Drive the I-95

I was going to write a book about my travels...but then I got to thinking...who actually reads books anymore?, and who in their right mind would read a book about the travels of two crazy women?..Blogging seems to be easier and faster...I have so many stories to share so I guess I will start with the days on the road.

My best friend Roxie and I take a trip every year to Florida.  We choose to drive because we were not born with wings and therefore we are meant to keep our feet on the ground...or on wheels:)  You would assume that a 36 hour drive to Florida and 36 hours back would just about kill you or make you want to kill each other, but honestly the drive is almost the best part.  Roxie usually does most of the driving and I am the self appointed navigator/DJ.  I can actually navigate the entire trip without getting lost now:)  That's right now...I have taken us off the beaten path a couple of times.  We have also had a few close encounters with death...ok one in particular and that wasn't our fault!  Who puts an exit on the left side of the highway?  Oh right....Americans lol.   It is such a great idea to have a highway exit to another highway on the left hand side when you are on the far right and need to cross over 6 lanes of traffic traveling at 120km an hour.  Anyway we are still alive to talk about it...although I did break my big toe nail on the heater trying to brace myself for impact.  I didn't know that an SUV could stop so quickly.  We just barely missed the arse end of the car in front of us....I think Roxie's dad keeps us safe on our travels.  He hangs out in the glove compartment...don't even ask cause you don't want to know.

We have logged 360hrs of driving time on the I-95 which starts in Houlton, Maine and literally ends in the middle of Miami Florida.  I know this because I have seen the sign with my very own eyes..."The I-95 ends here"  I was secretly hoping there would be a big surprise party at the end for those of us who have made it but no...it ended in a convertible with a broken top in the pouring rain...that is a whole other story...I will save that juicy one for later.  5 years and 5 trips with plenty of crazy stories.  It is a dangerous world out there for two women traveling a great distance on our own, but we were determined to do it!  Our travels have either been in a van or an SUV with the backseats taken out or folded down.  Sleeping in the back of the vehicle saves money however I strongly recommend purchasing a sleeping bag that will keep you warm at temps of minus 10-20...yup traveling in Nov, Dec can be cold.  I think my bladder actually froze at one point...I know Roxie's jaw did.  The trick is to find 24hr gas station parking lots with lots of light to crash in...bonus if you can find one next to a Cracker barrel restaurant for breakfast. mmmmmm Cracker barrell!  make it a point to find a few.  If you look carefully you can find a 24hr gas station with showers and a Cracker barrell next door somewhere in Connecticut.  If you are planning this trip you will probably make it to Rhode Island the first night and if you are lucky Connecticut.  Let the gas station worker know you are sleeping in the vehicle so they can keep an eye out for you....that way they won't look at you as funny coming out of the washroom in your jammie pants with your toothbrush in hand. I also recommend packing a sleep mask especially if you are on the road with Roxie...she will tell you it is much safer to park under the brightest light in the parking lot.

Be very careful choosing a place to use the washroom.  I recommend finding a place with the washrooms on the inside of the building.  If the washroom doors are outside stay away!  I especially don't recommend using washrooms anywhere in Alexandria, Virginia....ick! There is one gas station washroom where you have to hold your breath...it smells like something ate something dead then died.  The toilet seat was outside the building and the toilet itself was covered in black mold....I am soooo glad my leg muscles are strong enough for the hovering maneuver.  When you have to pee that bad you have to suck it up...I am sure the other motorists would not appreciate a pee shower otherwise I just might have stuck by arse out the window.

Speaking of needing to use the washroom and Alexandria Virginia....if you can avoid it all together please do. In 5 years of travel we hit traffic there every time....and I mean every time!  Doesn't matter if it is 1 in the afternoon or 2am you will hit bumper to bumper traffic for hours on end.  If you can't find a way around bring a bucket. No joke.  New York city wasn't as traffic packed as Alexandria.

Maine has lots of pot holes so watch out for those.  There is one pot hole that Roxie and I lovingly call the "Pot Hole to Hell".  This particular pot hole gave us a flat tire only 3 1/2 hours into our trip.  Roxie tried to convince me that it wasn't flat....but I know that flapping sound.  We ended up in the parking lot at Walmart calling CAA.  Another thing I highly recommend is CAA.  We managed to get a tow to the Sears and the cute mechanic drove us to Olive Garden in his BMW while we waited.  MMMM ravioli di portobello is to die for.  I dream of Olive Garden often and can't live without it.  While having dinner the waitress told us her story of hitting the same pot hole and it bent her rim!  OH NO! I thought...what if the rim is bent?  Sears doesn't sell rims and this was a Saturday evening.  Low and behold I was right....the rim was bent and the parts stores were closed.  The service manager at the Sears happened to know the parts store guy and called in a favor.  The parts store guy waited for us:)  After a mini melt down we managed to get the rim and tire replaced and were so grateful that the Sears guys stayed behind after hours to help us out.  I think Roxie has a picture of us with the tow truck in the Walmart parking lot...I will have to dig that one out and post it.

I have so many I-95 stories to share...so this is just the beginning of our adventures.  Tune in next time for the stinky sock story:)