Day 10: Virginia and Maryland

February 12, 2021February 13, 2021 steveboilardLeave a comment

Editor’s note: Given limited travel opportunities these days, I decided each Thursday to post travel stories I’d written prior to starting this blog. The following is from a cross-country trip I made along the length of US 50 in the spring of 2018. I hope you might vicariously enjoy this trip while we’re all hunkering down at home. Because this is a longer trip (a week and a half), I’m going to post each of the daily entries over each of the next 10 days.

This morning I got up early and back onto US 50 in the town of Winchester (pop: 26,000). As I’ve moved further east, I have noted that the towns are steeped in earlier and earlier history. Winchester goes back to colonial times, and was the location of several Civil War battles. The buildings in the historic “Old Town” district are impressive.

And remember: That road you see is still US 50!

As I drove down the road, appreciating the architecture, I caught sight of this sign:

Perhaps finally I would finally get that bagel I’ve been craving for the past week! “Best bagel ever” is a pretty enticing promise. I parked the Yaris and approached “Steamy’s Café.” Alas, the door was locked, but they were due to open in about 10 minutes. I figured it would be worth the wait. After a minute a young woman, whom I assumed to work there, approached the door. I welcomed her and told her I was looking forward to trying the Best Bagel Ever. She looked a little confused, and I realized she was merely another customer. The two of us stood awkwardly at the front door, waiting for 8 am. It turns out that my fellow customer was new to town, and was trying Steamy’s for the first time. She had moved here just last week from Arizona, to be closer to her ailing mother who lives in – wait for it – Ocean City, MD! I observed that Ocean City was still a few hours away, and she said “Yeah, I don’t want to be too close.” Yes, well. I told her about my cross-country journey to Ocean City, we made small talk (she just began a job in Front Royal working for Child Support Services) until the stroke of 8, when suddenly the lights of the shop clicked on and the door was unlocked.

The owner was brusque, but efficient. I asked him what made his bagels the best ever, and he said “you’ll see.” Without actually waiting for me to order anything, he made me something called “The Winchester.” I confess: It was the best bagel I ever had. It’s worth a trip to Winchester. Or at least check out their website.

Certified as non-kosher, not fat-free, not gluten-free, and not non-dairy. Just the way I like ’em!

The stretch of US 50 east of US 50 is so pretty it almost makes your eyes hurt. It’s a verdant green, with trees on both sides of the two-lane road. Low stone walls ran along parts of this stretch, as well as three-rail fences lining horse pastures.

As I got closer to Washington, DC, the road got wider and the countryside disappeared. Driving became gradually more complicated.

Rather suddenly, I found myself crossing the Potomac River on the (uninspiring) Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. I wanted to get a picture of US 50 entering DC, but there was absolutely no place to park. (The picture of the Roosevelt Bridge below I ripped from Wikipedia.)

I’ve seen pontoon bridges with more character

US 50 makes a few turns and then becomes Constitution Avenue, running along the National Mall. The familiar sights of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the US Capitol Building, and other iconic structures greeted me. Even in this cynical age, there is something inspirational about seeing these symbols of American democracy.

I gave up on making a stop, due to the lack of available parking space. But for once I appreciated heavy traffic, as it afforded me a little time to soak in Washington. It struck me that, while US 50 has taken me to all these isolated towns across the country where I met people who are pretty placebound, it now brought me to Washington, where I found myself with many thousands of people who also came from all over the country, and all over the world.

Soon I was leaving DC and entering the final state on my route; Maryland. (Technically, I had already entered Maryland briefly when I was in West Virginia. A small, jagged edge of Maryland reaches down into West Virginia, and US 50 crosses this for a few miles.) Once I left DC, US 50 gradually returned to the green countryside that I’d enjoyed during my morning drive.

Soon I found myself in yet another capital city: Annapolis. I took a slight detour to see the Maryland State House (as they call their Capitol building). I learned that the State House is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use, and that it had actually been used as the US Capitol in 1783-4.

Manly deeds, womanly words (or so goes Maryland’s state motto)

As I was taking the above picture of the Maryland statehouse, I heard live jazz music coming from around the corner. I went to explore, and found myself in a short line of people about to enter some official-looking grounds. Said grounds turned out to be the Maryland Governor’s home, which was celebrating its 150^th anniversary today. I moved with this line through a brief security screening, and found myself face to face with an impressive raspberry and whipped cream cake:

I had a slice of the cake, listened to the jazz band and toured the Governor’s home. It was a good break.

