Day #6 Tuesday, August 18: Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland.

(I know I’m repeating myself, but that’s the way the route took us)

Leaving Centerville, Ohio, is easier said than done… especially today where there are detour signs in any direction. But, after about 45 minutes of persevering, we had found our favorite travel medium: back roads, and we were on our way. Emma and I trade off driving. Within two hours, late night talking (et al), was taking its toll, and I napped. Unfortunately, I missed a ne’er to be repeated side-of-the-road phenomenon: fish tails and Texas bar-b-q! Now I can only imagine what that might have been like.

I was still nursing my bad fortune, when in a little non-descript town (truly I could not find a sign), was a non-descript food shack (couldn’t find a name on it either), with this sign that I couldn’t ignore. So Emma turned the car around I went to explore.

Obviously a favorite with the locals, because they knew the drill: call ahead and drop by to pick it up. For foreigners like me, we order and wait half an hour, because it’s all a la minute! I chose: hush puppies, sweet potato fries (would you like just brown sugar on that, or marshmallow cream also?), and a homemade, better-than-good apple dumpling (I didn’t see the fried green tomatoes – in season until it was too late). Everything was spot-on perfect!

Today we were enveloped in the Appalachians: curving, ascending, descending (9% grades), deciduous and evergreen – the roads seemed to go on forever and arrive nowhere in particular. And as trite as it seems, yes, John Denver was singing in my head as we wound our way through West Virginia (Emma correcting and filling in my missing words).

Emma and I have discovered there are a lot of dead people here! Truly, I’ve seen more side-of-the-road cemeteries than I’ve ever spotted on the West Coast.

And United Methodist churches! Scheesch! I’ve decided that Emma and I will make our fortune by designing a UMC app for the iPhone, so you know where they all are. But in EVERY town we go through there is at least one UMC; and there seems to be some sort of competition as to how large and obvious are their cross and flame logos.

Anyway… 12 hours later (for a 7 hour trip), we arrived in Maryland. After a diner dinner, we found Emma’s home, and sleep!