resmarie

I have had many songs from Simon & Garfunkel in my head this holiday, like America (never thought I would go to Pittsburgh) and So long, Frank Lloyd Wright. Now it is time for Homeward Bound.

Arvid and I drove to Dulles, Washington, yesterday and will now get ready, leave the car (I will miss the wonderful KIA Sedona) and hopefully have a nice time looking at people and things at the airport and have a good flight home.

We have had a wonderful holiday in State College and Central Square. Thank you, Katy, Brad, Amanda, Ingrid, Paddy, Burton and Emy for having us. We hope to see you all again soon.

Pennsylvania was a blank for me when we went. We have had great weather with warm, sunny days (short trousers and a t-shirt and almost no need for anything else) and cool nights. It’s the best climate I have ever visited.

The nature in Pennsylvania is magnificent. It would be wonderful to see all these forests explode into read, yellow and orange during the autumn but that will have to wait for another time.

It is easy to drive here and to find the way, there is always a sign telling you the road number and the direction. We have done a lot of driving and it would be difficult to be here without a car. We drove 2.269 miles in 3 weeks, that is about 360 Swedish miles, lucky the gas is about half the price as in Sweden.

However, we will not miss the American food at all. It is horrible and presented in the most depressing way. It is all plastics and added flavours. Natural food made from basic ingredients is hard to find and very expensive.

Clothes are cheap though, especially if you travel at this time of year when there is a sale. Hope they will not be too fuzzy about weight at the airport.

It has been a great pleasure travelling with Arvid and we both look forward to meeting George, the rest of the family and friends in Sweden.

Thanks for reading this blog. There will be a lot of travelling this autumn, Lissabon and Southeast Asia is on the list so far.

We looked hopefully for Indian breakfast instead of the premade quite boring American one, but unfortunately we didn’t get to taste any of the homemade food put on the owner’s table. We got to sit outside which somewhat compensated us.

At 10.00 we were at the Christmas Shop very close to the hotel, http://www.thechristmasshop-chalkhill.com/History.html. The history of the house is very interesting but unless you are very interested in Christmas stuff the shop is nothing special. I got to buy my first Christmas present, though….

We drove through Ohiopyle State Park and were at Fallingwater by 10.30. A pre-booked tour was on at 11.00, http://www.fallingwater.org/. Fallingwater is the most famous private  house made by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The most famous is of course the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

I must say I loved everything about it. The house is amazing. The tour was very well performed. The shop is great (but not cheap). The food is the best food I have had here so far (ordinary salad with real cutlery, no take away). Huge parking space. Wonderful scenery. Quiet. And again, the house is amazing.

First place I bought a book this holiday. Ingrid and I discussed why it is not a world heritage place?

Hope you’ll enjoy the pictures. If you have a chance, go there.

All the pictures with me in them are taken by Ingrid. Thank you, Ingrid, for a wonderful trip and a lot of new impressions.

Time for a real treat, IKEA in Pittsburgh! IKEA is never so good at home in Sweden as it is abroad. It is great to see the Swedish flag outside the shop and the pictures of idyllic places in Sweden, preferably Smögen and the center of Stockholm. You can eat meatballs with lingonberry and know more about the products than those employed in the shop. We have grown up with assembling IKEA furniture, there’s nothing we can’t do.

We immediately stated that this must be an old IKEA store, it is not built as the new ones with parking space under the shop. We soon found that it was not very clean… and a few products were broken. The meatballs tasted nice but had a kind of chewy consistence and we missed the little Swedish flag on a toothpick that IKEA Chengdu usually has, according to Ingrid who has a genuine knowledge of one of her favorite shops in Chengdu, I have only been there once with her, many years ago.

Of course we managed to buy a lot of things in spite of our criticism. In fact, Ingrid is assembling a book shelf on the floor in this very minute. She even has a rubber hammer to put the different parts together.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/pittsburgh

Anyway, we spent a lot of time at IKEA and were in a bit of a rush getting out. IKEA is situated in a gigantic shopping mall and we found only dead ends driving about. I’m seldom lost but this time I even ended up driving in the wrong direction when we finally reached the right road.