Shortly after leaving Annapolis, I crossed the 4.3 mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Shortly after that, I encountered the first road sign to mention Ocean City since I’d left Sacramento.

In the town of Vienna, I encountered a short, obsolete section of US 50. Other than the abandoned bridge I’d found in Illinois, this is the only other piece of “old” highway 50 I’ve discovered on this trip. Note how narrow the old US 50 was.

Finally I got to the town of Salisbury, MD (pop: 30,000), where I decided I would end my US 50 travels for today. I’m about 30 miles from Ocean City, where I’ll complete my trip tomorrow. For tonight, I’m staying at the Washington Inn and Tavern, which is about 10 miles off US 50 in the colonial town of Princess Anne (pop: 3,290). The Washington Inn was built as an inn in 1744, and claims to be “one of America’s oldest operating inns.” That would explain my mattress.

Built during the reign of King George II

Tomorrow it’s off to Ocean City!

Road trips · trains · Uncategorized

Day 7: Ohio and West Virginia

February 10, 2021February 13, 2021 steveboilard2 Comments

I left my motel early this morning, and was struck that, once again, I was the only guest at the whole place. Check out the parking lot:

On my way back onto US 50, I came upon the Athens Bread Company. Given that Athens is a college town, and the shop is located on a nice, upscale street, I figured I’d finally be able to get that fresh, artisan bagel that I was craving for breakfast for the past few days. I entered the shop and encountered a nice young man wearing a baker’s apron. This looked like the real thing! I asked him what kinds of bagels he had. He had none. Well, ok, how about a good scone? None. Bear claw? No. Donut? No. Well, I was really hoping to get something for breakfast. What do you have? He looked at me meekly and said that he could make me a sandwich. Like a breakfast sandwich, I asked? No, just like a sandwich sandwich. I was flabbergasted. It was 8 in the morning, and all this guy is selling is sandwiches? The whole thing was playing out like Monty Python’s cheese shop sketch, where it turns out the shop has no cheese at all. I gave up and decided I’d just get a cup of coffee for the road. I asked for a dark roast. “We have blueberry crunch.” Yes, that’s the coffee flavor he offered. I left empty handed.

My last stop in Ohio was Coolville (pop: 496). I just liked the name. I obviously failed in trying to do a cool pose in this selfie.

S-Boi makin’ sum phat rhymes…or whatever.

Before long I crossed into West Virginia. For most of the day’s drive, US 50 cut through heavily wooded, hilly countryside. It was perfect weather, and an enjoyable drive.

There were, however, very few towns to explore. One exception was Clarksburg (pop: 16,578). As soon as I entered the town I knew I was now in the South. Confederate statutes abounded, and the local courthouse had a large granite depiction of the ten commandments. Note the woman smoking next to the commandments.

Another West Virginia town of note was Grafton (pop: 5,000). I pulled the Yaris over in front of a nice-looking city block, and got out to look for a place to get a decent sandwich. A pleasant, older woman in a purple outfit seemed to appear out of nowhere, and asked me if she could be of assistance. I gave her my usual line that I’m a tourist traveling the entirety of US 50, and that was just exploring her town. Her eyes lit up, and invited me into the large brick church that was in front of us.

It turns out that the building was constructed as a Methodist church in 1873. According to my guide (whose name is Mary), the church hosted the first official Mother’s Day celebration in 1908. This was arranged by a local woman named Anna Jarvis, who was looking to honor her own mother who had died a few years earlier. After that initial celebration, Anna Jarvis pushed for an official national Mother’s Day, that would be on the second Sunday of May (which marked the date of her own mother’s death). Her efforts culminated in President Woodrow Wilson proclaiming a national Mother’s Day in 1914. Mary showed me the pen that Wilson used to sign the proclamation.

The building’s lower rooms also have many historic pictures of Grafton. The town had been founded as a major railroad junction on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and grew into a good-size city before declining in the late 20^th century as the rail industry slowed. Mary, who grew up in Grafton, seemed genuinely saddened by the decline. Eventually we made our way back out of the building, and Mary pointed out the old railroad depot across the street. Built in 1911, it has been out of service since the 1970s, but it’s still an impressive structure. Next to it is a large hotel that was built at the same time, as an incentive to get the B&O to locate the station there. Here’s the view of the station from the street:

The B&O railroad put the “BO” in beaux arts

And here’s the view from the railroad tracks. The hotel is on the right.

