A Lockdown Virtual Journey (North America) Day 4
Day Four
Our big day, for me, arrived with the alarm going off. I rang my wife and we chatted for a while before she had to go meet a friend for coffee and chat. I looked in my suitcase and realised that tonight we needed a hotel with a laundry or we needed to get some clean clothes. I completed my morning ablutions, dressed and went to meet with Chris and Pete.
Pete was already in Chris’s suite, ‘good morning’ and ‘sleep wells’ exchanged and confirmed we got down to prayer. This morning Chris led us from his Daily readings. After our families and friends, we especially prayed the Lords protection and ‘travelling mercies’ as after breakfast we were to go our separate ways. At least for a while.
We were to pick up the vehicles we had bought and insured on line, to travel the I90 to Seattle. We were then to decide whether to continue to Los Angeles. We had looked at our maps and decided we would aim to meet up in a town called Chicopee and a dinner called ‘Jennifer’s Kitchen’.
Chris was still eyeing up the grits and cornbread but was still reluctant to try them. Pete and I had a bet. Pete thought Chris would be eating grits before the week was out I thought it would take a little longer. Looser would buy the other a hot chocolate somewhere. So cereals eaten we agreed to meet in the lobby in ten minutes or so.
The receptionist told us where the nearest cash dispenser was and as it was only a few minutes’ walk away we left our bags with them and went a got ourselves some cash. Amazing that we could tap in a few numbers and a signal goes back to London (?) checks our accounts and then gives us the cash we asked for. When we returned the receptionist ordered up three taxis for us.
It didn’t take long for the three cars to pull up. The cars were all white with green flashes at the rear door and Boston Cabs written on the rear doors. We each knew where we were off too and after a very short drive the cabs went in separate directions. I asked my driver to take me to McGoverns a car dealer in Newton. ‘Is that the McGovern near the I90?’ ‘It is, but I would like to get there via the start of the I90 here in Boston please.’ ‘Sure – you’re paying the fare!’ we were soon on the afore mentioned road and I was enduring the usual questions about my accent and why was I in the states. That moved on to where was I from. Banbury became near Oxford and Oxford north of London. We soon came off the interstate at exit 17 and made our way along Washington Street to the car dealers. They were selling Chrysler, Ram and Dodge. I got my knapsack and case out of the boot – sorry trunk. Paid and tipped the driver and made my way to the sales office.
I passed what I hoped was the car I had bought. It was a four door Dodge Charger. The body work was painted a dark green and if a colour can look mean – it looked mean. The car reminded me of the old Jags that even stationary looked to be going fast. The Charger I had bought was a six cylinder, 3 litre version. Not the most powerful of chargers some of which go up to 6 litres and 700 horse power. I have driven an Aston on a track but this was the most powerful car I have ever owned. The V6 seemed nippy enough for me and was comfortable enough for me. I thought about the first people to cross this land. They had walked the later arrivals had used one or more horse power. So the bundle of horses under the bonnet – sorry, hood – some two hundred plus, were more than enough for me. After all my friends and I weren’t in a race.
I went into the office and after showing my passport and credit card that I had used online I was handed the keys. I asked if someone would explain to me about the car. I was shown how to open the hood and trunk. Where the oil and other fluids went in. The indicators and lights. How to adjust the driver’s seat, wing mirrors and in car entertainment package. I checked out tyre pressure settings and felt ready to go. Handshakes given, Satnav set, my toll pass attached to the windscreen and I was ready to go.
The car sounded great, I put it in drive and off I went. It was responsive and handled really well. It felt like it really wanted to get going. The strange thing was that in order to get to where I wanted to go I had to travel back along Washington Street to a ramp. It led me over the interstate then back over so as for the car to join and in my case re-join the I90. I was on my way.
The interstate was busy and I initially thought four lanes wide (people were driving on the hard shoulder) and it had railway tracks running alongside. I understood the speed limit was 65 but most people seemed to be going faster. There didn’t seem to be any lane discipline and cars were over and undertaking all over the place. I stuck to the inside lane and a steady 65. I didn’t fancy chatting to the police. It all seemed crowded and busy but soon the city started to fall behind and my tension began to ease. The car ate up the miles and somewhere near a place named Fayville I saw a lake and lots of green countryside. I was beginning to feel more confident driving. It was still busy but not as much as earlier. I indicated and pulled out to overtake a fuel tanker, put my foot down and the car seemed to leap forward. In a blink I was travelling near eighty mph. I went back to the nearside lane and resumed my standard pace.
I indicated right as I approached exit five for Chicopee and obeying the Sat Nav I found myself doing a series of left rights until after crossing the 391 I made another left right then into Jennifer’s car park. I turned the car around so that I was pointing to the road. And left it parked next to an old Toyota.
