Sat - Dec 9/17

We were up and out by 6:30 a.m. Returned to Liz's using her car. She lives only a few minutes down the road.

Added the last minute items to the RV (included medicine that needed to be kept refrigerated) and things that we didn't want to freeze.

We were on the road to MacEwen Gas Bar in Morrisburg, ON. This is our usual trip departure practice when we go west (and south). I added enough fuel to get us across the border into the USA were filling up would be $1 a gallon cheaper.

Charlotte went in to their McD's for a pair of McMuffin Breakfast Meals (To Go).

By 7:15 a.m. we were on our way.

All was clear until just after we crossed into the USA at Ivy Lea (Thousand Island Bridge) and got onto I-81. As usual, for this time of year, there was "Lake Effect" snow just before Watertown, NY.

Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water, warming the lower layer of air which picks up water vapor from the lake, rises up through the colder air above, freezes and is deposited on the leeward shores.

It was very light.

Pulled of at Exit 49 to fill up at the Sunoco. We usually stop here. On the way home (Dillinger's Last Stop) was closed. I check before leaving home and it showed a new owner (w/ great fudge). Unfortunately, they didn't last long and it was closed again.

I had prepared for this possibility and still had enough fuel to continue to Watertown, NY. I then took Exit 46. Instead of turning left as usual (to Cracker Barrel) I turned right and filled at the gas bar at the first corner.

Back on I-81 we continued towards Syracuse, NY. About an hour later we then took the I-481 Bypass around Syracuse and reconnected to I-81 South and West of the city. This is our usual way to go to avoid downtown traffic.

A little more than an hour later we were passing through "Bingo" (Binghamton, NY). A dozen mile later we entered Pennsylvania.

A quarter hour later we were filling up at our usual stop at the New Milford, PA Flying J. I can't believe how easy the fuel fill-up was. Usually it takes half an hour as the pumps continually shut off automatically as the back-pressure builds up. For years I have asked them to not put "High Speed" fuel pumps (like the diesel pumps) on the gas pumps. Someone finally figured it out!

Later, as we passed the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton area the snow increased and began freezing on the windshield. It also froze on the wipers. I turned the heat on full on the windshield and used a lot of windshield washer fluid. It got down to half-speed driving while looking through half a windshield.

Of course, this is the mountain section without rest areas. We made it through to Ravine, PA where we pulled off I-81 to a truck stop. Cleaned the ice of the windshield, refilled the washer fluid (used almost a gallon) and returned to the Interstate. As we approached Harrisburg, PA the lower elevation brought warmer temps, the windshield cleared and the snow lessened significantly.

Luckily, we made it through this area before heavy snows hit. The "Mess" hit the news a few days later. We again filled with fuel at out usual Flying J - Clear Brook, VA stop. They repainted the "RV" parking area to allow for more customer parking for their "Dennys" restaurant. We were too long to fit in and park for the night.

We continued on to the Wal-Mart in Winchester, VA (about a 15 minute drive). We have been staying overnight here for years. There is now less space as they added a gas bar a few years ago. We still found room for the night.Then it was into the store for a few items. The Mcd's in the store had closed since last year's stay so we bought a Sub from the deli for our supper.

Despite the problems it was still much better than last year's first day. When we left home it was 40 below (same on F and C temp scales). We hoped tomorrow morning would also be better than last year when we woke up to an RV that was covered with 1/2" of freezing rain. We couldn't leave until noon that day until the temperatures increased enough to melt the RV covering and clear the roads to drive.

Tonight it was just slightly below freezing.