Final Thoughts on 2013 Road Trip - Part 1

What a great Jazz Vacation - although, we never listened any jazz.  However - we sure did live like jazz for just a little while.  3/4 of the Spivey family returned home on Monday morning (6/10/13) in time for the funeral of a great saint of the faith - Mr. Bascom Scroggs.  We left Sarah in Charleston to join the FBC youth group at M-fuge.  Since then, we have been trying to reengage in life without much desire to do so.  Below are a few final records and thoughts as we close us this year's journey!

Road Trip Memories

• Vehicle:  2011 Honda Pilot
• Miles driven:  2702 miles
• States:  13 States (and the District of Columbia)
• States without Welcome Centers:  5
• State Tags Scene:  44 States, 1 DC, and 4 Canadian tags (the Mountain West just does not travel by car to the East)
• Amount of Money Spent of toll roads:  Over $100.
• Most Expensive Toll:  $15.50 to cross the Verrazano Narrows Bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island, NY.  
• Parking:  Expensive in Boston, but glad to have it easily accessible the Boston Common.  Didn't try parking in NY
• Forms of Transportation:  Boat (Maid of the Midst in Niagara Falls), Trolley (NF State park), Train (Long Island Railroad from Port Washington to Penn Station NYC), Subway (NYC), Cab (NYC), Bus (NYC down 5th Avenue), foot - everywhere!
  
• Most stairs at one time:  294 stairs to the top of the Bunker Hill Memorial in Boston. (Marcia felt the effects for days afterward). 
• Most Uncomfortable Night:  1st night at the Sleep Inn in Beckley, WV.  They had two rooms available - a smoking room with 2 beds and a nonsmoking with 1 King.  We choose the Nonsmoking - so we had 3 people in one King and dad took the floor.
• Sketchiest Hotel:  the Rodeway Inn in Niagara Falls, NY.  The hotel lobby also served as a convenience store.  Best moment - Dad - at the front desk - on the phone with Mom - in the car - trying to decide whether to stay.  The fact that it was after 6 and we had already paid for the night won out.  Turned out to be a good hotel room - better than the first night!
• Sketchiest Drive to a hotel - but coolest history:  the Suburban Extended Stay Hotel in Winthrop by the Sea in Boston.  The GPS took us to the end of the Boston airport runways and then into a lower middle class neighborhood after dark. When we arrived - everyone asked - is this it?  It was - the hotel was in the middle of a neighborhood.  The hotel turned out to be a former Jewish Community Center with a basketball court on the 2nd floor.  Our room was extra large and we were one block from the beach.  The folks were extra nice and we loved the pure Boston accents.  
• Longest Feeling Drive - the NY turnpike traveling from Niagara Falls to Springfield, MA.We didn't get into the hotel until 12:30 AM.
  
• Longest traffic Jam:  Getting out of NY for the first time.  Traveling on the NY turnpike- we had to pay a toll before we left the state.  Got in line at 11:05 PM and there was only one lane open.  Took us 30 minutes to pay our money to leave.  
• Hardest day of travel:  NYC to Williamsburg, VA through Tropical Storm Amelia.  
• Coolest driving moment:  An unplanned drive through the deserted streets of Washington DC.  The rain from the tropical storm had cleared.  It was late evening and the light was awesome.  Had the roads to ourselves as we explored the capital's monuments.  Very cool.
• Most Memorable Meal:  Donatello's Pizza and Wings in Niagara Falls, NY.  Steve, the owner, was so kind and the food was so good - especially for a road trip.  Here is a picture of the girls trying out their NY accents behind the counter. 

• Most Memorable Character:  Antonio - We are sure this is not his real name - who was selling $1 pictures under the canopy of the Late Show with David Letterman to keep out of the rain in NYC.  He kept making us laugh.  Here's a picture below Donatellos.  
• Biggest Serendipity:  Touring with Megan Kleinert and her dad, Keith.  While we were in Niagara Falls, Sarah's best friend, Megan, texted her that she was traveling with her dad to take a car to her sister in law in
  
  Boston.  So we were all be in Boston at the same time.  Megan walked the entire Freedom Trail with us and we shared a great meal with Keith, Alex,Whitney and Megan at the Union Oyster House - the oldest continuous serving Restaurant in the US.  Then, we find out they will take Amtrak back to GA with a stop in NYC - same day we will be there.  So, we enjoy our last night in NYC together with a great meal at Ellen's Stardust Cafe on Broadway.  Best song of the night - was Georgia on My Mind!
• Best quote:  While walking down 5th Avenue 
  
  in NYC, Marcia sees the De Beers Jewelry Store (See picture - just add about 5 mean looking security guys to the picture).  So - we walk in.  We are definitely not the normal clientele - raincoats, backpacks, t-shirts.  However, the salesmen behind the counter engages Marcia.  He pulls out a trey of pink diamond rings and offers to let her try one on.  As she pulls off her diamond ring, he is telling us about the rarity and the uniqueness of pink diamonds - Marcia's is not pink if you are wondering).  As she gets it on, the man says to her:

Salesman:  "It's 1.65."

Eric:  Carats?

Salesman:  No, Millions!

Sydney (without missing a beat):  Well, what's the most expensive thing you have here?

Salesman:  The $5.5 million broach (yes, it had a 16.5 carat diamond in the middle).  

Marcia quickly took the ring off and we all said, "Thank you!"  It was a great gift to be treated like a human when the man knew full well we could never afford something so grand.  

Saddest Moment:  On the Willamsburg bus headed back to the parking lot after a long day of walking the streets and touring the houses - I told the girls that there 92 year old friend, Bascom Scroggs, had died suddenly in Cornelia.  His death put a quiet damper on the end of the trip - but we spent much time remembering him on the trip to Charleston.

Craziest Shaped Food Stand:  Twist O' the Midst in Niagara Falls.  

Wildest videoed moment:  Family car dancing to "Shake that Thing" as we passed the real exit to Charleston Southern before turning around and coming back.  It was worth the 6 second Vine video.  Here's a link if you want to see: