Rambling to the Northeast

 And then there was Scranton.. The drive from Roanoke to Scranton was the longest leg of the trip up... It was a nice drive with lots of good fall scenery... The fall colors progressively got more distinct as I went north, and Pennsylvania trees were more advanced that the ones in Virginia... The Springhill Suites I stayed in there, was much better run than the one in Roanoke, and they really had their act together... They had the plastic covers for the remotes and the place was spick and span clean...  They had a great place to park my bike and plenty of restaurant fliers for Take-Out and Delivery dinner. It was also next to a fairly large strip mall which made  a good place for a morning walk... My new discipline for structuring in a COVID environment includes getting up earlier in the morning and taking a nice walk (after the first cup of coffee)... It was during this walk that I found some interesting things that are a sign of the times. Of all the stores I walked pa...

 Destination Roanoke... For my first day on the road I drove up to Roanoke... I have been there many times on business trips and really like the town... Sometimes while there, I walk the trails near   The Star  which is a local landmark. By the time I got there it was late in the day so I decided to get an evening walk in near the hotel while I found some supper.. I did take this pic trying to get it lit up at night... came out a little blurry but you get the point... I included a canned daytime pic as a reference.. Instead of walking in the park below the Star, I walked about a mile and back to get a Subway   I noticed several times around town that the homeless population has seemed to increase since the last time I was in Roanoke (pre-COVID)... On my walk, there were many folks hanging around the various corners, deserted businesses, and empty lots... One thing that really struck me was an older Ramada that was previously one of their Conference Centers. It ...

Here we go again.... Well it is that time of the year, when I like to jump on the bike and go rambling... This time I decided to explore around the Northeast... My son Ryan, bought a new house in Rhode Island and wants to build a wood fence.  So I am going up to help out... My planned route is below, and includes stays in Roanoke VA, Scranton PA, and near Burlington Vermont... It should be fun, even in a crazy year like 2020...  I will work out how to get home after I get there... On the way back I would like to visit my Niece in DC... I have noticed that my packing skills are much more efficient this time. I guess even I live and learn... I am always a little apprehensive when starting one of these trips... I have learned to not let the worries get to me, just go and adapt as needed...  The reason I wanted to go to Vermont and New Hampshire along the way, is those two states are two of the four I have not been to... The last two are North Dakota and Alaska... I have alwa...