MONDAY - JUNE 19, 2000

We left our house about 7:30 this morning, driving up the turnpike extension toward Allentown and then across to Harrisburg and Carlisle. Along the way we played Car Bingo and Kids' Tri-Bond. We really weren't on the road long, about an hour and a half, before we came to Shartlesville, a small town that boasts the World's Greatest Indoor Miniature Village. It's called Roadside America, and Grandpa has always wanted an excuse to stop there. Today, it looks as though that would be us. Model train builder/collector and scenery hobbiest extraordinaire Lawrence Gieringer spent 60 years continually building this wonderful 8,000 square foot exhibit of small-town America as folks believed it to be back when Grandpa was a little boy. It probably wasn't then and it certainly isn't now, but it's fun to look at and and it made Grandpa feel all nostalgic so that he talked even more than usual. There was a printed guide telling all about each exhibit (and there were lots of them) and Aunt Linda read each one as we pushed buttons that made trains move, or streetcars run, or even balloons fly overhead. Unfortunately, since we went to all that trouble to make sure we got a nice, early start, it would be about an hour before we could do any of those things, because the attraction was still closed for the night; it wouldn't open until 10:00. So we (well, actually, Grandpa) decided this was a great time to eat breakfast at the Blue Mountain Restaurant nearby. Even with all the dilly-dallying we could do, breakfast took only about forty-five minutes, but when we got back to Roadside America, the nice lady opened a little early just for us. We bought souvenirs in the gift shop and newer versions of the Car Bingo game for our road trip.

The rest of the drive was just plain LONG. It was a beautiful day for a drive, all sunny and nice, but there was just so much of it. We played a new game that everyone liked, where we start with a number (such as, 1 for example) and then see who can be the first to find that number on a street sign, license plate, truck serial number... anywhere that it might appear in print. Then it's on to the next number. It's a cooperative game; of course you want to be first to find the next number, but you're just as happy if someone else does.

The game had reached 66 by the time we arrived at Grandpa and Aunt Linda's house in West Chester.  That was around 9:00 at night (although it was still light out). We'd been on the road for over twelve hours, but we stopped often and had a good time the whole way. After calling Mom and Dad to tell them we've arrived okay, we visited with the cats. Mostly we visited with Krukker and Freddie. Frostbite wasn't sure he trusted us and of course Buster doesn't trust anyone. Later on tonight, we all watched the movie Stuart Little on videotape.

All text and photos ©2000 by John Lipman, except as noted. All rights reserved.