaddaycallit- the opposite of a pothole where some steam vent is protruding up from the street. I managed to skirt them or go over them slowly until the very last one- it was clearly sticking up a minimum of 4 inches maybe more- but there was no way around it. I could not have been going 5 miles/hour when I took it on the driver's side and landed with a really nasty thud under my seat- but when I checked it at home it looked ok- at least the body. Then I had my second really nasty surprise. New guys at the garage who never heard of me or Emmy and had no regard for the car. One of them leaned over the hood to scribble my ticket ON THE HOOD and I nearly had a heart attack. What could I do? I handed my keys to the other new guy- who seemed a lot nicer and told him I didn't want the other guy driving her, only him. I tip the garage heavily so I didn't tip him personally but I wish I had. I was just too tired and didn't think of it.
I walked in the door at 1120 pm just about exactly 2 hours from when I said goodbye to Tom and Rose and Vert and Sue and Dave and Joanne. I guess by now they have found Route 80 west and SEE Dave I posted the pics so there! :-p
Can't wait to do it again!
Great trip, Thanks Stu and Carol and everyone.
© 1997 -
2010
Jump Internet Inc. All rights reserved.