After about an hour, I made my goodbye to Mary. She invited me to attend the Mother’s Day service at the Shrine/Church this coming Sunday, but I told her I would be long gone. She gave me a look like I was an unappreciative rube. I then asked for a recommendation for lunch. She gave me several suggestions (she seems to know every place in town), and I settled on getting a “hoagie sandwich” from the food truck that parks near the abandoned depot every Wednesday. It was one of the best lunches I’ve had on this trip.

I got back onto US 50, and made my way through the Appalatians. Near the border with Virginia I saw this outhouse on the side of the road:

Yes, this whole thing is just an elaborate mailbox in front of someone’s home.

Here’s another stretch of abandoned buildings, in Virginia, that I thought was picturesque:

Remember: Every time you see a street in any of these photos, it’s US 50!

I ended my US 50 drive today at the city of Winchester, VA (pop: 27,300). From there, I took a three-hour detour south to visit my friend Chris, who moved to Virginia with his wife Carol about a year and a half ago. I’m going to take tomorrow off, while Chris and I drink Scotch and explore the area. Not at the same time. I will return to US 50 on Friday, and will resume my “blog” then.

bridges · Road trips · trains · Uncategorized

Day 6: Missouri and Indiana

February 9, 2021February 13, 2021 steveboilard1 Comment

I think I’ve achieved the Zen of US 50. There’s something very freeing—what the current argot might call “in the moment” – about living for almost a week on this road. In some ways, it’s ever-changing–—passing through 12 states, four time zones, countless communities, and various climates and topographies. It reveals the diversity at least of some of America. Unlike an interstate, which studiously avoids small towns, US 50 seamlessly wends its way through the middle of communities, with houses lining either side of the road. In many communities, US 50 is literally “Main Street.”

Despite revealing enormous diversity of our country, US 50 is also a very constant companion. It’s primarily a two-lane ribbon of asphalt with standardized signage. At this point, after driving it for over 2,000 miles, I recognize the familiar “feel” of 50. One of you asked me if I need to use GPS to keep up with all the twists and turns. The answer is no—US 50 is extremely well marked. You know when you’re on it. I haven’t gotten lost once. And, as you know, for me, that’s saying something.

This morning I passed through the greater St. Louis metro area and then crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois, where the countryside is remarkably green and open. It was a very calming and pleasant drive through the state, and soon I found myself in southern Illinois. I’ve noticed that the communities (that is, at least the ones along US 50) seem to be tidy, well-kept, solid communities. This contrasts with the ghost towns of Nevada and the worn, dying communities of eastern Colorado and Kansas. In Illinois I stopped at an Amish restaurant, nestled in an Amish community replete with simple farms and horse-drawn buggies. The lunch wasn’t great, but the dessert (peanut butter pie) made it worth it. I explained to the waitress that I was traveling all of US 50. She seemed confused, not quite understanding what this entailed, and why I would do it. But she wished me safe travels anyway.

After driving through Indiana all afternoon I stopped for dinner in Lawrenceburg, which sits right on the Ohio River. The road had flirted with the River a little bit before I arrived in Lawrenceburg, so I wasn’t quite sure whether I was now on the Indiana side or the Ohio side. I asked my waitress if I was in Ohio, and she burst out laughing. “No!” she spluttered. “We’re in Indiana!” Now, maybe they don’t get many tourists, but surely it’s not that unreasonable to not know which side of the river you’re on, when you’re 2000 miles from home. Changing the subject, I asked what kind of dark beers she had on tap, and she offered me a lager (which is so light it barely qualifies as beer). Undaunted, I ordered dinner (and a milk stout). When she returned with my meal, the waitress noticed my atlas and asked where I was heading. I told her I was driving US 50 coast to coast. “50 doesn’t go coast to coast!” she proclaimed. “It’s just in Indiana!” I showed her on the map that US 50 does indeed span the country. She seemed astonished. She called to another waitress to come over and get a load of this. “Can you believe it? Our 50 starts in California!”

After dinner I did in fact cross the river and enter Ohio proper. US 50 skirts around Cincinnati, but I did get a glimpse of what can only be described as the Rust Belt, replete with rusty railroad bridges and other decaying infrastructure. Very quickly, however, the road entered hilly, forested land which felt like I was in the Santa Cruz mountains. I ended up stopping in Athens, OH for tonight.

