Lessons from a Long Ride North

On my family's recent road trip to Maine, I noticed (and I'll limit this to only ten):

1. There are Subway and Dunkin Donuts restaurants everywhere, at least on the east coast, even in the tiniest towns. Good to know.

2. Delaware has, according to my observation, the most liquor stores per capita in the U.S. Considering it is the oldest state, perhaps it contains the greatest wisdom. I mean, if you have a good product to sell, make it easily accessible.

3. The pie in ME, in seemingly every restaurant, and at my in-laws, is excellent.

4. Myrtle Street Tavern in Rockland; it's "not just for sailors and whores anymore." So I went in.

Joah

5. Joah's powers are ever increasing. Here he is relaxing and learning, with his toddler-esque kind of sophistication.

6. Tess adores snow; sledding on it, laying in it, eating it, whatever.

7. Marian adores pictures; mostly taking them. I knew this already but discovered it afresh. While on this trip she took several hundred. I took one; the one to the right there.

MacGyver

8. How good it is to have the proper equipment for a work. I observed this while running comfortably in ME's cold winds; I had good clothing designed for such a task. And I thought of it again while moving lots of snow in a short amount of time due to a shovel suited for the labor. Of course I knew this already and learned it best while trying to work on my vehicles without proper tools. We're not all MacGyvers.

9. Road tolls are unpleasant and disruptive, while road toll takers are quite pleasant and gladsome. I noticed this because we passed over so many toll roads, so I got a larger sample than I have had before. These folks sit in that outdoor cubicle with the window open, repeating the same monotonous task, for what I'm guessing is not great pay. Yet they smile and wish you well on your journey. At least that was our experience. Contentment is a powerful force.

George Washington Bridge, connecting New York and New Jersey

10. That I didn't notice as much as I could have, like this bridge we crossed, twice. It was night on both occasions and I had been driving a long time. So I imagine I was in task mode.