Texas to
Pennsylvania
Road Trip
5 days
10 States
1856 Miles
The journey to a lake house getaway
A five-day road trip from Houston, TX to Tafton, PA through 10 states with a few fun stops in between, including Gator Country, New Orleans, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Luray Caverns.
— July 2020 —
Noteworthy Experiences
And Recommended Places
States crossed
Texas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Alabama
Georgia
Tennessee
West Virginia
Maryland
Ate
Don’s Seafood
Olde Nola Cookery
House of the Rising Sun
The Gate Diner
Sal’s Italian Restaurant
The Millworks
Travel Companions
Joe and Brittany
Train Everywhere
Train Everywhere is an online mind and body fitness platform that makes whole-person wellness development accessible and achievable to anyone, anywhere. Joe and Britt were delightful travel companions, and their fitness videos are great for someone on the go!
The Story
The year 2020 turned the world on its head, and my life was no exception. After moving in with my family to wait out the storm, I virtually became a nomad. With no place to call home and a remote job that could be done from just about anywhere, I had the unique opportunity to spend months at a time in any given place. Suffering a severe case of writer’s block while trying to draft the sequel to my novel, A Whitewashed Tomb, I had been wanting for some time to “find somewhere quiet where I could finish my book,” Bilbo style. I knew exactly where to go—my family’s lake house in Pennsylvania.
As it turned out, my parents and siblings had a similar idea, so we joined forces in the trek across the country. My brother Joe and his girlfriend Britt had just purchased Harley motorcycles and were eager to break them in. While my mom and younger siblings drove on ahead of us, Joe, Britt and I decided to take the scenic route to sight-see along the way. Since I couldn’t leave my pet ball python behind, little miss Luna would be joining us the whole way, smuggled secretly in my purse at every stop.
Our first stop was Gator Country, where I got to hold a baby alligator for the first time, and saw the world’s largest alligator in captivity, measuring 14-feet in length. I love all kinds of animals, but these ancient-looking, toothy beasts have always made my stomach drop. While my fear of them has not been completely conquered, I have grown to appreciate these big lizards!
I had no problem sneaking Luna inside the alligator sanctuary; but it felt strange bringing her into a church when we stopped for a rest at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Being a practicing Catholic myself, however, I think God let me off with a pass.
Tired with just one more hour to go, we stopped for drinks at Tin Roof Brewing Company: a cute, rustic bar with large glass windows that displayed the brewing process on the other side. It was quiet, and a gray bar cat made himself at home atop some of the tables. I didn’t mind, as it gave me an excuse to let the snake out of the bag.
When we’d rested up, we drove to a nearby restaurant called Don’s Seafood for some late-night cajun cuisine, before hitting the hay at our lovely AirBnB in New Orleans. Our host was incredibly sweet, having stayed up to make sure we got settled in. Of all the places we stayed, the Big Easy Charmer was my favorite.
I woke up too early. With every passing moment that Joe and Britt continued to sleep, my desire for beignets grew. Memories of these delectable pastries from my first visit to the Jazz capital of the world fueled my excitement for our full day in New Orleans. We didn’t have a plan, but we knew our first stop: Cafe Du Monde. We sipped on iced coffee and nibbled beignets while enjoying the delightful sight and sound of live street music, from classic jazz songs to improvised “Coronavirus Blues.”
Satisfied for the time being, we wandered through Jackson Square and escaped from the heat with some quiet time in St. Louis Cathedral. The hauntingly beautiful melodies of Gregorian chant echoed off the high ceilings, lifting our souls to a higher reality. After spending some time in prayer and looking at the stained-glass windows, we continued our blissful wandering deeper into the French Quarter.
Hungry for something weird and local to eat, we found a restaurant called Olde NOLA Cookery, where we tried grilled and fried alligator bites and delicious tropical drinks (I highly recommend the Hurricane). Next we hopped over to House of the Rising Sun, where I found myself in a great conversation with a couple, also from Texas, about things I normally hate talking about with strangers, such as politics and pandemics.
