En Route to Washington DC

Day 36: 15.08.09En Route to Washington DC!
The day promised to be another scorcher so we packed and headed off reasonably early. We continued our search for Snuffles, turning the room inside out (again). John went downstairs for a look around the grounds of the motel and alas, returned empty handed. Nick tried to accept the fact that he was probably gone for good. When we left, Max, Nick and me, decided to take one last look around the hotel and to our amazement, we found him sitting on a railing. Nick was ecstatic and I guess he is the luckiest kid alive at the moment! Obviously, Snuffles had a big night out on the town but was no worse for wear when we got him back!
As promised, it was a stinking hot day and we were thoroughly exhausted when we finally arrived at Cherry Hill RV Park just on the outskirts of Washington DC. After quickly setting up, we all headed for the pool. Yes, it was so hot that even I indulged in a swim – of course, I didn’t get my hair wet but the water was cooling and refreshing to say the least. We are starting to seel the effects of over five weeks of travel – one can only eat so many French fries and at so many fast food outlets before feeling totally blimp like. Tonight, I cooked fish and salad in an attempt to get us eating more healthily again before school returns.

Day 35:14.08.09We got ourselves off to an early start as the day promised to be a scorcher. (High 90’s – converted to Celsius this means temperatures are expected to be somewhere in the mid thirties.) We have become highly efficient at packing down the van – we had it cleaned, packed and attached in about 30 minutes this morning. We faced a very long day in the car; we were headed for East Brunswick, a town just off the I-95 south of Jersey City. The highway system in the US is very easy to follow and well signposted so we have had no difficulties in finding our way around. Today was no exception. The only aspect of the day’s drive that was uncomfortable, apart from temperatures in the mid thirties, was the section of the journey that took us through NY city. This was very slow. I estimate that it took us something like two hours to cover about twenty kilometres. We had to go through Yonkers and the Bronx, before crossing the Hudson River into New Jersey. The traffic was backed up for miles and miles. Luckily, the kids were very settled and we had no choice but to sit and enjoy a unique New York City experience. We finally arrived late in the afternoon and it was a relief to be staying in a motel. We all collapsed in front of the air conditioner for a while before finding somewhere for dinner. (Bonefish Grill – a decent establishment with seafood at reasonable prices) It seemed like a luxury to be able to watch TV when we got home and we all enjoyed Shrek Three.

The evening was marred somewhat when Nick realised he had lost Snuffles – his toy wombat and most favourite possession. We spent quite a while searching for him but our effort proved fruitless. We think he dropped him when he was carrying him into the Motel but it was too dark outside to see properly. Nick was in tears and was still snuffly and upset when he went to sleep.