Having sailed through and surpassed the Shenandoah Valley today, on the last leg of our journey from Key Largo, we’re soon approaching Upstate New York, about 4 hours from home. As close as we are to familiar territory we have nonetheless chosen to remain at an outer boundary, primarily to avoid a long and tiresome haul to the finish line. We have now the privilege and pleasure to anticipate a short jaunt tomorrow through what has traditionally been tranquil and bucolic countryside.

Our day today was by no means tortuous in spite of the profusion of Mack tractors pulling limitless quantities of materials of indescribable varieties to sustain the appetite of the northeast populace. The transports paid no heed to the repeated prohibition about driving in the left lane. Instead they capitalized upon for their own illegal and speedy purpose, relegating the less obstructive vehicular traffic to the uphill wait line or the downhill right lane. But as Interstate 81 turned towards Binghamton, New York the commercial traffic suddenly evaporated.  Thereafter the driving was predictable and cautious, largely governed by the automatic pilot feature of our vehicle.

The early morning breakfast of buttered toast with honey and peanut butter, along with a bowl of oatmeal with oat milk and maple syrup, kept us satisfied well into late afternoon when, after having endured hours of delay caused by en route road work, we checked into our hotel room. By chance there is a popular national restaurant located immediately next the hotel. It was there we put on the feed bag this evening. Let me summarize by noting that vanilla ice cream and (real) maple syrup are a simple but perfect combination.