Day 10 of 11 Driving Across the United States

I hightailed it for Gettysburg, PA that morning.

I planned to stop at about the half-way point in Charleston, WV because of course, they had a Starbucks!

I continued up on I64 and felt completely creeped out by the state. Dunno what it was, but I couldn't wait to get to PA.

I got off at the wrong exit in what turned out to be South Charleston, WV and was driving around a very industrial neighborhood looking for my streets. I flagged down a car and asked for directions.

The guy asked Are you really from CA? Yes. Well, you know now, to keep your windows rolled up and your doors locked around here.

Well, no, I didn't really know that. The man and his wife said we were a bit far, but he would lead me to the Mall where the Starbucks was. The Mall?

At one point, he even ran back and handed me his wife's card and said if we got separate to just call her because she'd have her cell phone on!

How dear!

I got my Starbucks - in the mall - and saw a bookstore out of the corner of my eye as I was headed back to the garage. I ended up purchasing Barak Obama's latest book on tape, The Audacity of Hope, and broke the long silence that had enveloped me from Day 1 on the road.

I pulled into the great battlefield at Gettysburg at the sweet light of evening. I pulled the car over and hauled out the tripod and camera. Little did I know that when you approach Gettysburg from the west on Rte 30, the battlefield you hit first is just a tiny chunk of the entire preserved area.

It's definitely an eerie place. Apparently, its still the place in North America that sustained the most casualties. In all, 51,000 men were hurt or killed; 7,000 died alongside about 5,000 horses.

It took a while, but I drove through the town a couple of times in search of the Wyndham. I finally found it a good distance from the charming old part, but the hotel is nearly brand new. I got a great rate of $107, had a great burger and a beer in the bar and had a wonderful, last sleep on the road.