Tag Archives: trip

LIVE

home

state line

The trip home was an ass kicker. Thanks to holiday traffic an extra hour was added to our drive time.

By the time we hit the Missouri border my back, shoulders and legs were killing me from the stress of having to share the road with what seemed to be EVERY SHUT-IN IDIOT who suddenly got a day-pass and a drivers license. En route, we passed three major accidents and was nearly in a forth. (Thank you nimble Jetta and ABS breaks).

Wanderlust and fascination with Pennsylvania aside, it’s nice to be Home. We all let out a little sigh of relief when we turned that last bend in Illinois and saw the arch….

Sure, St. Louis is a sucking chest wound of an urban center with a thoroughly fucked city-govenment and crippled economy since the exodus and / or acquisitions of once home-based TWA, Ralston Purina and McDonnald Douglas…. (*thank God we still have Anheiseur Bush)…

…but… it’s still Home. I can drive by where my grandparents lived…. I know the back roads and the nooks and crannies of this old titan like the back of my hand.

We’re very serious about wanting to on day build a secondary home in PA, but I’ll probably always have some sort of stake in this old city…

To leave it entirely would feel like cutting out my spleen or some other trivial, yet important organ.

To blog about this would be an exercise in sentimental spanking of the monkey.

LIVE, OBSESS

coneys and root beer

the a&w of poland,… ohio

About two thirds of the way back, we take shortcut back which dumps us out very near Kevin’s sister’s house.

Passing through Poland, Ohio we spot a vintage A&W on the road and despite the ten pounds of breakfast that’s still sitting in our stomachs, I insist we must stop.

There was an identical A&W near to where I grew up in the southern suburbs of St. Louis. This one in Poland was in near-mint condition – including the gas hearth in the middle of the dining area.

The proprietors are so hip to preservation – that they even had a framed collection of the original burger wrapper / bags. The memories that hit me when seeing them nearly knocked me off my stool… I suddenly was transported back to age 5 sitting in the back of my mom’s Opal Cadet anxiously awaiting my “baby burger”.

We all had a coney and a large frosty mug of root beer and I promised I wouldn’t blog obsess about the groovy 70’s package design.

LIVE

the dump

best breakfast in Connelsville

Last day in PA, time to start our journey back home – stopping for a day layover back in Ohio with Kevin’s sister. We’re all starting to get homesick… We miss the house… the cats…. A bed with mattress and box springs.

Though this is only our second trip up to the mountains to visit Chad’s family, we’ve already created a parting-tradition. We go to The Dump for breakfast. the dump - interior

The Dump is a low-slung series of 15 x 30 shacks which appear to have been built over time and with no particular emphasis on a “master plan”. The interior is an eclectic mix of styles and local artifacts. The most consistent theme is the “No Swearing” signs posted at regular intervals.

no profanity sign

The food is nothing short of brilliant and stupid cheep. Six bucks and some change gets me an Amish Breakfast: Three eggs, homefries, nine sausage links, eight pieces of toast and gravy.

We’re distracted from homesickness upon getting on the road. It’s sad to say goodbye to PA…

Chad pilfered through his childhood bedroom though before leaving and filled a bag with old cassette tapes. Not long after getting onto the PA turnpike – we were rocking out to Men Without Hats and humming along to our favorite tracks on a copy of Depeche Mode’s Speak and Spell which had been played so many times it sounded like David Gahn was singing through a tin can.

ahhh.. Nostalgia…. Not blog worthy.

LIVE

if

our front yard?

There was just enough daylight left after waking up to take a short hike out back on Chad’s family’s property.

His folks are working on acquiring another chunk of land adjacent to their existing property – so we went fantasy home-site scouting.

We’re all pretty much sold on the “idea” of establishing a secondary residence in the mountains where we could spend part of the year, and the rest of the time in St. Louis.

“Idea” indeed.. A lot of “ifs” are in the mix there:
“If” – we could find a decent plot of land…. or
“If” – Chad’s suspicion is correct that they’d be willing to sell us a few acres of it. or…
“If” – I’m able to stir up some accounts in Pittsburgh.
“If” – etc.

Nonetheless – it was fun to hike around the mountain top and dream. It’s good to always have some sort of loose plan for the future… something to work towards.

We found the perfect site. A crest with terrific views just before the land drops off into the valley below, accented by huge exposed rocks and natural caves.

Can’t blog now – gotta fire up Illustrator and start sketching out our poor-man’s Falling Water.