Into Lands Unknown

Seeing as I had spent 3 months mostly in one city (some forays into New York and Delaware excluded), it is time to move on.

On to Arkansas! I will be working for Heifer International as a Livestock Volunteer on their educational ranch in Perryville.

Things that I knew about Arkansas without investigation:
1) It's pronounced R-Kansas (like, the 18th letter of the alphabet and the state that's friends with Nebraska)
2) It is in the South.
3) It's flat.

Things that I have found out about Arkansas through investigation:
1) It is west of the Mississippi River.
2) The density of churches here is higher than in Rome.
3) There are mountains in Arkansas (the Ozarks and the Ouachitas).

Also, it is an 18+ hour drive from Philadelphia. In good weather.

It was certainly not good weather this weekend. The largest winter storm of the season hit the southern US, shutting down everything from Oklahoma to North Carolina. It took me a little longer than 22 total hours of driving. But I broke it up by spending the night (in my car--how else?) Saturday night.


Here's a brief state-by-state greatest moments list:

PA:
Ready to go at 11:30am Saturday, January 30th.

DE:
I crossed the border from Pennsylvania under typical grey overcast winter skies. 20 minutes south, I saw a couple snowflakes. 30 minutes south, snow covered the road.

MD:
(At this point the storm had done its worst, and no one could find a plow) So superhighways have banked turns. Apparently those banks are pretty steep, which you don't realize until you're crawling along bumper-to-bumper in a foot of slush. You realize it when the car in the slow lane, which is now 10' above your head, slides sideways into other lanes of traffic. Hilarious when not terrifying.

VA:
Kudos to Virginia for its snow removal services. By the time I got to I-81, I was cruising along at regular speeds. It was just me and the trucks. Occasionally I would pass a herd of plows trudging along at 30 mph, sparks flying from the plows hitting the asphalt. Pretty cool to see at night...

TN:


My bike was strapped to the back of my car. About the time I hit Tennessee, I discovered that my poor bike was encrusted with ice, slush and road salt. Same with my car... I've never gotten it this dirty before. Luckily the gas station squeegees take off road salt pretty well. Just don't forget to squeegee them dry too.



Mississippi River:
I have never seen the Mississippi before, although I have flown over it several times. I came upon it quite suddenly. I was driving through the rolling hills of western Tennessee, counting down the miles to Memphis with the help of the road signs, when all of a sudden, a big pyramid building pops into view and the land falls away on every side. I was hustled over a bridge and across the river by the time I realized it was the Mississippi. I turned around and went back, visiting Memphis briefly and taking pictures of the sunset over the huge river.


AR:
After crossing the Mississippi, the roads were straight, flat and deserted. I set cruise control and was able to sit with my hands resting in my lap, my legs crossed on the floor. It was an interesting experience to be carried along in the car while I was supposedly in charge. It was also very late, and it had been a long weekend of driving. And NPR had given way to religious sermons. I had to entertain myself somehow...


And like all good road trips, it ended. I arrived at my new home.