Day 2

The good news is that we woke up early. Our intentions were good; we were going to pack my stuff, load the Taurus, eat breakfast with my parents, and leave before the afternoon.

Much to Emily's delight, though, I took as long to pack as she did. This was mostly due to the VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS of selecting CDs for our trip. 100+ discs and two iPods later, I was comfortable with the music selection.

We left at 2:35 p.m. After stopping by AAA to pick up some free maps and guidebooks, we took Rt. 250 to Charlottesville and walked around the U.Va. campus. We hadn't really eaten lunch, so we also stopped by Martha's Cafe (the makers of the crabcake sandwich that I consumed 5 times/week from January-April 2005).

Emily took the wheel and we continued heading west down 250. Past Staunton (whose architecture reminded of The Goonies, which I think is set in Eugene), past a number of rustic roadside shops, and into the Blue Ride Mountains that occupy the western half of Virginia.

Those mountains were steep, and we quickly learned that the Taurus does not do a good job with steep climbs. It does, however, avoid deer with admirable dexterity and maneuverability. We eventually emerged from the mountains unscathed, unfazed, and excited to be in West Virginia.

The rest of that drive was a convoluted straight-shot to Parkersburg, where AAA was offering a cheap rate on a hotel room. We made it by 1:00 a.m. and passed out in the HUGE bed, whose bedspread smelled of burps... but whose pillows were surprisingly plump for a hotel.

- Andrew