And now, a few photos from the day:

Cool abandoned bridge, originally built in 1923, that US 50 used to run across in western Illinois.

North Vernon, IN. The age, style, and condition of the downtown buildings is typical of the towns I saw today.

Butlerville, IN. The road in this photo is US 50.

Ohio & Mississippi RR Depot in Aurora, IN. Originally constructed in 1854, now nicely restored.

Frisch’s Big Boy in Milford, OH. When I was growing up in the south bay area, there was a chain called *Bob’s* Big Boy. They even had a “big boy” statuette, similar to this one. The full story is here.

…and don’t forget to turn your engine off when you get to your destination.

bridges · Cars · Road trips · Uncategorized

Day 5: Kansas and Missouri

February 8, 2021February 13, 2021 steveboilard3 Comments

Here’s a picture of the first grain elevator I saw this morning, heading east out of Larkin, KS:

And here’s a picture of the second grain elevator I saw:

Now, multiply those pictures by 100, and you get a sense of the scenery along US 50 through Kansas. Seriously. It’s flat, with lots of open space and no trees, and periodic, looming grain elevators. I suppose there’s some kind of charm to the monotony. But monotonous it was.

Breakfast was at Richie’s Café in Cimmaron. I was craving a good cup of strong, fresh-brewed, artisan coffee, a toasted bagel and cream cheese, and some good juice. The outside of the place didn’t look promising, but it was the only game in town. I entered the double doors, and found myself in a small, dark anteroom with another set of double doors. These I opened, and stepped into a large, windowless auditorium with ancient wood flooring. It looked like the place where the Peanuts put on their Christmas pageant in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” In the middle of the room were rows of long tables surrounded by folding chairs. A group of about eight people, all of retirement age and none with a healthy body mass index, where chatting over coffee and a couple of empty plates. They evidently had been there awhile. The waitress (if that’s the correct term) brought me a menu, which I searched in vain for my artisan coffee and bagel and juice. I had to settle for a greasy breakfast taco. I was back in the Yaris and on the road within 10 minutes.

I suppose it’s fair to say that there wasn’t a lot notable about Kansas. I was looking forward to Dodge City (pop: 27,000), which is on my route, but just about all traces of the old west there are contained in museums or reconstructed facsimiles. It felt too touristy for this trip. I did stop at a grocery store in the town of Meridian (pop: 813). You haven’t truly heard laughter until you’ve asked a Kansan if they have Naked Juice.

Oh, I also made a stop to check out an old 19^th century stone arch bridge in the town of Clements (pop: 0). The bridge crosses the Cottonwood River in an idyllic setting. I think I may have walked through poison ivy to take the photo, so I hope you appreciate it!

So, that’s about it for Kansas. After I got to Emporia, US 50 again merged with an Interstate (I-35), which sped me toward Kansas City. Soon I was in Missouri. Once I left behind the congestion of KC, the drive became quite pleasant. Missouri is a greener, hillier state than Kansas.

I stopped in Jefferson City at the state Capitol, which was unfortunately being renovated. It appears to be much larger than California’s Capitol. It strikes me that US 50 goes through four state capitals as well as the country’s capital. That seems to be a testament to how important the road was when it was originally designated.

I was enjoying the drive when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Studebaker truck parked in a driveway. I stopped on the side of the road, and asked the two old guys sitting on the front porch of a tidy brick home whether they owned the truck. One of them (whose name turned out to be Roy) claimed ownership, and came down from his porch to show it off, opening the hood to reveal the small-block Chevy engine he had dropped into it. He had bought the truck about three years ago, and as he used to teach body work at the local technical school, he had no problem fixing up the truck. Roy retired 11 years ago, and when he isn’t working on his Studebaker, he’s sitting on his front porch with his friend Dean “counting cars as they pass.”

Studebaker owners’ motto: We’d rather fix than switch. (Youngsters can learn the reference here.)

Dean lives across the street, and after I had praised Roy’s Studebaker, Dean insisted that we go over to his place to check out his 1950 Chevy convertible. We walked over, and Dean pulled the car out of the enormous, warehouse-like garage so that I could see it in the sunlight. It was a beauty. He then invited me into the garage to see his other cars (3 or 4 of them, including a Mustang convertible).

