Cleveland Rocks

Welcome to our adventure! If you're reading this, you're probably tuning in to check our whereabouts as we slowly make our way to Alaska. For those unaware, Phill and I have been tasked with delivering our sister and brother-in-law's car to them in Anchorage, Alaska. Maybe I should re-phrase that. We weren't necessarily tasked, but instead saw this as a perfect opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of driving cross-country, all while fulfilling their need to get the car moved from Washington DC to Alaska. Lucky for us, they were on board with the idea. At this point, we know for sure we can get the car as far as Washington state. The final leg to Alaska is still being planned. More on that later. So this space will serve as our memory book as we journey west. We invite you to come along and enjoy the ride!


Part One

Yesterday dawned with rain. And in DC, that means only one thing: one hell of a commute! Our destination by dinnertime was Cleveland, a good 8-hour drive, so we knew we needed to set out early to make it. I'm not sure what the car was thinking, but for us it was hard to drive her away. That little Toyota has come to represent a lasting link to Kati, a little piece of her sitting in the driveway everyday as we all come and go. Maybe it was even a little harder because, much like the twins who actually drive them, this little Corolla has a twin in that same driveway, only silver. Each car has come to represent its driver: Kati's had seashells and traces of sand in the trunk when it was cleaned out; Cori's has a tribute to yellow labs on her back bumper. So while the twins said their goodbyes in November when Kati moved, their cars have continued to sit side-by-side in front of the house. As I drove it away, I couldn't help but wonder at all it's already seen, and all that it soon will.

DC certainly wasn't merciful as we tried to make our exit. One downed tree, two car accidents, and 2.5 hours later, we finally broke free of the city limits. We can't complain though. Phill snapped this as we were in one of our many standstills of the morning. This poor goose. And we thought we had a bad commute....

After we made it past the rain and back bumpers, the skies cleared and we had smooth sailing almost all the way to Ohio. Because Phill was still trying to switch his body clock from night to day, therefore slept most of the way, and because we both have already seen this part of the country, we didn't make it a priority to stop and see sights. Don't get me wrong. Interstate 76 through Pennsylvania is really quite beautiful. With all the recent rain we've had, the foliage is lush and bountiful. Stately old barns, quaint mountain towns...it was a picturesque and relaxing drive.

We arrived into Cleveland about 5:30--not too shabby considering our delayed beginnings--and back into the good company of our dear friends, Mark and Megan. They are fellow Bobcats, walk to buy their groceries, know their microbrews, and have every shade of Fiestaware in their much-envied built-in dining room hutch with leaded glass door. (You can't tell I'm into dishes or turn-of-the-century architecture design can you?)

Megan and I are convinced we were actually sisters separated at birth. We'll ignore the fact that she has an Italian background, tans without blinking, and might as well be a pro-basketball player with her height.

What a fun evening we shared at Tommy's, a local favorite. They had tofutti "milk"shakes. Yes, that's right. I thought I'd died. I resisted the urge to order dessert first, which was okay since the tamales I finally decided on proved to be just as mouth-watering. But when that peanut butter and chocolate shake of pure goodness landed in front of me, I rejoiced in restaurant owners everywhere who think about those of us who often have to walk away from those dairy-laden after-meal treats.

The evening ended with good wine and good conversation deep into the night. A perfect end to day one. On tap for tomorrow: Chi-town.