Atlanta to the DC Area

I got on the road Friday night around 10pm (Lehr: if you're reading, it's because Wal Mart took me nearly an hour!). Thanks to a tip from a friend, I stopped in the Welcome Center after every state line to snap a photo of the "Welcome to...". Check out my album of pictures so far.

Cross Country 2009

I may have entered the cheap hall of fame with this one, but I didn't want to shell out for a hotel room. When I got too tired last night, I pulled off at a rest stop, locked the doors, opened the window, and snoozed. Very refreshing!

So now I present my Top 10 Reasons to Drive Through the Night

1. Cankles are sexy. My ankles currently make any pregnant woman's ankles look svelte. This also happened when I flew to Turkey -- I think it's the upright for many hours thing.
2. At 2am, 5 Hour Energy just doesn't work. I drank half of one then slept for an hour! Is that a caffeine nap?
3. North Carolina sunrises are supreme. Thanks, Zenovia for ordering it up for me.
4. You can't tell that the Jeep's A/C is broken.
5. Mid-day Washington DC traffic -- time it right and you get there just in time to become thoroughly lost on Malcom X Blvd in Capitol Heights.
6. An hour of unexplained traffic near Potomac Mills. Who knew the road to Quantico has nothing else along it? I just wanted a break from traffic and a Slurpee...the Marine at the gate didn't laugh.
7. Banana Slurpee at 7-11. Ok, so that has nothing to do with when I left.
8. Vanilla ice cream sundae with marshmallow creme topping at Friendly's. See #7.
9. The most interesting people stop at rest stops at 2, 3, 4, and 5am. I'm pretty sure I saw a man who'd wet himself run into the restroom at 5am.
10. Your mother can't call you every hour to ask how it's going.
    

Rachel and I head out from the DC area early tomorrow morning. Next stop: Pennsylvania. We're going through the western part of the state, on our way to Ohio.