Houston-Chicago Trip - Day Eight

This is for day eight of my trip, January 25, 2006.

I woke at 5:30 and showered. Pat and Chip were up to greet me when I came upstairs. Pat gave me breakfast of cereal and toast, and made me a turkey sandwich for lunch. Very good of her and much appreciated. I took a quick tour of her studio. Her ceramic work is really good, and her studio is very well equipped and stocked with all sorts of clays and glazes. Very impressive.

I was off by 8:00 with over 700 miles to cover before reaching home.

Today was the first day I experienced clear skies and sunlight since I left Texas. I finished listening to the Michael Korda book, Country Manners, and found it very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend it.

All went smoothly and I made good time until I got to Kennesaw, 20 miles north of Atlanta, where traffic came to a halt. Then it was stop and go to the center of the city. While the overhead traffic alert sign said there was a major event downtown and to expect delays, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just normal Atlanta gridlock. I Lost about 45 minutes. Atlanta just has an incredible traffic problem. I expect someday the city will experience catastrophic gridlock. Best to avoid driving or flying through Atlanta whenever possible.

I started listening to a memoir by Mike Wallace, Between You and Me. I got through about 30 minutes of it but lost interest. While Mike's experiences are interesting, the way he relates them put me off. Too egocentric for me.

I stopped at a rest stop in Macon for lunch at 12:45, and at 3:15, crossed into Florida. I was in Winter Springs by 7:00. Eleven hours and 700 miles later, it was good to be home.

I traveled a total of 3,502 miles during the eight day trip. Overall, I consider the time well spent and the trip a success and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It was great to be able to visit everyone and I had a really enjoyable time. The next time I make a trip like this, I will try to allow more time to stop along the way, since I passed many interesting places that I would have liked to be able to visit. Maybe next time.