Unfortunately, travel is not as glamorous as travel bloggers make it seem, and sometimes, members of your party get food poisoning. After a few hurls out the open door of a moving car, we got my poor brother back to our delightful AirBnB, where we rested up, ate Jimmy John’s sandwiches, watched Psych, and prepared for another long day of driving.
What was it like?
The French Quarter
Click here to read my descriptive narrative of what it felt like to walk around the French Quarter in New Orleans.
We cross the rails of a stop-sign red trolly with yellow-trimmed windows, and I feel as though I’ve stepped into a movie screen. The sun boils the humid glaze that’s formed across my skin, but I am too delighted to care. To our right, the Mississippi River cradles a massive white ferry, whose delicate beams disguise its powerful might. To our left, our ears catch the blare of a saxophone accompanied by a deep, bluesy voice reverberating through iron-fenced balconies and rainbow stucco townhouses. Read more
Day Three
Louisiana to Georgia
Tuesday, June 30th, 2020
Highlights
Harley Davidson Stops
Stay: Rustic Barn Retreat
Britt and I greatly underestimated how long our day of driving would be, with stops every hour to give the cyclist’s bums a break. We drove most of the day, bypassing some of the locations we had hoped to hit, in order to make it to our AirBnB at a reasonable hour—which we didn’t. I picked out my “future motorcycle” about twenty times over, and marveled at how different each Harley dealership was. Joe and Britt continued to collect poker chips from each place, and it made the eight hours of driving feel a little less tedious.
When we were getting fairly close to our destination, we took a quick detour to Little River Canyon National Preserve, where we got a lovely view of a waterfall from a beautiful wooded area with a short walkway. As we soaked in the scene, bruise-purple storm clouds rolled in, threatening a torrential downpour. After a few awesome photos for Train Everywhere’s website, large rain drops began to prod at us, warning us to be on our way. Rumbling thunder echoed through the trees, inciting squeals of mutual delight and terror. Joe and Britt put on their rain gear, bracing themselves for the inevitable storm, and we began the drive.
The sun hadn’t set yet when the sky went dark. Rain pelted my windshield so hard I could barely see along the narrow, windy road. Lighting streaked the sky, lighting up gloomy fields behind silhouetted pines. Multiple times I was afraid I would hydroplane, and tried not to get too far ahead in case Joe and Britt were having a hard time following me.
As it turned out, I had been more afraid than they had been! But they had gotten significantly more wet. Some rain gear, Joe moaned as he skinned the soppy cloth from his legs, in the confines of our barn. We had decided to “rough it” that evening at an AirBnB that looked like something from a Harry Potter film—although, I don’t believe the spider webs were an intentional decoration.
The sound of rain against the tin metal roof increased the haunted atmosphere, but it was softened by a sweet little barn cat that combed between our legs as we settled in. Britt found some popcorn and made it in the microwave, and we all snacked on a mishmash of random foods that we’d brought, in lieu of a real dinner.
I made my way up a spiral staircase—by far the coolest feature in the shower-less residence—and proceeded to spritz the room with holy water to cast out the creepy vibes. No joke, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d heard a poltergeist moving things around in my sleep, otherwise. There were four or five beds scattered around the attic space, under strange, dusty decorations. I set up Luna’s terrarium and took her out for a little snake snuggle before bed, and quickly succumbed to exhaustion.
Day Four
Georgia to Virginia
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Highlights
Photo shoot on the barn property
Sal’s Italian Restaurant
Stay: Historic river view
The barn proved significantly less spooky in the morning, as daylight streamed through the upstairs window and through the cracks in between wooden beams, caressing the edges of a large four-poster in the center of the attic. I awoke to the feeling of soft fur moving beneath my open hand: the barn cat, come to cuddle—or rather, aggressively demand my affection. When one of my companions stirred, however, the kitten bounded off my bed to harass them.
