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 WANDERING WITH MIKE |
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Pittsburgh / West Virginia / OhioMay-27-2009
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 So this was the first real leg of my trip: a little loop through Pittsburgh, PA; northern West Virgina; and a big string through Ohio. Visited a few friends in Pittsburgh but didn't really stay there too long or take many pictures because I used to live there and wasn't too interested in wandering around. I did vandalize a cake though; me and friend Nadine altered a "Let's Go Pens!" cake that her roommate made with a strategic letter "i" in the last word. Great success. Also I snapped two cats. After a startlingly brief friend visit in Weirton, West Virgina, due to time constraints, I needed a place to crash. There were no open campsites nearby that weren't going to charge me $40 to stay in a friggin' tent, so I headed over to the local Wal-Mart and set up a car tent with some fabric I had bought for the purpose. I heard that Wal-Mart welcomes RVers to stay for the night so I thought this'd be okay? Sleep was surprisingly deep and cozy. Afterward I had breakfast in a delightful picnic area nearby. From written journal: 2009-05-21 // 10:22a EST // Weirton, WV Woke up in my car tent in Wal-Mart parking lot. Groggy can opener purchase. Tuna fish for breakfast (MEAT!). Need a shower. Let's check out Buch's truck stop. 10:27a Do not regret GPS purchase at all. Side note: Absolutely beautiful day. Gonna be hot probably. Fix A/C. Note 2: Why does A/C have a slash? Air/conditioning? Air or conditioning?  Buch's truck stop was creepy and I ran away. I scooted over to a nearby university to see if I could steal a dorm shower, stealthily disguised as a student, but the place was mega-religious and scared me so I bailed from there also. Ended up going to a nearby McDonald's to wash up a bit and use some wifi. Afterward I headed up highway 43 through southern Ohio, and let me say that this was one of the most surprisingly beautiful drives I have ever taken. I had no idea that the non-city parts of southern Ohio were so pretty. Highway 43 is deliciously curvy, and full of light rolling hills and excellent scenery; a very fun drive. I'm very glad I took a more back-roads way north ("highway" 43 is barely a highway; more of a nice rural route). I was headed towards a lunch date with online acquaintance Boorishly P. Foundry in Kent, Ohio. I had some time to kill on the way, and after a little driving around, decided to spend some afternoon in a cool old cemetery I found in Canton, took some pictures. When the time was right, I headed up into Kent, specifically to a cool little restaurant named "Mike's Place" (PURELY COINCIDENCE I ASSURE YOU). Now, I may not be an expert on what is cool, but I can confidently say that a restaurant with a freakin' X-Wing parked in front of it falls under any definition of "cool" you wish to use. This place was a really odd mix of redneck and Star Wars, and I loved every bit of it. We both got the Jamaican jerk pork loin. It was amazing and I want more right now.I swung back through Erie afterward to steal some good sleep and a shower before heading into Canada, or so I thought. I was actually turned away at the Canadian border! This is due to certain unfortunate legal circumstances. Heh. Basically, I need to get some paperwork to get over. Unfortunately, this paperwork takes a few weeks to get, and I only have about a week before you need a passport to get back into the states, and a passport just isn't in my travel budget. SO, I guess no Canada for now.  2009-05-23 // 10:05p EST // Canada border crossing, Peace BridgeOh no I'm being searched! WEIRD 10:39p ...and denied entry! Canada 1, Mike 0 (Side note: Buffalo, NY, is a giant shitpile of a city.) I headed southeast after that, and I'm currently in Reading, PA, where my friend Adam won't let me leave. From here I'd like to see NYC, maybe Philly, and then I'm a bit torn on whether I'd like to do a northern loop around New England, or to just head south from here. We shall see! Miles traveled so far: ~1340 Comments Pictures     
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