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By SUSAN TOBIAS, Pinch of Time
We were checking out of a hotel in Elizabethtown, Ky. My husband, Toby, dropped me off at the door to turn in our room key. Walking back outside, I noticed a man by our truck, talking and laughing with Toby. I thought, "Don't tell me he met somebody he knows!"
When I got to the truck, the man offered me a handshake and said, "Hi, my name is (sorry, I don't remember) and I'm president of the Chamber of Commerce here in Elizabethtown. I'm just on my way in to a meeting at this hotel, but I want to thank you folks for staying here in Elizabethtown."
We chatted a few minutes about where we were from and that we were on a month-long trip.
He said, "Well, I hope you will come back and visit us again and plan on staying a spell."
I was so impressed. With that kind of "heartland" hospitality, I'd be quick to stay in Elizabethtown, Ky., and see the sights.
On our recent 5,000-mile road trip, that man was one of the nice people we met — the kind who go out of their way to make the traveler feel at home.
In Arkansas, I have to say all I remember is that some of the interstate was like a washboard. You know how the old folks used to talk about corduroy roads? This was one and the same.
Another pet peeve: Several times on the road we phoned ahead to check on hotel rooms. Being so far south, I naturally expected to hear lots of Spanish. What I didn't expect was, "Press 1 for English." And then, if you didn't press 1, the recording continued in Spanish.
Wait a minute, I thought. This is still America, isn't it? The official language of this country is still English, isn't it? Why should I have to push anything for English-speaking announcements? Shouldn't it be "Press 1 for Spanish"? I'm still fuming about that.
When traveling, you can only hope for good directions. It is our experience that the absolute best signage in all the states we passed through is located in Ohio. At the same time, the absolute worst signage we ran up against was in Indiana.
AAA gave us very precise directions, but if the state doesn't have the signage precise it can make for harried nerves and near misses trying to suddenly cross four lanes to make an exit ramp.
Also, crossing into Illinois on Interstate 80, driving east, we drove at least 20 miles before we saw our first sign for I-80. This happened after coming through miles of construction and lanes separated with cement barricades and detours.
I told Toby to "just keep driving. We'll end up somewhere and find a sign that tells us where we are."
Thankfully, it was I-80E, right where we hoped to be.
There were also good signs pointing to many places of interest, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower's boyhood home in Abilene, Kansas; John Wayne's birthplace in Winterset, Iowa; and directions to the covered bridges of Madison County, Iowa, made famous by the book and movie of the same name.
Oh, to have the money and time to just wander from state to state, follow all the signs and roads and immerse myself in the history of this vast country ... Sounds like wanderlust to me. Maybe some day ...
One last thought: Please be kind to each other. The world needs more kindness.
Susan Tobias lives in Plattsburgh with her husband, Toby. She has been a Press-Republican newsroom employee since 1977. The Tobiases have six children, 18 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They enjoy traveling to Maine and Colorado, and in her spare time, Susan loves to research local history and genealogy.
Reach her by e-mail at: writertobias@gmail.com
