Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Past Two Cornfields (Part 1)

Destination: Maryland, Washington DC, Baltimore, etc
Total Miles: 1776 (no joke)
Cost: approx. $400

"Turn left at the second road, go past two cornfields, then take the next road to the left..."

Directions are a tricky thing...if you are getting them from a GPS (mine is a garmin nuvi, named Edmond Dantes...more to come on Edmond later) you have to worry about it not being updated; if you try to follow directions off a smartphone you will have to worry about not pushing the button for the next directions fast enough; if you are following printed directions from Google Maps or MapQuest you CANNOT stray off course or you will spend precious time trying to get back to the charted course; and if you ask people for directions you risk getting ones that only make sense to locals (see the above quote...a family joke).

I do not normally have issues with directions...I can keep a halfway decent map in my head, especially if I have been to a place once (barring places I go immediately after working 12 hours...my brain does not focus on details after work). But I have been known occasionally to get lost (rarely, I should say). Typically, it is due to following directions (whether road signs, written directions, or spoken directions) that are faulty (by my standards). So, telling a Southern girl to ''go past two cornfields'' when I'm not even sure what defines a single or how to tell when one stops and another starts, creates the unique situation of me becoming directionally challenged.

And in Maryland, there are many, MANY cornfields.

But, cornfields aside...you are all (I would like to imagine) wanting to hear about my trip to the North-that-is-still-considered-the-South.

Make sure you've read It's a Dangerous Business to get caught up. Picking up from there:

Sudlersville: Speed Limit 25
Saturday morning, I arose earlier than I normally do...6:30 am. Got a quick shower, then left to help with Men's Prayer Breakfast at church. Not being a breakfast person myself, I was able to enjoy fellowshipping with the lady in charge that morning, Maria, and my cousin Rachel's oldest, Alaina. After cleaning up, I headed to Sudlersville (after stopping for gas as my tank was almost completely empty...warning to all who drive through the Eastern Shore: gas stations are not plenteous, so stop before your gas light comes on!) for lunch with Kevin, Kelly, Katelyn and Layton. After enjoying food at the only restaurant in town, we headed over to their place to hang out for a little while. Then it was decided that Kevin, Kelly and I would go to Delaware for some tax-free shopping at the mall. I bought some pants at Lands End in Sears and a bunch of yarn at Michels (it was on sale...and tax-free!). Then we headed back to their house for supper and to watch the Duke-UNC game (which I'm still not discussing).




Sunday morning, I got up early...again. After a shower, Alaina and I went to church to record on the piano the accompaniment for a song I was to sing in the morning service. Both Sunday School and the service were a blessing. I played offertory and sang a special (had almost forgotten that they clap afterwards...something different from Westgate is all). After a delicious lunch of pot roast and mashed potatoes with Cindy, Steve, and Rachel's three girls, I took off for an afternoon drive (forgoing my usual Sunday nap). After driving a little ways and crossing some bridges, I stopped to check my GPS map and see if there was anything interesting around my location. That was how I found Elk Neck State Park...which to get to, I had to drive through North East (the town). About halfway down the stretch to the park, I passed a sign that read "Road Closed 3 Miles." My favorite!!! Sure enough, the road ended at a little parking area. There were signs posted, lots of cars around (even another one from SC!), and I was curious. The signs told me that there was a lighthouse about a half-mile walk down a nice path. No problem...except I was only wearing my church clothes, and everyone I passed was bundled up in heavy winter coats, gloves, hats, scarves, etc. Oh well. It was a pleasant walk (minus the cold) and at the end I was rewarded with a beautiful lighthouse and bay view. Of Note: this lighthouse has been "manned" by more women then men during the however-many-years it had been standing. After a very brisk walk back to my vehicle, I took off...landing myself on I-95 and having to make a hasty exit before I hit tolls. The detour back to church proved worth my time as I enjoyed a spectacular display of God's handiwork. 

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