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June 01, 2005

From London to Scotland and Back Again (More or Less)

Monday was Memorial Day here in the US, and like many others I took advantage of the extended weekend to mash the fami into the car, and take to our nation's highways to visit other fami far and wide. Normally I would have been content to avoid the holiday masses by staying at home playing WoW and/or CoH for a few days straight -- and something along those lines is the definite plan for July 4th this year -- but my love's step-mamgi* had flown in from the UK along with her daughter and son-in-law (that would be my step-aunt and -uncle-in-law I guess) and so… off on an 8+ hour journey into Central Virginia to the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains for a visit. Breaking the trip in two more manageable legs (both ways) were quick stop-overs at my parents' place. I was surprised to find that my parents are quite easy to handle in very small doses... of less than 3 waking hours at a stretch. ;)

So, my English in-laws were quite taken aback by the notion that we would drive over eight hours to come visit and likened the distance to driving from London to Scotland (something they would never think to do for something so short as a weekend trip). A small price to pay to see fami not seen in some years -- or fami that I like rather.

During our stay we visited the Frontier Cultural Museum in Staunton**, Virginia; a rather nifty living history museum featuring working farms from Germany, Northern Ireland, and England, as well as Colonial Virginia.

To sum up the in-between bits: traffic sucked, New Jersey drivers are the rudest motherfuckers on the planet, strangers stink (literally) especially when packed shoulder to shoulder in line for fast food at a Turnpike rest stop, but gas is still probably cheaper here than wherever the hell you are!

[ image: lowgas by one.o.eight ©2005 ]

Oh, and avoid at all costs the ladies room at the Culpeper KFC. (Didn't know a human butt could… "aim" that high) Boys, guard the door to the men's room while your girlie partakes of the facilities. She'll love you for it: especially after an 8+ hour road trip from London to Scotland and back again.

* mamgi = grandmother (Welsh)
** Pronounced: Stanton; the "u" is silent (Viginian)

Posted by Tacitus at June 1, 2005 11:20 AM

Comments

Ah, the joys of European distances. Those people just don't understand that 8 hours is nothing. Well it is something, but anything over a 2-hour drive seems more of a train or airplane deal to them. Amazing to think what one American with a car could do over here - conquer the whole of Europe, perhaps? Maybe that's how Napoleon did it. Food for thought.

Posted by: Rob at June 8, 2005 04:11 AM