I walked to the front of the plain red brick building and entered the restaurant. It was a bit like how some chains of dinners in England try to look but this was authentic. I took a seat and a waitress came over for my order. I ordered a diet coke no ice. Was asked if I wanted food and explained that I would but that I was waiting for two friends to meet me there and no, I didn’t know how long they would be.
I spotted a paper on and empty table and went and picked it up thinking it would help pass the time. A gentleman who seemed even older than me informed me that it was yesterday’s paper. I told him that it didn’t really matter I just wanted something to read. I did try to read the Chicopee Register and what I did read looked interesting enough, but the older gentleman wanted to talk to me about his time based in the UK. RAF Mildenhall he had been a motor mechanic. This had been in the early sixties. Apparently he had liked Green King Abbots Ale, no accounting for taste I thought. It’s a reasonable pint now but back in the sixties it had been awful. He told me he had been lucky enough not to have had to go to Vietnam. I agreed that was fortunate. Just as he was introducing me to memories of his wife and four boys Pete and Chris walked in.
Pete looked very casual jeans, ‘T’ shirt and baseball cap and Chris in jeans, leather jacket over his ‘T’ shirt also with a baseball cap and helmet in hand. They came over to the table I was seated at. Chris looked at the menu and stated he wanted a sandwich and ‘No thank you, I don’t want soup.’ Chris started chatting to the elderly gentleman as if they had known each other all their lives. Pete and I sat and we chatted about how the drive from Boston had been. He told me that after picking up his F150 King Ranch pick up he had joined the I93 then onto the I90. Traffic in Boston had been a little scary till he had gotten used to the size of the Ford. I was intrigued I thought, he, having a pick up, would be fine. He went on to tell me how it took a while to realise that you can over or undertake and that no one seemed bothered about the speed they were going. There was no correlation between speed limits and actual speed of any vehicle. A waitress came across and took our orders I had soup of the day and a sandwich, Pete and Chris just a sandwich. Both ordered coffee and I had another diet coke – no ice.
Eventually the elderly gentleman left and Chris resumed his association with us. Now I thought Chris was getting a car like Pete and myself but he had obviously gotten a motor bike. Hence the helmet. I asked what he had bought but he just told me to wait and see. He did think the green colour of the Dodge looked great and Pete agreed. I wondered how they had arrived together. Pete explained that Chris had overtaken him on the I90 so he had just slotted in behind him till they got to the café.
The food arrived, Pete gave thanks and we ate up and paid up. Thanked the waitress and left the café. We walked to the car park at the back of the café and my first thought was it’s a Harley Davidson Tri GlideTrike – you will never get me on one of those things. It did look gorgeous and powerful, black paint and shiny chrome. It doesn’t just look powerful, it has an 1800 cc two cylinder engine, explained Chris. How it’s connected to his smart phone I have no idea. Something to do with blue tooth he told me. It seemed, the way Chris eulogised over it, to be all singing and dancing. He also said that because of the small tank he would have to stop for fuel more often than us. I didn’t mind that as we are all of an age that when we saw a loo we went! Every couple of hours would suit me just fine. I had a good idea Pete would get a pickup. I thought it might be like a Warrior or Hilux, no, this was a Ford. It was huge, the roof of the cab was higher than me and I’m six feet tall. Pete rather proudly told me it was a Ford 150 King Ranch. It looked and was powerful having a five litre engine! It was a brilliant white and had its fair share of shiny bits. Pete said it was easy to drive having a ten speed automatic gearbox. We all climbed into the cab. We decided that we would give Albany a miss and make for Syracuse. According to google it was 243 miles away. So about four hours at a steady pace. I booked us into the Holiday Inn using the Hotels.com website. This meant that if for any reason we couldn’t make it we could cancel and rebook elsewhere. The hotel was just a short drive from the I90 at Syracuse – Liverpool. Chris wanted to see this five litre engine and when Pete had discovered how to open the hood (surprising how quick one picks up the lingo!) we all three stood around and admired this massive V8.
We went over the dodge and did the same. I think each of us thought our vehicle looked best. Realising that we were running short of clothes we decided to call in at a department store Called Kohl’s. I had shopped in one in Washington State years before and found the prices reasonable and a lot of choice. We loaded our satnavs with the address for the shop, and having decided that the order of procession would be Chris, Pete and then me, we mounted our trusty (hopefully) steeds and processed on our way.
We followed the 391 across the Connecticut River then route 5 to the Kohl’s department store. We each bought a mid-sized suitcase several pairs of underwear and socks. Several ‘T’ shirts in a variety of colours. Chris fancied himself in what we used to call a ten gallon hat. He put it back but Pete and I bought it for him. A tan, wide brimmed with a thin leather band around. All he needed now were a pair of cowboy boots.
