Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska
New member
the rest of my trip, after leaving David's house, was actually pretty mundane. The trip with David from Alaska was interesting and fun; sub-zero temperatures, icy roads, snowed-in mountain passes, and an abundance of wildlife made for interesting driving. Being able to talk to someone while on such a long trip helps make the time go faster, even though we didn't know what we were talking about half the time... mostly just delirious babbling from lack of sleep.
I left David's in the morning, and headed towards Boise, Idaho. I was going to make a connection with Interstate 80, heading east. I have a sister who lives in North Platte, Nebraska, and 80 runs right by there. This is the second time I've crossed Wyoming. I've decided that the only thing they have done in Wyoming in the last 150 years is string up some barbed wire fence.
The next day, I got to my sister's house and stayed 2 days, visiting and catching up on sleep. When I left her house, I went through Omaha and dropped down into Kansas City, and through St. Louis and Louisville. Basically, it was just a lot of boring, all day driving. I was having a lot of trouble with pain in my hips from sitting so long; when I stopped for gas, I could hardly walk when I first got out of the truck. I thought oh great, a hip replacement somewhere down the line.
The miles rolled on... finally I made it to hilly West Virginia; coal mining towns. Soon the landscape opened up, and the sign said "Welcome to Virginia". I wouldn't tell anybody this, but I actually let out a "YEEHAW!"
Coming down off the mountains there before me was the beautiful, wide, Shenandoah Valley, and across the valley, I could see the Blue Ridge Mountains. I knew I was going just the other side of them. It had been days since I had left David's house, and I was really wanting this trip to end. I got to a sign that said "Buckingham, Virginia, 3 miles". I went about another mile, and a guy steps out onto the road, and raises his hand for me to stop. Just down the road down in front of me is an overturned dump truck, laying on its side in the road. The load of gravel is strewn across both lanes. 2 miles from my destination, and I had to sit there for 2 1/2 hours while they cleared the road of the dump truck and the gravel! There was no way for me to turn around with that trailer on that narrow little road; I didn't know the roads anyway, to try and find an alternate route.
Finally, 12 days after leaving Wasilla, I pulled into the driveway of our new 210 year old house, and started unloading the trailer by myself. I carried a 35" and a 32" TV into the basement by myself... true grit. My wife and kids flew to Virginia a week later.
This was a horrendous undertaking, to tear up family roots after 30 years of living in Alaska, and move clear across the country. There was a lot of legalities and set-backs, hold-ups and wait-a-minutes in the selling and buying of the two houses, plus subdividing of the land in Alaska. Other legalities, such as getting a new septic system in as we were moving from our Alaska home (we couldn't sell our house in Alaska without a certified septic system). But we're here, and finally settled in.
[attachment 11997 dogwoodhouse.jpg]
I left David's in the morning, and headed towards Boise, Idaho. I was going to make a connection with Interstate 80, heading east. I have a sister who lives in North Platte, Nebraska, and 80 runs right by there. This is the second time I've crossed Wyoming. I've decided that the only thing they have done in Wyoming in the last 150 years is string up some barbed wire fence.
The next day, I got to my sister's house and stayed 2 days, visiting and catching up on sleep. When I left her house, I went through Omaha and dropped down into Kansas City, and through St. Louis and Louisville. Basically, it was just a lot of boring, all day driving. I was having a lot of trouble with pain in my hips from sitting so long; when I stopped for gas, I could hardly walk when I first got out of the truck. I thought oh great, a hip replacement somewhere down the line.
The miles rolled on... finally I made it to hilly West Virginia; coal mining towns. Soon the landscape opened up, and the sign said "Welcome to Virginia". I wouldn't tell anybody this, but I actually let out a "YEEHAW!"
Coming down off the mountains there before me was the beautiful, wide, Shenandoah Valley, and across the valley, I could see the Blue Ridge Mountains. I knew I was going just the other side of them. It had been days since I had left David's house, and I was really wanting this trip to end. I got to a sign that said "Buckingham, Virginia, 3 miles". I went about another mile, and a guy steps out onto the road, and raises his hand for me to stop. Just down the road down in front of me is an overturned dump truck, laying on its side in the road. The load of gravel is strewn across both lanes. 2 miles from my destination, and I had to sit there for 2 1/2 hours while they cleared the road of the dump truck and the gravel! There was no way for me to turn around with that trailer on that narrow little road; I didn't know the roads anyway, to try and find an alternate route.
Finally, 12 days after leaving Wasilla, I pulled into the driveway of our new 210 year old house, and started unloading the trailer by myself. I carried a 35" and a 32" TV into the basement by myself... true grit. My wife and kids flew to Virginia a week later.
This was a horrendous undertaking, to tear up family roots after 30 years of living in Alaska, and move clear across the country. There was a lot of legalities and set-backs, hold-ups and wait-a-minutes in the selling and buying of the two houses, plus subdividing of the land in Alaska. Other legalities, such as getting a new septic system in as we were moving from our Alaska home (we couldn't sell our house in Alaska without a certified septic system). But we're here, and finally settled in.
[attachment 11997 dogwoodhouse.jpg]
glad ya both made it home in one piece.
GREAT story guys!!thanks!!