I crept downstairs and drew back the massive barn doors to reveal the once blackened property, no longer screeching with a terrifying hoard of peeper frogs and cicadas (a sound I normally appreciate, but had never heard in such numbers). Now, all was quiet, save for the gentle songs of birds. I explored the property and found it pleasant, and much more vast than I expected, with a goat pasture, hiking trails, pond, and pretty little stonework grove. When my companions awoke, we decided to take some more photos for Train Everywhere’s website before heading out for Virginia.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, as we had gotten behind schedule and had to bypass a few plans we’d made in order to make it to our AirBnB in time for a good night’s rest. We stopped for brunch at a Waffle House, more Harley Davidsons, and had dinner at a delightful Italian restaurant in Roanoke, VA called Sal’s, just a short ways away from our destination. There, we took our time and enjoyed a splurge meal, complete with garlic knots, wine, and amazing Italian food I enjoyed so much that I forgot to take a picture of! Definitely recommend.
When we got to our AirBnB, we were surprised to see a mill of some sort in place of what I had expected to be a river view. After careful inspection of the advertised photos, we realized we had not been lied to—we’d only filled in the gaps of what we did not know with what we’d hoped for. Despite the noise, it was cool to look at, I suppose. We also got locked out, and it took some time for us to get the keypad on the door to work. I slept on a pull-out sofa, which was not the most comfortable thing in the world. Don’t let Instagram fool you: that is the reality of travel—you are often tired, disappointed, and your plans don’t always pan out. That being said, this AirBnB was incredibly well set-up, with adorable decorations, a cute assortment of snacks left out for us, and organized very well to make the most of the small space.
Day Five
Virginia to Pennsylvania
Thursday, July 2nd, 2020
Highlights:
Discovering “Kudzu”
The final leg of our journey was packed with exciting adventures, beginning with a visit to Britt’s alma mater, Sweet Briar College! I was stunned by the beautiful campus of the all-girls college, complete with classic brick architecture, rolling pastures covered in yellow wildflowers, horses from the equestrian program, and hiking trails around a beautiful, glass-still pond. We spent a good amount of time exploring, listening to stories of Britt’s time there, and soaking in the sweet tranquility of Sweet Briar.
Next on the agenda was Blue Ridge Parkway, something we had planned to do the day before, but didn’t have time for. This scenic byway stretches 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina. We only saw a small portion of it, but the views were outstanding! There were some portions where we had to drive through a construction zone, but once we had passed that, it was all winding roads and vast green mountains as far as the eye could see. It was difficult to resist stopping at every overlook we passed, but we still had a long way to go, and more stops to make.
Our next adventure was Luray Caverns, one of many cave systems in the surrounding area, but the only one containing the world’s largest instrument: the Stalacpipe organ! The organ can literally play the cave, vibrating the crystals within the stalactites at different frequencies to produce beautiful, haunting melodies. This was probably my favorite stop on the trip.
When we finally made it to the Pennsylvania border, we stopped for another nice dinner at The Millworks in Harrisburg, a trendy industrial-style restaurant and art studio with a very unique artisan menu. Stuffed with honey-glazed prosciutto, mango and arugula pizza, we left for the last few hours of our drive, with the sweet anticipation of rest.
What was it like?
Luray Caverns
Click here to read my descriptive narrative of what it felt like to listen to the Stalacpipe Organ in the copper depths of the earth!
Long shadows spread across the ceiling from the spears that peer down at me. The fingers of God and Adam touch as a stalactite kisses a stalagmite. Drapery of stone melts down in orange sheets like icing, transparently glowing from the lights behind them. Spongy coral-like rocks adorn the ground below me and the ceiling above, giving the impression of being submerged in the depths of an empty ocean. I look up and realize the outside world—present, modern day—is just above my head, oblivious upon the crust.
Arrived!
At some ridiculous hour of the morning, we made it to our final destination: Lake Wallenpaupack, PA, just in time for the Fourth of July! I went on to stay at the lake house for a two-month self-quarantine, where I escaped some of the madness of 2020 and focused on writing more of my novel, Not By Blood.
