A Rest at the Park - And Still No WIFI - Day 13

September 2, 2014 Tuesday - Day 13

I woke about 8:15 this morning and decided to get up. I knew today I could catch my breath and do some writing. The kids were sound asleep when I went to the van. Last night my laptop computer bit the dust. The brain still works, but the connector to the plug is faulty. I was supposed to have been repaired, but I guess the man at the computer shop thought it was the plug and not the computer itself, so the battery died. So now I have my great big Apple computer to work with. I can only imagine what people will think when I go into free public wifi spots with that thing! I brought it, so we could watch an occasional movie at the end of a long day. Ha! We have not seen a relaxing evening yet! (smile)

About thirty minutes into my writing, as I was sitting there in my tank top and pajama bottoms, my heart about stopped when I saw a police cruiser slowly drive into the parking lot, up the hill, turn around, and then pass on out again. Last night’s brush with the law was enough to last me a lifetime! 

About 11:00 AM every one was up, and I was starting to pack up the caravan to go, when I saw a police car pull up beside my caravan, and an officer got out. He asked me how my night was, and knowing I was parked somewhere that was closed from 10PM-6AM, I didn’t know if he was being sarcastic, so I asked, “Are you the same police officer from last night?” To which he replied with a nod, “I am.”

I gestured with my hands and said, “My stress level is a little high.” Spitting to his left, he said, “Why is that?” He was wearing dark sunglasses, so I was at a disadvantage, but I decided since he was acting so casually that I would respond in kind. I told him I had seen a police car earlier and I had been concerned I would be questioned again. 

He said he had informed the nightshift at the station of my presence and that it was only him driving by. Now that we were on such friendly terms I said, “You work a long shift.” He replied, “I get off at midnight. I was back at work at 7:00.” 

He then asked me if I was going to Findlays State Park, as he suggested the night before. He reiterated how pleasant it would be there and it would be a fine place to take a day off. He really did seem concerned about our well-being.

Leaving the Reservoir

The playground was a refreshing change from all the hustle and bustle of the last twelve days. The children played on the equipment, rode scooters, chased each other around, and just let loose. I spent the time going through 852 photos, deleting many and cleaning up the rest. I know that once I am home I won’t have time for writing up this story, and since my journaling is typed up after the day is done, it works for everyone. 

A work truck drove up at one point when I was writing, and knowing that this campground was for people actually camping at the site, I was prepared to be ousted. And honestly, due to the situation with the police officer, I was probably a little more nervous that I would normally have been. For sure!  
There were two older men in the truck, one Black and one Caucasian. They asked if I was looking for a campsite, and I explained briefly my situation. No, I was not, but I had driven from BC, had parked somewhere the night before with permission, had had the police called on me, had been escorted to the Reservoir by said police officer, and he has suggested I take the day off here before heading off again. 

Their eyes popped open wide when they heard I had been kicked out by the police, and the Black gentleman was so fatherly and kind. He said to me that I should just take my time and relax. Did I need water? If so, that one over there was drinking water, and over there were some bathrooms, and he just kept on telling me all I might need to know. I thanked him very much for his kindness and he told me that if ever he was traveling with his grandchildren and he got into a situation he would like to know someone would look out for his safety. What a kind man. He was just like a grandad! Later on he arrived with a frisbee for the children to enjoy! 

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About 4:30 it was time to go, and we stopped at the gas station from the night before to top off the gas tank and set the GPS. It was then that that silly machine informed me it would take me 21 hours to get to Waynesboro. I informed the kids I would be buying a new GPS. Yesterday’s lovely twelve hour drive through the country-side was bad enough, and the thought of another day like that was more than I could handle. 

It was then that I thought the word ‘scenic drive’. I had been through all the settings, but had not seen the word, but it had to be in the machine, since it is a setting on all GPSs. I told Courage to look at it, as he was the main one using it, and it had to be set to scenic route, since that was certainly what we were on. It didn’t take him much fiddling around with the GPS before he turned sheepishly to me, and announced that we had been on the bike path. Honestly, there was nothing we could really do but laugh!

Getting Into Traffic

Thought This Was the Cutest Picture

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After a harrowing, white knuckle drive through about twenty miles of road construction with darkness descending on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, we arrived in Somerset, Pennsylvania, at 8:45PM. Even though we had a late start today and a restful morning, the toll of putting 3200 miles behind us in twelve days with no time off if beginning to take effect. I am looking forward to the next few days where I can begin to solve a few problems. I won’t be doing any long distance driving until the 6th.

Yesterday, after we discovered we were on a bicycle path and we solved that problem we found the route much more direct! No doubt! And there I was wondering why I was maneuvering around a steady flow of bikes!

The only real difficulty was when the GPS told me to take the I77; and the actual road name turned into I76, so I followed the I77 and my GPS panicked and called out, “Recalculating! Recalculating!” and I knew the box brain had done it again. After taking the wrong exit I found my way through a neighbourhood, and then back onto the I76.

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I really felt like today should be an easy drive, so I was looking for campgrounds on the side of the freeway. With all of the lovely country-side I thought they would promote camping as they do in British Columbia. Mile past mile and I saw nothing. My hope was for a shower and wifi; I would settle for wifi and a large bathroom sink. 

I was still a fair ways away from Somerset, and darkness was falling when the road construction began. To keep myself calm It was fine at first, but then the roads got very narrow. One side of the road was raised higher than the other, and with no shoulder on the right, at times I was pressed to straddle the centre line. To add to this, it began to rain lightly, but with enough force as to keep my windshield wipers going continuously. God showed his mercy and held the truckers off my side of the road and only two passed me. Meanwhile, on the other side, there was a steady stream of trucks lumbering by. I have no idea how they manage to stay on the roads!

Eventually, I made it past the construction and the signs referred to a Service Station coming up. It was in actuality a truck stop with about four hundred trucks in it! I pulled in there and thought my luck had changed. They had wifi! 

The Big Boys

And More Neighbours

Can They Be More Obvious? 

Me Smuggling in My Very Large 'Laptop"

My Private Computer Room That Never Worked Out

The Kids Writing Their Journals

We went in and found that yes, wifi, no showers, but they did have coffee. Then after 60 minutes of trying to hook up, I gave up. There was no wifi connection for me. So frustrating. I went back to the trailer and we all went to bed!