After thanking Roy and Dean for the tour, I got back in the Yaris with a bit of embarrassment, and made the final leg of today’s trip, to Union, MO (just west of St. Louis).

Uncategorized

Day 4: Colorado and Kansas

February 7, 2021February 13, 2021 steveboilard2 Comments

OK, now as you know, I spent last night at my friend Detlef’s house about 2 hours north of US 50. He and I spent this morning four wheeling up an old RR right-of-way in the mountains outside of Boulder. The views were breathtaking. Here’s Detlef taking a photo of me taking a photo of him.

We returned home for lunch, where Detlef’s daughter Anna let me handle her pet boa constrictor:

Anyway, we had a great visit. Much fun to catch up after all those years. Special shout-out to Detlef’s lovely wife Nancy for her hospitality, and to his mom who is now living with them and who I enjoyed seeing again after about 40 years. OK, now back to the US 50 blog…

Day 4

I left Detlef’s house about 2 pm, and headed back down to reconnect with US 50 near Pueblo, CO, where I had started my detour yesterday. After getting out of Pueblo’s metro area, 50 returns to the straight, quiet, empty road that I’ve gotten used to. The landscape in this part of Colorado is mainly farms, cattle ranches, and scrub brush, periodically punctuated with small towns that feel like they once were reasonably prosperous, but which for years have been declining. Somehow they’re hanging on. Here are a few glimpses:

First up is the town of Fowler (pop: 517). I’m told the town was originally named Oxford, in honor of an ox that was killed on the railroad tracks. (I am not making this up.) The new name honors Orson Fowler, who was a phrenologist. It was the 1920s, after all. Anyway, I was struck by the faded stateliness of the Fowler bank.

Established 1931. (Which is not really an auspicious time for banking.)

Next, in the town of Canon City (pop: 16,000), the State Armory is boarded up. Canon City is of course a wonderful name for the city hosting an armory. But in 1975, the name was officially changed to Cañon City. Most signage still retains the original spelling.

Originally constructed in 1922, the armory still an imposing building. I phoned the number on a nearby sign that offered “information about this building.” There was no answer.

Below is an old school that also sits right on US 50. It’s evidently closed, like many other historic structures along this stretch of 50 in eastern Colorado.

A school two years ahead of the Covid curve

A number of buildings in these old towns still sport lettering that must date back almost a century.

I’m struck by some of the colorful names along the way. This creek supposedly is the source of the town’s water supply…

Shortly before leaving eastern Colorado, I came across this used car lot. All the cars are from the 1940s through the 1960s. There must be over 100 old cars, all with asking prices around $1,500 or $2,000. Which seems like a lot for a car with flat tires, cracked windshields, and in some cases, no hood.

Studebaker Wagonaire. Introduced in 1963, at the same time as the Jeep Wagoneer. Studebaker folded in 1966.

Just before I left Colorado behind and entered Kansas, I stopped for dinner at a restaurant called Porky’s Parlor. It’s a family-run place, with a drive-through for to-go orders. I was evidently the only person who decided to “dine in.”

Doesn’t appear to be the post popular restaurant in town

The menu on the wall must list 3 dozen options, including burgers, sandwiches, tacos, chili, and various other items. I asked the owner’s daughter, who was running the cash register, what she’d recommend. She told me that “everyone” gets the “pig burger.” Which makes one wonder why they have 35 other items on their menu. I dutifully took her advice, and was not disappointed.

Before getting back on the road, I made a trip to the restroom. There are two bathrooms (presumably for men and women, being that this is Binary Gender country.) Yet rather than having proper labels, the doors each had a picture of a pig. I am guessing that one was a boy pig and one was a girl pig, but there was really no way of distinguishing their gender. I chose the pig that seemed to have a more masculine face, but when I entered the room, it was clear from the, um, infrastructure that I’d guessed wrong. I quickly exited, and noted that the girl behind the counter was smirking. I think the androgenous pigs are part of a little joke they play on tourists.

It was now twilight, and 50 was feeling like America’s Loneliest Road. I was practically the only person driving it. There’s something very Zen about this. I find it comforting. The only distraction was the impossibly short telephone poles alongside the road. Seriously—I could have touched the wires if I didn’t want to get fried.

Looking back towards the west, the sun was setting. It was time to pull off the road for the day. I am literally the only person staying at the Hometown Inn in Lakin, KS.