Day 7 - Thursday - 31 July 2014 - on road towards St. Louis, MO

After the morning routine(courtesy of rest area I-64 in Indiana state), started back on I-64 West in search of Breakfast at McDonalds:)

And did find one after about 15 - 20 mins drive and had full breakfast and worked till noon sitting there. And then it started getting crowded for lunch time and so anyway it was time for me to stretch out my legs. So pack of laptop and back on road again.

But this time, looking at the Ohio river scenic road maps found in I-64 rest area, decided to deviate my driving on the Ohio river path instead of making it straight via I-64 West. So took the local road as said there in map following the Ohio river path.
  It was a country setting thru the river path. After an hour of relaxing drive, stopped at a town called "Troy". There was a kids play area/park next to river, a boat dock, an old concrete pier or something and it looked like a perfect setting for picnic and saw couple of families having lunch/picnic.

On the river bank, saw 2 barges coming from bit far distance hauling what looked like coal or so. Looking at them thru my binaculor, waited for them to come near....and I waited...waited....waited.
The barges were sure moving....but at snail speed really...It was probably heading upstream and though the water current didn't seem like to be much, river was wide and was full of water. After the barges came near, it looked like they were fully loaded like 9 month pregnant woman due for  delivery:). Well, past that...headed back to car back on the Ohio river scenic road path further.

On the way, saw a thermal power plant which was cool to see just beside the road.

After a while got back onto I-64 West and headed towards St. Louis, MI to make the night stop.
While nearing St. Louis, MI it looked like I had to take a motel to stay close to downtown to see the Big Arch of St. Louis, MI. So had to take the motel here close to downtown as an exception in the trip. The motel was owned by Gujarathi guy and it looked bit weird with extra security signs/ cameras etc.  Was thirsty as well as hungry. Motel room had microwave and so I could heat my MTR instant masala rice with some khara mixture and a beer of course and what a combination.
Later saw a police car do its routine rounds and another car asking for a beer if I had extra one. It was bit cool/thrilling. Stayed overnight in motel waiting for the Big Arch visit next day.

How can this be!!!! Truck in other lane in opposite direction!!!!

Seriously.....Which Way to go !!!!!

Day 6 - Wednesday - 30 July 2014 - Charleston, VW - Lexington, KY (on road towards Kentucky)

Good Morning to Sheetz folks(20 miles ourside of Charleston, VW)
Freshened up and breakfast, courtesy of Sheetz. And back to my remote office in Park n Ride parking lot. Half day of work as usual from the remote office.

Post lunch at Sheetz around 1pm EST,  back on the road to Lexington, KY.
Reached Lexington, KY ....my original hometown of USA.
Passed thru the familiar streets and visited the Rain Tree apartments ( # 1616, #1106 - 175 North Locust Hill Dr, Lexington, KY), my first home in America. (Sorry, pic shows the next apt #1618.)

IBM office - My first office location in USA. Sad to see IBM had closed the facility and building is vacant.

Had a chilled beer at Hooters(my favourite:) and purchased few things at Walmart.
Headed back on road again at around 7.30pm EST or so and drove on I-64 to Louisville, KY.
Crossed into "Indiana" state and rested in a rest area on I-64 after driving about 200 miles for the evening.

Day 5 - Tuesday - 29 July 2014 - Herndon, VA - Charleston, VW - (on road towards Kentucky)

Morning went in office work. Post a nice home cooked lunch and a round of laundry, I prepared to get back on road late afternoon.

Started at around 3pm EST or so from Herndon, VA getting a good rest courtesy of Manju's home and headed off towards West Varginia on the way to reach Lexington, KY next day.

The drive was interesting bit sometimes as the speed limit in West Virginia is 70 Miles/Hr, but due to low traffic, it is mostly 2 lanes ( each way). So sometimes, somebody at the front would be driving like a train engine without allowing anyone to pass over and all the others following it:).

So at one end, I did the tricky move to pass the front slow driver by the right lane with some narrow gap...which the other driver wasn't surely accustomed to as it looked like from his honk :)

Had driven already around 380 miles today. So time to get some cheese pizza for food and find a place for sleep.