Ingrid called the Kentuck Knob and postponed our visit with an hour.  Ingrid had booked tickets before and we were looking forward to our visit at one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses, http://kentuckknob.com/. The house was beautiful but rather small and a bit dark, the view over the hills amazing. Very good shop and a nice guided tour.

We drove through Ohiopyle State Park http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/ohiopyle/ and passed the Youghiogheny [yawki-gay-nee] River, neither easy to pronounce. The area is beautiful and you can do a lot of outdoor activities like whitewater rafting etc. It must be even more beautiful in the autumn when all the leaves turn into autumn colours.

After a short stop at our hotel in Chalkville, owned by Indians (from India) and with a nice view, we drove down to Uniontown to get something to eat. Almost a ghost town, we were amazed and drove the streets up and down to see the empty buildings from another time when the town was rich. Now nothing seemed to be in action. The theatre building was very elaborate and well- made from the art noveau period..

We decided to go somewhere fancier and went to http://summitinnresort.com/ and had decent food looking at the sunset.

Early in the morning Ingrid and I left for Pittsburgh, about a 3 hrs drive. We found a parking lot right outside of the Andy Warhol Museum, http://www.warhol.org/.

Andy Warhol had the perfect feeling for what was going on and made things just enough shocking to get publicity, he was a great marketer. The museum had a lot of information about him and his development and I liked him and his work much more when I left than when I came.

We took a walk through a bit strange neighborhood to the other museum we wanted to see, the Mattress Factory, http://www.mattress.org/. After some Mexican food we had the energy for the three houses filled with installations and modern art.

Pittsburgh seems to be a nice town and the Mexican war streets held lots of beautiful but old and sometimes dilapidated houses. Murals and a garden tries to improve the neighbourhood and, it seems, with some luck. We also passed RandyLand but didn’t have the time to stay and make a Facebook-movie on how we would print “Välkommen” in Swedish on his door, http://randy.land/. Randy Gilson was fully occupied with making a movie about the Hungarian “welcome” and we quietly went out the gate.

We tried to get down where the two rivers meet in Pittsburgh but there was a One Direction concert in the evening and I think the whole world was trying to park downtown Pittsburgh. We did one round and then gave up and went to our pre-booked hotel by the airport.

Due to the early morning, the long drive, the many things we saw and the driving in an unknown city I passed out and it became a very early night.

Early birds today, though a bit tired, maybe we finally realize we are on vacation? The plan was to visit Washington and take the Hop on hop off bus, but even I did not feel like it this morning. It was a lot of work going into town.

Instead we decided to go to the Air and Space Museum close to Dulles Airport, information www.airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center.  We arrived among the first visitors at 9.30 and enjoyed the sights of a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, early wooden airplanes and a Concorde. Most impressive was of course the space shuttle Discovery, a huge thing placed in the middle of the second hangar of the museum.

We saw three different IMAX movies, Living in the Age of Airplanes told by Harrison Ford (the best one, how airplanes affects us all by getting us closer together and delivering goods etc), Journey to Space (about space journeys with awesome sound effects, in 3D) and Hidden Universe (also 3D but a bit strange though interesting, we are all part of a star?). Information on www.si.edu/imax. You get a rebate after the first film.

There is also an air and space museum on the National Mall in Washington but the Swedish family we met in Shenandoah said the one in Dulles is better. We were happy with it. Since it was raining and impossible to see anything, the observation tower was closed, otherwise you are supposed to get a view of all of Dulles Airport.

After the museum we went to the shopping centre near our hotel, Arvid had a haircut. We also managed to fill up the car with gas and since my Swedish card did not work we had to pay cash in advance. 20 dollars gave about half a tank.

Now we are just resting at the hotel, looking forward to driving to State College, Pennsylvania, tomorrow.

