LA/XC-2 DAY ONE: STATE COLLEGE, PA
Today’s mileage: 290.7
Total LA/XC-2 mileage: 290.7
Road Music: Local news (WCBS); local sports (ESPN); Fox News; CNN news; national sports (ESPN); The Highway (new country music); iPod singles playlist — a motley collection I put together, but I was really pleased to hear “Mockingbird” by Carly Simon and James Taylor. What great voices on those two!
Weather leaving Westport: 80, overcast and muggy
Weather arriving State College: 84 and muggy
Today’s state tally: 4 (Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania)
New states today for Beagle Man: 0
A-freaking-mazing! If it’s even humanly possible to have gotten off to a worse, slower, more disorganized and screwed-up start than last year, I did it. This after boasting in my August 25 post that I’d “be running a much tighter ship this time around. Ricky and I may be old dogs, but we can learn new tricks.” Or not.
In spite of all my planning, I still overpacked, still left much too much for the last minute, and still missed my get-away time by close to 3 hours! I was such a mess by the time I hit the road just before 1 PM (had been shooting for a 10 AM departure) I’m surprised I remembered to bring the dog.
Tried to restore a little sanity to my day by making a nice, civilized stop at Starbucks before hitting the highway. After I cooled my heels for 15 minutes waiting for my iced coffee, I was second-guessing that decision as well. (It probably would have been a good idea for me to have that coffee a lot earlier in the day.)
After this setback I made an executive decision: I’d cut my losses and skip my scheduled stop at Hank’s Franks on Route 46 in Lodi, NJ. The Hank’s Franks idea came compliments of my old Teaneck High School buddy Ilene, who now lives in L.A. My plan was to stop at some random place named “Hank’s,” or “Ricky’s,” as often as I could find them along my route, and take a picture in front of the sign. Sort of a cute little running sight gag. But I grew up in that neck of the woods, and I
know how easy it is to get lost and/or or get swallowed up in outrageous traffic there. Good decision to skip it? I think so. Sorry, Ilene, we’ll make it over to Hank’s Franks another time.
Given my balky start, it was a good thing I hadn’t planned on ambitious mileage for Day One — just 290 miles. But at least those miles were miles traveling west. Last year my first stop was
Alexandria,VA to visit my old friend Jeff, which knocked off just about zero miles in my westward journey.
Arrived at Penn State around 6:30— in time for Robby’s buddy Dylan to give me a truly excellent campus tour, including an up-close-and-personal look at his fraternity house, Pi Kappa Alpha. Ricky was a real trooper, and did the whole hike with us — drawing a lot of admiration along the way, of course. I had dinner with Dylan and Maddy, another Penn Stater from Westport, at Inferno, an Italian joint at the corner of Heister and College. Hey, Inferno rhymes with Paterno.
Got back to my lovely lodgings at Days Inn in time for Obama’s big speech at the DNC. Ricky will have some things to say about that real soon in his next Roof Rack Report.
One more thing: While I always love comments from my followers, I especially like to hear from you when I’m on the road. So don’t hesitate to check in.
Also, don’t forget about this year’s guess-my-total-mileage contest. All entries must be received by Sunday, Sept. 9. A very snazzy USC pennant goes to the winner!
Great description of your first day!!290 miles, starting at 1 PM,getting a campus tour,and then writing(very well)about it is something to be very proud of!! Keep it up! Drive carefully perhaps defensively and offensively at the same time.
Very warmly and fondly,
Sarah
As a true worried Beagle mother, I hope you and Ricky have a safe trip. My biggest rule is that none of my beagles can ride in the car with their heads out the window. They also must be in the back seat at all times. I know Ricky is riding shotgun all the way, but please keep the window closed. Last year I worried about Ricky all the way to and from and once again this trip, I am worried about Ricky’s safety. Keep us posted – Mary
Starting off at Penn State made me realize that your blog is missing a fan chant. How about “WE ARE… BEAGLE MEN” (hmmm too sexist) Maybe “WE ARE …BEAGLE PEOPLE”???
Congrats on at least getting started! Maybe next year Ricky should be the brains behind this operation.
At the risk of pushing my Beagle Man winning streak, I’ll try to get my mileage guess in in a day or so. Love to Ricky from me (and Brodie!).
Hey Ricky, We’ve never met, but I am a follower of BM’s postings and know all about you. I think your XC trip sounds great and it was real cool of BM to pick the first stayover in a college town. College towns are usually quaint, have lots of young pretty women, good pizza and cold, cheap beer. Although, I have one concern……the mascot of Penn State is a lion….i.e. a cat.
Maybe that doesn’t bother you, but we had a cute little Bichon named Mary. Before you totally dismiss me as wimp for having such an unmanly pet, we had lots of allergies in the house and if we ever found a white hair on the floor or a chair, it came from my head, not Mary. Anyway, one of my daughters, Francesca, ended up going to Princeton, home of the Tigers (cats) while turning down a chance to go to Yale….home of the proud Bulldogs. Lets just say, Mary never fully forgave Francesca. I have to think if a prissy little dog like a Bichon harbored such strong feelings, it must take more than a bit of fun away from your travels (being the ferocious Beagle, that you are) by being forced to traipse around known havens for cats! Therefore, here is a list of suggested stops along the way if BM chooses to keep this college town theme alive….all have colleges with dogs as pets…Indianapolis, home of the Butler Bulldogs, Des Moines, IA, home of the Drake Bulldogs, do a bit of a detour to Seattle and stay with the Washington Huskies, stop in Fresno for the Fresno State Bulldogs. On the way home, dip down to Athens, GA and perhaps meet Uga, another bulldog and a very famous mascot at the U of GA. Finally, for your last stop before returning to Westport, go to Brooklyn Heights, the prettiest neighborhood in NY and meet a real St Francis College Terrier. If you cannot convince BM to hit those spots, perhaps your backup plan is ask him to go to Charlotte, NC. You can tell him you heard Scarlett Johanneson never left after the DNC, but your real reason is to vist the Charlotte Law School, home of the Legal Beagle. I kid you not.
Thanks for feeding Dylan. Did you get Ricky shots after the tour? Necessary.
Absolutely.