2025 Late-Summer Road Trip - Day 2-of-35 - August 15, 2025

Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 - Not milage-wise but certainly time-wise, this was also a longer-than-I-like Day. There are actually 2 maps for today - the straight/simple map:

and the complicated map:

NO, I AM NOT GOING TO HIT ALL THESE POST OFFICES!!

You know, there are a lot more ways to get around than on Highways and 2-lane Black-top roads:

Scenic Byways, for example:

After grabbing 5 Post Offices, I hit the Kinzua Bridge State Park - Wendy and I saw it on an episode of Massive Engineering Mistakes just last Monday:

In addition to The Walkway, they have a Visitor Center with some cool stuff (The Bridge was as high as The Statue of Liberty):

I saw fun wall-art in Kane, Pennsylvania:

I reached Saint John's Episcopal Church in Franklin, PA at 2:30 - unfortunately their office closed at 2. I guess the outside-view of their Tiffany Windows is just not as good as the inside-view:

Pennsylvania dirt roads, and Pennsylvania farms:

I wound up chasing 2 Post Offices that were (supposed to be) in Cook Forest State Park:

- the top one is a restaurant/bar, and this is the location of the bottom one:

At least I had a Really Beautiful drive!

Wonderful Campground down on the banks of the Clarion River:

The day was winding down when I saw one of the strangest "One Way" signs - I mean, isn't that where we're all heading at some point in time?

After 365 miles (and 45 Post Offices), I checked into the Super 8 in Mercer, PA:

p.s. I have to brag about today's Post Offices in Northwestern Pennsylvania:

Thank you God for this wonderful Adventure Day! That ends 2 BIG DAYS!

Music for today:

The National - First Two Pages of Frankenstein, 2023 album, last heard (in a blog) yesterday - because it sounded so good yesterday, I wanted to hear it again:

The Moody Blues - Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, 1971 album, last heard (in a blog) never - I recently ripped some Moody Blues albums, and I'm listening to them this trip:

The Moody Blues - A Question of Balance, 1970 album, last heard (in a blog) never:

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Quicksilver Messenger Service, 1968 debut album, last heard 9/19/2023. I like this, especially their take on Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" (they call it "Gold and Silver"):

Joe Jackson - Rain, 2008 album, last heard 7/05/2024 - nice Joe Jackson stuff:

Paul McCartney - Ram, 1971 album, last heard 5/20/2025. Puts a smile on my face:

The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient, 2011 album, last heard (in a blog) never. I like The War On Drugs' music a lot:

Van Morrison - Keep It Simple, 2008 album, last heard (in a blog) never. Van Morrison doing a great job with classic blues:

Taj Mahal - Giant Step, 1969 album, last heard 8/23/2023. I really like this album, with Jesse Ed Davis on lead guitar:

Al Stewart - The Best of Al Stewart, 2006 compilation album, last heard 5/27/2017. Great collection, with some live tracks:

Coldplay - Coldplay Live 2003, 2003 live album, last heard 5/22/2017 - nice album of their early stuff:

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/

2025 Late-Summer Road Trip - Day 1-of-35 - August 14, 2025

Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 - A LONG DAY, but I'm glad to be back Out On The Road. I left Home at 5:50 AM, and checked into the Quality Inn in Bradford, PA at 9 PM:

oh, and did I mention 23 Post Offices in Pennsylvania.

I recently bought a new 160 gig iPod (my primary one only holds a charge for maybe 12 hours these days, and I broke its replacement opening it trying to put in a new battery). I'm loading it with music on my MacBook Pro, but there are a number of albums I have on my old iPod that I don't have on my computer (where did they go?). So I have been going to libraries and ripping en masse. It turns out that the Palmer, MA Public Library has 4 "albums" that I want, including the 4-cd set "Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia" - so that was my first stop after my Breakfast-in-Boston:

It did take an hour, but then I was back on the highway: 90 West to 91 South to Hartford, and onto 84 West. Traffic on 84 west of Hartford is not very good - much of it is a two-lanes-in-each-direction road, but it is currently carrying three-lanes-in-each-direction interstate commerce. Add-in average highway work/construction/repair, and you get a lot of slowdowns and stops. I hit the end of it in Scranton at 3 PM, looking forward to US 6 West:

I was SO EXCITED when my iPhone showed me Dixon, PA up ahead:

I could tell it didn't have a Post Office, but it was great seeing the sign:

As a matter of fact, there wasn't even a town! Just some houses gathered together.

