On the road (yet again...)

I’ve been traveling again…   

Opportunities tend to arise from time to time, sometimes on the spur of the moment.   And
while my wife was visiting her sister in Chicago seemed to be one of those good moments.

This time the trip amounted to three sightseeing days as a gal, and one day impersonating
a guy. I had things to do in Pennsylvania, and I never let these trips “happen” without
taking my girl stuff along.    I planned on several selfies; those are the outfits which made
it into my suitcase.   Unfortunately, you’ve seen my skirts and dress before…I would loved
to buy new things (but with no storage space???).   My objective was to try out some every
day topswith my existing outfits. Everyday tops eliminate some of the laundry hassles I'd
otherwise encounter.

My first day was for traveling, and some light sightseeing.  Enroute at Severna Park, a
suburb of Baltimore, I came across a former substation/power plant for the long-defunct
Baltimore & Annapolis RR (a walking trail on the old right-of-way runs right past it.)  In
addition to its being an antique in its own right, the building is now an antique shop.

 

A lot of driving later, I found myself heading west on US Route 30, the Lincoln Highway. 
And near the small town of Everett, PA, I came across one of many so-called “roadside
oddities” - or as they call it:  one of the “Roadside Giants of the Lincoln Highway.”  It’s
the “world’s largest quarter.”  Unfortunately it was raining, thus:  no selfie.  

Having been in Everett a long time ago, I knew there was an old Huntington and Broad
Top railroad station (complete with a stuffed and mounted H&BT caboose and locomotive)
located there.   Never known to bypass such a sight (especially as a girl), I dropped in to
re-make my acquaintance.     Unfortunately it was drizzling, which made staying under
cover a requirement, and good pictures hard to get, but at least I was able to get one. 
And it was cold…my turtleneck and jumper dress felt very cozy - and warm!   

From there it was off to Altoona, site of the world-famous Pennsylvania Railroad’s
Horseshoe Curve.    Notice the silver signal gantry behind me, up at track level.  The
railroad is now owned and operated by Norfolk Southern (as part of the breakup of
the Conrail system), and before I left to head for my motel, a train went by.  Of course
the curve is on a significant grade, so you can hear westbound trains crawling
upgrade a long time before they actually appear.  Naturally, I stayed around for the
show…fortunately, no more drizzle.

 

And before calling it a day, I dropped in at the so-called “America’s oldest gas station”: 
Reighard’sin Altoona!   Again, the recurring drizzle dampened enthusiasm for doing a
selfie.  Darn it anyway. 

 

I checked into the motel as a female.  Had no issues, but the fortysomething female clerk
stayed “neutral” – most likely due to my given name nowadays being a girl’s name.    
No gender-specific terms were used.   Once settled in, I managed to do a selfie in the
room's full-length mirror.

Much more to follow.   Stay tuned!

Mandy