We transferred our dirty washing into the new suitcases and put our new things into the more easily manageable case. All three cases went into the charger’s boot. Again we mounted up and processed out onto the 5 and made our way over the I90 before following the road round in a big right hand loop and joining the I90.
I settled down and kept my eye on the two ahead. I remembered how to set the cruise control and we all three cruised along at about 65 miles per hour. We soon left the built up area behind and were rolling along through open countryside. Noticed a sign that read ‘Bland Service Plaza’ and wondered if anyone ever went there. The next services were twenty two miles ahead. Carried on past the exit for the ‘Lee Outlet Centre’. Soon after Stockbridge we left Massachusetts and re-entered New York State. I was looking for another radio channel to my liking when I realised Chris and Pete were leaving the road I we were on. I felt I was going too fast to join them so carried on. I was intending to find a safe place to stop and then call Pete to find out what had happened.
It was then that I realised my satnav had taken me off the I90 and onto the 87. I totally missed Albany. Somewhere around the Hudson River, which was about 150 yards wide, I found myself back on the I90. The call came from Chris who wanted to know where I was and did they need to turn around to help. The call was really clear considering he was on a trike. I explained that I was on the I90 but had missed Albany. He explained that he and Pete had travelled through Albany, that traffic had been fairly light and moving freely. I asked him where he was and he said they were, according to his sat-nav, approaching the Hudson River. I told him I was in front of them but would slow down and if they sped up a bit they would soon catch me up and overtake me.
This I did and I assume they sped up for it didn’t seem long till they both sailed past both with great roars from their engines. We all settled down to 65 mph and enjoyed the ride. The signage told us that the Mohawk River was to our right this went on for miles and then the road crossed it and it was on our left for miles. Quiet a magical sight on a clear sunny afternoon. All too soon the river turned aside from accompanying us and we were back into ‘normal’ countryside. Chris indicated right soon followed by Pete then myself. Exit 37 and the satnav agreed with Chris and Pete and so we rolled into the car park of the Holiday Inn.
Newly filled cabin sized suitcases in hand we entered the reception area and went to the desk. Documents produced and shown. Paperwork signed and dated, credit card used and keys to rooms issued. We agreed to meet in the lobby in about ninety minutes. In my room which was huge with two ‘queen’ beds but with a surprisingly small bathroom, I phoned my lovely wife. We chatted for a while catching up with each other’s news. We ended our call and I decided that I needed to do some exercise. I enjoyed the driving but felt a need for movement. I got out my swim shorts and took one of the towels and went down to the pool and exercise area. I did a very gentle circuit of the gym equipment then headed to the pool. There I joined Chris and Pete in doing a few lengths. We decided we didn’t want to eat in the hotel, the place and the menu had looked good, just fancied something different. We decided to have a look at a place named ‘Limp Lizard’. The name had taken Pete’s fancy.
Showered and changed back into jeans and ‘T’ shirts we went exploring. We piled into Pete’s huge Ford he set the satnav and we drove off. It wasn’t far away. It was a single story building like Jennifer’s Restaurant but was much more brightly decorated. We went in and ordered. Burgers and fries for Pete and Chris and Jambalaya with beans and rice for me. We collected a beer each and a bottle of water each. Back in Pete’s beast we decided to go to the lakeside and eat al fresco. We found places to eat near the car-park. While we ate, we people watched, and enjoyed the views across the Onondaga Lake. Some boats were out sailing. Having eaten our fill and having deposited the remains and packaging in the bins provided we went for a stroll. It was a lovely evening the sun was going down, there was a gentle breeze, and folk we passed seemed relaxed and friendly. We chatted and decided that tomorrow we would make a slight detour and head for the border and see what we could of Niagara Falls.
Back to Pete’s Ford, back to the hotel, back to our rooms and soon I was in a very comfortable bed. Sleep came easily and I was rudely awakened by my alarm at six-thirty.
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https://www.dodge.com/new-inventory.charger
Jennifer’s Kitchen – Family style restaurant – Chicopee, Massachusetts – 6 photos | Facebook
chicopeeregister.com | Local News. Local Stories. Local Advertisers (turley.com)
https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/models/f150-king-ranch
2021 Tri Glide Ultra Motorcycle | Harley-Davidson United Kingdom (harley-davidson.com)
https://holiday-inn-syracuse-liverpool-exit-37.hotelmix.co.uk
Barbecue Liverpool | Top Restaurants | Catering Liverpool | Limp Lizard (limplizardbbq.com)