A Tullyroan Travelogue

Technically Day 11 began were Ryan left off in his last post as three hours of it were spent by Ryan and myself around the campfire in Kentucky.  The Bourbon Barrel ale was going down well, the fire was burning beautifully and the occasionally star would pop out of the clouds.  We’d try to work out which constellation each new star belonged to (admittedly with the help of star-finding apps) and we put the world to rights as we sipped our beer till the early hours.

A stunning camp fire in Kentucky

The morning didn’t begin too early, as you can imagine, and a slow breakfast was enjoyed in the wide open space of our camp site.  They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and this has certainly been true of this trip.  Lunch tends to be a quick pitstop along the road but breakfasts have been feasts to be savoured and none more so than this morning with a sumptuous three-course affair…all washed down with a hot pot of coffee!

First course – fruit salad, sunflower seeds, greek yoghurt and maple syrup

Second course – boiled egg and fried asparagus wrapped in streaky bacon

Third course – cinnamon rolls

Having done so much driving in the previous few days we now have some freedom to take it slower.  A slow morning in Kentucky in the warm sunshine was very welcome but we were on the road again before lunchtime after a quick stop and the dump station.  Ryan also took the opportunity to climb on top of the rig for some new perspective.

Lord of the Rigs

Despite the fact that we no longer needed to drive long distances each day we were in the rhythm of doing so and once on the road we kept motoring along steadily throughout the afternoon.  We shared the miles fairly equally – around 80 miles each – as we’ve found a rhythm of doing so over the last few days.  One will drive, one will navigate and one will lie back in the bed relaxing.  In my case the relax time has involved episodes of Arrested Development (I’m a latecomer to this but it’s very funny) and The Wire (also very good).  Ryan has tended to sleep and Lucy to read or work on her photos.  The rest of the trip has involved so much activity (setting and packing up the rig, cooking, navigating and driving) that we’ve all appreciate this time on the road to relax in the bed, feel the gently bump of the drive and watch the American countryside roll past.

Today has brought us into a completely new landscape – the deciduous forests and rolling hills of the Appalachians.  It is in stunning contrast to everything we’ve seen on the road so far, particularly the plains and pancake flat mid-west.  Part of the I-64 which we drove today, the only toll road we’ve come across, was the most expensive road in the states at $8 million per mile and it’s no surprise given the terrain we’ve come through – thick forest and steep inclines.

We rolled into Dawson, West Virginia at 7pm and were welcomed by Russ, the manager of the site who also lives there (in his RV) for half the year.  Despite being very close to the east coast now and to our final destination in Virginia this felt like the most remote campsite we had stayed in.  Dawson basically included a gas station, a cafe (in the gas station) and a motel.  Our sense of being in the sticks was confirmed when we went to the gas station to buy a bottle of wine and the teller asked his friend, “shall I run this through as beer?” to which his friend replied “naw, that’s wine dude”.

I tried to understand why someone like Russ would live in such a remote place for 6 months of the year.  I was reminded of the migratory tendencies of many Americans as a flock of geese flew overhead heading north for the summer.

As the rain came down we knew this was going to be a night in with a good meal and a movie.  The meal was excellent but we waiting a long time for it.  It was in Missoula, Montana that Lucy added an Aubergine to her shopping list, it wasn’t until Sioux City, Iowa that the Aubergine was found and now it was Dawson, West Virginia that the Aubergine was being cooked and eaten.  I said that Lucy’s Aubergine Parmigiana was worth waiting for but there was a hesitation from Ryan….a mistake a husband would never make, but a brother…

 Lucy’s Aubergine Parmigiana

We finished the day by watching The Darjeeling Limited, an off the wall comedy about three brothers who go on a journey across India in an attempt to bond.  An apt film indeed.  With the brunt of the journey behind us it feels like we’re easing in to the finish reflecting back on everywhere we’ve been and the distance we’ve managed to cover with 20 tonnes on our backs.

We’re coming round the final bend….but we’re not there yet!