Here we are in Virginia on our way to Maine. It was a long day of travel yesterday. According to Google Maps we traveled 485 miles. We spent time in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia. Our route through Virginia was inspired by an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies where it was revealed that Jed’s ancestors had been settlers at Jamestown. We’ll pass by Jamestown today.
On Friday we got an E-Zpass transponder. I looked all over the service plaza before I admitted Tammy was right and purchased it at the 7-11. The cashier there recommended calling the number on the paper he gave me to set up my account. The transponder is ugly and I really didn’t want to stick it on the windshield in the recommended location so I asked the gal at the toll booth where it could be mounted. She told me that it needed to go in the center of the windshield about an inch below the mirror. She also told me to call the number before 5:00 to set up our account.
Of course, when we got to Catawba Island I sat down on the couch and started to set up our E-Zpass account online. I got to the 4th page of information and it wanted a unique number in the middle of the page. It wouldn’t let me enter my own unique number and the dropdown menu for unique numbers was blank. I got out of the setup process and started over. I got done entering the first page of information and hit enter again and I got a screen that told me to call the number that helpful people had tried to convince me that I should call.
After about five minutes on hold I got to speak with a young lady who spoke perfect English. In about three minutes she had my E-Zpass account all ready to go. She said it could take 24 to 48 hours for our E-Zpass to work in other states.
The E-Zpass worked great in Ohio. We got off the turnpike in Youngstown and visited Lanterman’s Mill. The mill was originally built in the 1700s and after a few rebuilds it still mills grain once or twice a month.
We got back on the highway after the break. The E-Zpass worked fine as we went through Pennsylvania. It was great not to have to worry about getting money out for tolls, getting in any lane at the toll booth and saving 30% off the price of tolls.
We got just in to Maryland and stopped in Hancock at Buddylou’s for dinner. If you like places with character Buddylou’s has plenty. We saw the antiques and nick knacks on the first floor, the décor on the second floor where we ate was reminiscent of Sam’s joint in west Michigan (a west Michigan business that closed years ago) kinda like Cracker Barrel décor on steroids. I had the crab cake sandwich and a Sour Me Unicorn Farts beer from DuClaw Brewing. The crab cake sandwich was our first seafood of the excursion and it really hit the spot. The beer was a sour and I think a stout would have hit my mood better. There was a third floor, too. We did not make it up there. A National Park was behind Buddylou’s and downtown Hancock had some buildings that I assume have a whole lot of history.
After dinner we drove another 2-1/2 hours and spent the night at Tru by Hilton in Thornburg VA.