Driving for decompression

Cynical and I, antsy to get our trip underway as soon as possible, hit the road early this morning, determined to make as much headway toward Charleston as possible. We also wanted plenty of time to stop whenever our heart desired. Unexpected stops are the entire reason we decided to break our drive up over two days. The joy is in the journey as well, right? We never know when we might run across a Strawberry Festival or a yard sale that is screaming our name.

We crammed all of our wordly belongings into my car, opened the Trip Tik and soon we were on our way. And now we sit, safe and sound in a hotel somewhere in Spartansburg, South Carolina, glad that we are stopping for the night, already settled into our pajamas and an incredibly comfortable bed. I estimate we only have three hours more of drive time before we reach our destination.

Thus far the trip has been wonderful, simply spending time along with my Cynical is as always, a treat. We sing with the radio (we do a mean "Maneater" duet), we chit-chat (about everything from knitting, believe it or not and our desire to rip W'04 stickers off cars that we pass), we make big plans and we daydream outloud. It always surprises me how as we put the miles behind us, I can literally feel myself decompress and begin to relax. My shoulders begin to drop, my mind begins to wander and I begin to feel more like myself. It's amazing and welcomed.

In addition to searching through oldies stations on the radio, we did get to make a few of those unexpected stops. Our first rest from the road was at Cumberland River where we found a spot and stretched our legs, admiring the beautiful clear water. That was enough to rejuvenate us and further spur us along. That is until I spied a sign that said: "Yarn Patch". It was worth crossing a few lanes of traffic and holding onto the seat white-knuckled. A few miles off an exit somewhere near Crossville we spied the tiny yarn shop. Inside I found a great assortment and came home with a few goodies of my own; thus far this trip is fruitful in more ways than one. (I hadn't anticipated any yarn-related stopping.)

Eventually it was time for sustenance. And our search for food landed us at PF Chang's. The fortune was telling, I felt. A quiet dinner, much spicy chicken and some plum sauce later and we were ready for our next stop.

. . . A big ole used bookstore, McKay's. We had noticed it from the interstate and thought it looked promisng. It was truly every reader's dream. Aisle after aisle of well organized books, CDs and movies. When we walked in I literally heard a collective gasp. Cynical and I soon separated in search of our own treasures. I scored two Cowboy Junkies CDs much to my delight.

We decided to stop for the night, nabbed some dinner at Chandi's Bistro and are resting up for tomorrow's adventure.

Photos:
The boat dock along the Cumberland River.

The Yarn Patch in Crossville, Tennessee.

PF Chang's fortunes. . . they speak the truth?

So many books. . . so little time. A shot from the catwalk at McKay's.

The road not yet traveled.