When it hit 96 I did turn on the AC (and close the windows):

It is always wonderful seeing the Susquehanna River:

At 4:44 I got to a really cool "Scenic Overlook":

Don't worry - Mr. Moosie and I are doing GREAT out here On-The-Road:

I was in Port Allegany, PA when I saw another Crosstrek! After I took my Post-Office-picture, I told the driver "Really Cool decal." She said "Thanks - I like yours too." (she was waiting for her boyfriend in the package store [or that's the story I tell myself]):

A great sunset at the end of the day:

After 557 miles, I checked into the Quality Inn in Bradford, PA (picture from the next morning):

Thank you God for this wonderful Adventure Day! Good to get back out on The Road.

Music for today:

Because my new-used-car has a cd player, I put in an mp3 cd that I burned almost 20 years ago, containing a lot of Pat Metheny albums. The cd-player only plays songs alphabetically, so it starts off with "(Cross the) Heartland" from American Garage, 1979 album (2nd by the Pat Metheny Group). PERFECT!!!

On the Mass Pike it was time to crank up the rock 'n roll - Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits, 1974 greatest hits album, last heard 2/18/2022. Lyrics to "Under My Wheels" :

I'm driving in my car now
Anticipating fun

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Some Devil [Live] [Disc 2], 2003 album, last heard 2/18/2022. To quote Wikipedia: The limited edition version of the album includes a 7-track bonus CD featuring songs from the Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds 2003 tour:

Grey Street (4-3-03, Elliott Hall of Music, Purdue University)
When the World Ends (3-28-03, Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum)
Jimi Thing (3-22-03, Radio City Music Hall)
Stay or Leave (4-3-03, Elliott Hall of Music, Purdue University)
Seek up (3-20-03, Ryan Center, University of Rhode Island)
Crush (3-28-03, Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum)
Drive In Drive Out (3-20-03, Ryan Center, University of Rhode Island)

The Beatles - Something New, 1964 album, last heard 9/14/2021 - GREAT Energy:

Steely Dan - The Royal Scam, 1976 album, last heard 8/31/2021. I like Steely Dan a lot:

The Beatles - Rubber Soul [Capitol Album], 1965 album, last heard 9/14/2023. CLASSIC album:

The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album) [2 cds], 1968 album, last heard 9/25/2023. A lot of the Lennon stuff just isn't very good - but they derserve credit for making this double-album in 1968:

Jimmy Buffett - Beach House On The Moon, 1999 album, last heard 11/21/2019. A really good Jimmy Buffett album:

Jimmy Buffett - Barometer Soup, 1995 album, last heard 9/27/2019. It is WONDERFUL pairing these albums - covers, Buffett fun and wit, etc. God Bless you Jimmy:

Bob Marley - Legend, 1984 compilation album, last heard 9/12/2021. Excellent collection:

Diana Krall - Live In Paris, 2002 live album, last heard 8/06/2017 - All Wonderful:

The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses, 1989 debut album, last heard never - it doesn't really grab me, so they won't be staying in my collection:

The National - First Two Pages of Frankenstein, 2023 album, last heard (in a blog) never - The National make really good albums:

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/

2025 Late-Summer Road Trip - Day 0-of-35 - August 12, 2025

It has been a GREAT SUMMER here in Manchester-by-the-Sea, but I'm getting itchy to "hit the road". I want to visit the Pacific Northwest - I sprained my ankle in May, so no overnight-camping this trip, but maybe some smaller dayhikes. I'll be seeing Counting Crows in Salt Lake City, then Wendy will join me in Seattle. From there we will see friends and relatives, making our way back down to St. Louis. Wendy will fly home, and I'll make my way southeast down to Key West, then back up North and Home:

I am looking forward to seeing Monet at The Frick Pittsburgh; a Tiffany window in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; paying homage at the Buddy Holly Crash Site in Clear Lake, Iowa; and visiting the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida (this will be my first visit!).

A few weeks ago I bought a New-Used Car. In January 2024 I traded in my 2017 Subaru Crosstrek (199,000 miles) and got a new 2024 Crosstrek; it was ok, but it didn't have a cd player (which I really like), and it had a REAL FUNKY CRUISE CONTROL - the radar was so sensitive that when I was going downhill on the Mass Pike, it would pick up a bridge over the road and HIT THE BRAKES (thinking it was an obstacle). And this new-radar-stuff took up a huge amount of my windshield. So I thought "Life is too short to have to put up with this stuff", and I went to the dealer thinking that I would have to get something old (a 2019 Crosstrek?). He looked at his inventory and said "Well, we have a white 2023 Crosstrek with a cd player, the dumbed-down radar, and a sun roof." I said "That's my car!" (decals courtsey of Wendy!)

I will be getting home Wednesday, September 17th. 35 days, 13,500 miles (I wonder How Many Albums and Post Offices?)

Should be fun - come along for the ride! Maybe I'll see you Out On The Road - as Paul Simon wrote:

Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America