PA to VA

I had a fantastic time in Pennsylvania, quality time. Most of it was spent with friends in Harrisburg with a two day trip to Philadelphia to visit family. It wasn't long before it was time to go, head south to Washington and home. It was also the day of Obama's inauguration so to avoid the traffic I decided to take the less travelled US15.

The drive from Harrisburg to Washington evolved from a trivial A to B affair to a complex series of "gotta have a look at that" as I hurtled past an unending string of signs each advertising the must see thing for the next blink of my trip. I gave in far too many times, and more often than not the journey to the promised "must see" turned out to be the best part... rural Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia are stunning and it was a real treat to stumble upon them. Unlike Ireland this countryside has a man made order to it's natural chaos, it feels managed without losing too much of its stunning beauty and to a traveller, in particular one driving on the wrong side of the road, that is very comforting... Ireland, on the other hand is utterly chaotic in it's beauty, natural and man made... one of the many reasons I love to call it home.

I had an invitation to an inauguration party in a DC suburb that I really wanted keep but my frequent excursions off the beaten track and an important shopping list kept me occupied right up to stepping on the plane.