We decided we did so much yesterday we could sleep late today, and we also had milk in the fridge and cereals for breakfast! We planned to go to the Air and Space Museum in Washington but were so late we were afraid that the parking garage would be full.

Instead we took out another brochure we had found about the Blue Ridge Parkway. Do you remember John Denver and Country road, take me home etc? He sings about Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River. Arvid had been talking about walking the Appalachian Trail and was keen on the park. Information www.nps.gov/shen.

The hotel reception told us to take the 28 south, continue on 66 and then take the Interstate 81. We took a short cut around Warrenton, it took about 1 hrs 45 min to reach the park. For 20 USD we were let in on the Skyline Drive, the Thornton Gap Entrance.

We stopped to look at the maps and find out what to do and met a Swedish family who had driven the other way, who gave us some useful information.

The Skyline Drive was constructed in the 30s for people wanting to make car excursions but also to enjoy nature. We could easily picture old cars and people agreeing to meet at the different viewpoints.

Since it was very foggy today the viewpoints did not offer any special sights. The scenery was nice but not extraordinary.

We stayed at Mile 39.1 an easy 0,9 round trip called Little Stony Man. A nice walk but the clouds were in the way when we reached the view point.

At Mile 41.7 we stayed at Skyland to eat and to do some shopping for souvenirs. Nice place and a good rest from all the driving.

A final stay at Big Meadows and Byrd Visitor Center at about Mile 53. We giggled when we saw the information since it is very different to what would have been presented in Sweden. Here all the men (not many women obviously) who made the park possible were introduced. Old songs were sung and the activities of man was well described. None of this would have been shown at home. Instead there would have been pictures of about three frogs, two birds and five plants that would be on the verge of becoming extinct. A full model of how the area was created and at what time in history. Maybe a date of when the park was started and nothing more about that. Leaving the area we discussed the different views on nature held by the Americans and the Swedes, if religion played any role in this and that kept us both awake until we left the park at Swift Run Gap Entrance.

Road 33 to the 81 and we stopped for coffee and books at Books-a-million, I think in Harrisonburg. Then the other way around, 66 East and 28 North to Subway and an evening meal. Arvid is now reading a new book about the Appalachian Trail and I am worrying about my camera that is completely dead. Since my phone was completely dead yesterday but has now returned, I hope for the same for my camera. If so, there will be some pictures on this blog.

Since we fell asleep early it felt OK to get up before 7, after all, time was close to 1 PM at home. Arvid didn’t quite agree, he had been training at home through late nights, but he got up. We went to Subway to get some kind of decent breakfast, and with help from a map from the hotel we managed to find the metro station.

Confusion in the parking garage, why do we not check in or pay? Nothing to put behind the windscreen? No, everything will be paid when you leave, nobody cares how long you will be staying.

Confusion by the ticket machine, how do we get a ticket? The kind staff helped us, we bought two farecards and filled them with 25 dollars each.

The train took about 45 min and we got off on the Smithsonian, didn’t find our way and walked around the impressive department of agriculture.

We started with the Natural History Museum. It is a fantastic museum, beautifully arranged, interesting facts and various fields. We managed to see two IMAX films, Mysteries of the unseen world and Dinosaurs Alive. I planned to sleep during the dinosaurs, I think I have seen enough of them after two boys, but the film was actually capturing and I was awake the whole time. For more information about the IMAX, see www.si.edu/imax. For information about the museum see www.nmnh.si.edu.

We went around all of the museum and stared fascinated at the lady who had various jars with her and gave around a cockroach for kids and parents to hold and look at. The green caterpillar that came next clung to her hand. Eventually we got tired and finished our visit by eating in the basement, not the best place but quite all right and well needed to keep the energy up.

We walked towards the White House but had to wait for a Chinese demonstration with people in yellow t-shirts telling us to fight the Chinese communist party. The white house was unbelievably small but lots of people had come to look at it. We took pictures and then decided it was time to take the train back “home”.

