The Appalachian Way Home, Day 1: The National Aquarium & Skyline Drive
Tuesday, September 8th, 2020
Jaclyn and I kicked off our road trip with a visit to see a dear friend of ours, Andrea, whom we’d both met while working together in Arizona some years ago. We sat in bright red adirondack chairs in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and caught one another up on our lives. I let my ball python, Luna, out of her carrier to stretch and meet Andrea. When it was time to go, Jaclyn and I continued our drive to Baltimore, Maryland, for a trip into the ocean’s depths at the National Aquarium. I had forgotten how much I like Baltimore. We were welcomed by a massive sailboat docked in the harbor, and found ourselves acting like little kids as we explored each exhibit, from tropical bird-filled jungles to endless tanks of sharks, dimly-lit jellyfish rooms and bright dolphin spas. Three hours later, we forced ourselves to move on. We still had a long trek ahead, and wanted to take a scenic route into Virginia: Skyline Drive. We made it just in time to catch the end of the sunset and snap a few pictures, before settling into our motel in Luray. We laughed hysterically as we unfolded the bedding to discover it had “Hello, Sunshine” written in big letters across the bottom, and came to the conclusion that you get what you pay for. I made a salad with the ingredients we had brought in our cooler, but—as I didn’t have a plate—used a plastic bag to throw everything together. Needless to say, it was a pretty silly sight. Then we ordered a pizza.
Who you went with/visited: Jaclyn Treviño & Andrea Mahoney
Where you went:
Stops:
Harrisburg, PA
Baltimore, MS
Luray, VA
Drove through:
Pennsylvania
Maryland
West Virginia
Virginia
Establishment(s) visited:
The National Aquarium
Skyline Drive
What you did/experienced:
Sat around red Adirondack chairs and chatted with Andrea to catch up on where we’re all at in life, showed Andrea Luna and let her stretch out, came up with lots of fun schemes for channeling clients to each other for my design, Jaclyn’s consulting, and Andrea’s spiritual direction
Explored the National Aquarium for a good 3 hours and walked around the Hard Rock Cafe outside
Listened to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on audible
Chased the sunset at Skyline Drive (Fort Royal entrance)
Turned back when it got dark and took the boring (but safer) route the rest of the way
Settled into sketchy Luray motel!
Engage your senses.
what did you See?
Bright red Adirondack chairs. Beautiful architecture in both Baltimore and Fort Royal VA. Sail boats gliding outside the massive windows of the National Aquarium. Blindingly vibrant and graceful aquatic life. A bright pink bird in the aquarium jungle section. The sun setting violently over the vast valley on Skyline Drive, reflecting like a mirror off the river. Tiny houses in the valley below layers of 2D shades of blue mountains.
what did you hear?
Ambiance music, bird calls, and jungle sounds, waves and water echoes. Hard rock outside the Hard Rock Cafe.
what did you smell?
My stuffy mask...
what did you feel?
Small and wonderful, like Moses with a wall of water on either side me. Pain in my lower back as I drove. Fresh air in my nostrils and lungs as I stood on the stone wall surrounding a Skyline Drive lookout. Luna’s wiggly body inside the cloth bag I hid her in to smuggle her into the aquarium. A very light sprinkle of water from the jungle trees and waterfalls. A soft hug with Jaclyn on the wall overlooking the Shenandoah valley.
What did you taste?
See “What and where you ate”
what did you think?
I forgot how cool Baltimore is. I was worried we wouldn’t make it in time to Skyline Drive because we spent so long at the aquarium, but I didn’t want to leave. I could stay there all day. Gratitude that we caught the end of the sunset. The architecture in the aquarium was brilliantly engineered. Longing to stay and look at the boats in the harbor more.
What and where you ate:
Ate breakfast at the Lakehouse
Made a sandwich in the car while stopping for gas
Ratchet plastic bag salad in the motel from ingredients in our cooler
Ordered a meat lover’s pizza Dominico Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria
Where you stayed:
Days Inn by Wyndham Luray Shenandoah
Something you learned:
A Megalodon tooth is the size of an adult human hand
Memorable moments/favorite things:
Seeing Andrea and reliving the SPOAZ glory days
The bubble tubes and jellyfish fixtures at the aquarium
The awesome architectural engineering of the building, how it was all open in different levels and tiers
Watching the dolphins practice
The boats in the harbor in Baltimore
Deep breaths as we soaked in the sunset
The ridiculous Hello Sunshine comforter at the uglier-than-the-picture motel
Shooing the praying mantis out of the motel when it snuck in when the pizza delivery guy opened the door
