On the Road-- Part 3 Day Two-- A Rainy Day-- A Great Interstate Drive-- Tunnels-- Cheap Gas, Well, Sorta-- Back Home in NC

The second day out, I drove from Marietta, Ohio (not Georgia) to about 40 miles south of Charleston, WVa, on I-77 and in the rain, not particularly enjoyable. The trucks sometimes were creating white out conditions with all the spray they were throwing up.

Stopped at a Shoney's south of Charleston for their excellent breakfast buffet at $6.99. Haven't eaten at one of these in a long time.

Paid $3.75 ($1.25 at each of three toll plazas) to drive the West Virginia Turnpike, one of the truly beautiful drives in the US. And this is an INTERSTATE!!! Would have been even nicer had it not been for the rain during the first half.

Went through two long tunnels and then there was the long decline with great views of valleys in Virginia. Always love those Runaway Truck lanes at regular intervals. Sure gets you to looking over your shoulder. How about a Get Out of the Way of Runaway Trucks lane for those of us in regular vehicles?

Got gas at a Kangaroo station south of Wytheville, Virginia, for the cheapest I saw during the whole trip, $3.15. They are always cheaper here for some reason. Most of the time I was on the road, gas was around $3.28. There are several stations here at the same price and I don't intend to go back to the Kangaroo. That was the vilest bathroom I've ever had the misfortune to venture into. Then, I remembered, I had been here the last time through and it was just as bad. Went to a nearby Burger King to use their facilities.

IF YOU'VE GOT TO GO, YOU'LL ROO RUE The DAY YOU USE THE KANGAROO in Wytheville, Va.

Then took I-77 to I-74 in North Carolina, past the stunning Pilot Mountain and Mayberry, well, Mt. Airy, the town Andy Griffith based it on. Then it was US-52, soon to be the I-74 Corridor to Winston-Salem, and I-40 the rest of the way to Raleigh. This can be a really bad stretch of road during rush hours, but, fortunately, i was ahaead of it and I had smooth sailing.

Got off onto US-70, and stopped in Clayton to play NTN at McKinley's, and then proceeded to Mom's place in Goldsboro. I traveled 1,100 miles and spent $166 these past two days.

Curse You Big Oil!!! Sure Hope You're Enjoying Those Profits!! --RoadDog