Tonight stay is about somewhere after Charleston, VW at Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authorit, Park n Ride Parking lot that was next to Sheetz Gas station.(20 miles ourside of Charleston, VW)

So had pizza at Sheetz and slept in the camper.

Day 4 - Monday 28 July 2014 - Herndon, VA - heading to next rest destination at my friend's place

Monday 28 July 2014
  Morning 6 am - Woke up in my camper parked at the hotel parking lot and drove to a McD on the way to refresh and have breakfast/coffee and to work bit while being there. Headed from there to friend's home which was just 1.5 hrs drive away and then worked as usual for the office. Had a nice home cooked lunch at Manju's home and couldn't resist the nap after 5pm EST.

Woke up after nap and had do exercise...and found the perfect work. Lawn mowing:) My friend's lawn was already over grown and the new self drive lawn mower was just irresistible to see it sitting in garage. So took it out and cleaned out entire lawn.
Showered and then sat with Manju and had to make a last minute call to Devanand to see if he could join. And good he came down. It was nice fun time again with friends sipping a drink!!

Though the below one is not today's pic and Kiran wasn't there today. I had to use a previous July 4 party pic for this.

Day 3 - Sunday 27 July 2014 - LakeGeorge, NY - Post the storm!!!! cleaning up!!!!

In the morning, we are all getting up and seeing what's not wet...and everything was ....:)
Folding the wet, muddy dirty tent was then another fun exercise ( had to wash n dry this another day...that's another one:)

Though it looked like cloudy/dull day, post lunch it became good and sunny. And I could try my first para sailing.

Around 2.30 pm, Off to Albany and had a nap on the way while my friend was driving. Though was feeling more sleepy, got onto collect my things back and load to my mini van and had shower to freshen up. And I'm ready....but everyone else were taking nap at my friend's home being tired.

As the next target of reaching Herndon, VA for the night was my plan and as that required 6 - 7 hrs of driving, when the clock ticked past 5pm...could not resist and had to start without disturbing my friend's family.

And just 20 mins later...ping....mu friend family is awake and upset that I left without waking them up!!!!! and felt bad and sad and became emotional a bit. But the tight travel timeline was the pressure on my mind to do it....so sometimes..have to do it.

Though the plan was to travel from Albany, NY to Herndon, VA via Harrisburg, PA....due to the rainy conditions later in the night, had to halt at a hotel parking lot about 1.5 hrs prior Herndon, VA and had to do my first car camping for the journey. And no issues, slept like baby ( being tired!!)

Day 2 - Saturday 26 July 2014 - Albany, NY - Camping@LakeGeorge and enduring the rainy night!!!!

Headed off to camping with friend Mukesh's family at Lake George. Though putting all the camping items to mini van took another 1+ hr, we finally got off to start at around 3 pm and reached near Lake George, NY and looked for the campground.

Though the board showed no vacancy and there were 2 other cars in line before us, Mukesh insisted we check with the campsite office person to see if there are any campsites available....and what a luck....we got the last one!!!!. It was unbelievable in 2 ways. 

First we had not noticed campground so close to Lake George though we had been there several times there. Second was that we just happen to get the last campsite !!!!. 

Since this was very close to downtown and all food joints are there including Indian food, cooking trouble was solved. Next we shopped for few supplies, firewood, potato etc 

Campfire night was fun and we lasted 1/2 hr past midnight and then headed off to our tents.

And....1/2 hr later...Heavy rain started hitting our tents and kept us awake with its tup tup sound of rain drops over the tent. Add to that, I had forgotten to pick up the extra tarp for under the tent...so it was trying to make the best spot at center so that water could run off from sides. Though the rain continued pouring and rain started making all its try to enter to my tent...my sleeping bag saved me from that. And after all that rain,...felt the need to go to rest room...when it is still raining...somehow managed it to go then.

Day 1 - Friday 25 July 2014 - Home/Boston - The starting trouble!!!!

Well...the packing was never ending....and it looks like the bachelor is moving his home...looking at the items that were being kept aside for starting travel on Thursday 24 July.
And the start date had to be pushed out by a day to Friday 25 July.

But finally got off from home oat 7pm EST, Friday 25 July.

Travelled 144 miles to next destination Albany, NY to my friend's place and rested overnight.