US Road Trip- New York to South Carolina

After the wooliest event of my life, Rhinebeck, our path was primarily southbound. We passed through Boston, NYC, Virginia, and into the Carolinas.

We might have driven efficiently down the coast, but when you are within 2 hours of the largest yarn store in the US, efficiency loss is expected. We visited Webs 3 times in 5 days and it was not always in a convenient direction. For those who are unfamiliar with this particular yarn shop, imagine a half sized Costco for yarn. Being surrounded by exclusive fibers and sale prices made Jyn’s heart palpitate. It’s a good thing that she has a yarn budget. Somehow, I was also captivated by the sheepy magic. My yarn stash has outgrown another bag! I still can’t believe that I knit.

After Webs, we stayed in Boston for a few days. We spent our time trying to get our Round the World Tickets finalized (FAIL again), having meals with friends, knitting, dancing, and regularly repahking the cah to comply with street sweeping.

From Boston, we headed down to NYC for a night. On the way, we made a detour to speak with Singapore Airlines, in person, at their office in JFK (one of only five SA offices in the US). We were in desperate need of help with obtaining the tickets. Turns out the staff at that office was as useful as a book on how to read, a submarine with screen doors, or a helicopter with an ejection seat. I seriously doubt that people actually get these tickets. Alas…

We drove a couple more joyous hours in NYC rush hour to get to my friend’s place in the upper east side of Manhattan. I definitely do not recommend driving into New York City. We knew it would be cumbersome, but we could not leave the car with our important items (many bags) and I wanted to see my friend. Remember, we have been driving for almost 2 months with nearly everything we own in the car or in storage back in LA. We are pros at packing and unpacking the car.

As we raced to outrun the cold weather, we headed down to Alexandria, Virginia. On the way down, we noticed signs warning us about World Series traffic. Neither of us even knew that it was going on. It seems that driving for months and living your dream can detach you from the current events.

In Virginia, we caught up with family, ramped up our efforts to get the Round the World Tickets, danced, and went to the Udvar-Hazy Center.

The Udvar-Hazy Center was great! On display in a huge hangar are many very iconic air/spacecrafts, including the SR-71 Blackbird (world’s fastest air breathing manned aircraft), Enola Gay (first aircraft to drop atomic bomb), and Space Shuttle Discovery. Pro tip: Free parking after 4pm, and entry is always free. We could have spent three to four hours there easily. Unfortunately, they do not yet have any SpaceX items in their collection.

From VA, we drove to Raleigh, North Carolina to see another friend. Of course, we stopped to look at yarn en route. My friend and her husband took us to see a house that takes Halloween decorations to the next level, and then for delicious Mexican food. At their house, we enjoyed their very high-energy love bugs (two boxers). We only had two days in Raleigh, but we still managed to go to a yarn store, a farmers market, a Halloween party, and a salsa night (at the Palladium Club).

While on a grocery run, we found a fun wall near Trader Joe’s. Naturally, we had to take a picture.

Continuing southbound, we stopped in Charleston, South Carolina. As soon as we arrived and unpacked, we headed to Edisto Island to see Driftwood Beach before sunset. Large, barren (but beautiful) trees dominate the coastline there. The next day, we took our own walking tour of downtown Charleston and strolled through the old streets for most of the day. We appreciated the city’s charm and historic character.

We only have 1 stop left on the road trip: South Florida. Stay tuned for updates as we undoubtably encounter “Florida Man” (if you don’t know Florida Man, Google it. You’re welcome.)