Back in the car we decided that we could not return to the hotel, then we would fall asleep immediately. A brochure said something about Waterloo Premium outlet in Leesburg and I knew I had seen the name Leesburg when we were trying to go somewhere else. So we went to Leesburg and there was, as always in the US, signs to follow and we had no problem finding the outlet with about 100 different shops. After coffee and a few hours at the outlet Arvid had bought a new jacket and I found a pair of jeans. Information www.premiumoutlets.com.

We also managed to find our way home. However, there would be nothing to eat waiting for us and it would be nice to have at least some fruit. So we went to Walmart close to our hotel and did some shopping.

No problem falling asleep after more than 12 hours “holiday”.

Efter en lång vår med influensor och mycket jobb känns det att det är dags för semester. Arvid och jag har sedan länge bestämt oss för att hälsa på kompisar i USA och har lite lyxigt bokat SAS direktflyg från Köpenhamn till Washington. Jag måste göra något fel vid bokningen för när vi kom fick vi besked om att vi skulle få våra platser vid gaten. Vid gaten förklarade de att alla ekonomiplatser var bokade när vi checkade in, och då var vi ändå tidiga vid incheckningen. De höll på att flytta folk till ekonomi plus, ja tack, sade jag, där vill vi gärna sitta. Platserna blev våra och vi hade en bra flight över Atlanten.

Jag brukar inte vilja köra direkt efter flygresa med tidsomställning men denna gång flög vi 12 på dagen och var framme 15 på eftermiddagen så det kändes som om det skulle ordna sig. Klassiskt rollspel utspelade sig när vi kom till biluthyrningen via en transferbuss.

-          Jag har hyrt (och betalt i förväg) en van och skulle vilja hämta den.

-          Vi har tyvärr ingen van inne för tillfället. Går det bra med den svarta GMC som står utanför?

-          Nej tack, jag har beställt en van och vill gärna ha det. Den röda utanför är snygg.

-          Den är uthyrd. Kan du gå ut och titta på GMCn?

Arvid och jag går ut och tittar.

-          Den är för liten. Jag vill gärna ha den van som jag beställt. Jag gillar den röda.

-          Kanske kan ni titta på Forden lite längre bort?

Arvid och jag går ut och tittar.

-          Det finns inget benutrymme och sätena längst bak går inte att sitta i. Jag vill gärna ha vanen som jag förbeställt och betalat för.

-          Jag får ringa vår kontakt på en annan uthyrningsfirma.

Tid går. Vi står lugnt och tittar på ingenting. Den röda bilen kör iväg.

-          Då får ni KIA Sedonian som står på plats A26.

Jaha, där har den stått hela tiden, så nu är denna charaden över. Ledsen att du inte kunde tjäna några pengar på att lämna ut en mindre bil än vad jag betalt för. Då börjar nästa omgång.

-          Vi rekommenderar att ni tar en extra försäkring.

-          Jag har redan betalt för full försäkring.

-          Ja, men denna försäkring gäller bara bilen. Den gäller inte om det händer passagerarna något.

-          Nej tack, vi har hemförsäkring.

-          Vill du ha bärgningsassistans om det händer något? Inte roligt att stå stilla på vägen.

Och så håller det på. Det blev inget extra för mannen denna gång. Innan vi tog bilen gick vi runt och kollade skadorna, fyllde i på besiktningslappen, lämnade en och behöll en annan.

Var tvungen att visa min okunskap när vi körde ut, ska jag tanka diesel eller bensin?

Arvid och jag (särskilt jag) var väldigt nöjd med vår van, 7 rejäla platser och ändå plats till packning. En fantastiskt bra början på vår resa.

Arvid dirigerade mig tappert runt kring flygplatsen men det tog lång tid innan vi hittade rätt till vårt motell, Suburban Extended Stays vid Dulles Airport. Helt OK men inget märkvärdigt. Skönt att inte behöva köra allt för långt. När vi väl kom fram orkade vi inte fixa mer och här finns ingenting i matväg att köpa, så det blev läsk och saltkringlor från automaten till kvällsmat. Jaja, det kan bara bli bättre.