After an enjoyable 4 days with friends Maria & Tom in Plymouth, it was time to continue with our amended North American sojourn. We are having problems with the landing gear system, Judi’s back is acting up and a couple of other issues have dictated we cancel the swing down to California and return directly home. It’s only 3,400 miles, shouldn’t take more than a couple of days !!!!!! Yeh right, more like 8 days, at our pedestrian speed of 55 mph.

Wednesday 8th October 2014

Plymouth, MA to Maple Ridge, BC

Temps – 6 to 15C

Weather – Initially thunderstorms then fine & clear

Wind – Fresh W’ly or headwind

Cloxs – No change (Z-4)

Distance today – 377 miles

Total Distance – 6,654 miles

Navigation

Our preference is the I-80 corridor followed by I-90 from South Dakota, so today’s objective is to reach the I-80 somewhere in Pennsylvania. We don’t have any campground booked, so will drive until we have had enough.

Departure

Maria and Tom live at the end of a long, narrow and well treed rural road, so the first couple of miles to the main road was slow going. Not difficult, just slow going.

Detailed Voyage to I-80 in Pennsylvania

While it was raining heavily as we awoke, but shortly thereafter, we got a brief respite and took that opportunity to get everything loaded into the coach, prior to breakfast. Then just as we were saying goodbyes to our lovely hosts, the heavens opened – heavy rain accompanied by some serious thunder & lightening. Discretion being the better part of valour, we made an executive decision and delayed departure, in favour of another cuppa tea.

Fortunately, it didn’t last too long, so we were on the road for our initial day of what will probably be an 8 day drive back to the West Coast. Today we plan to pass through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and finally Pennsylvania.

By mid-afternoon we are heading West on I-84 and time to decide where to spend the night, preferably at a campground reasonably close to the I-80. Judi finds a few options about 220 to 250 miles, but that might be a bit late, as those ETA’s would be at or after sunset. Not fun, especially with the landing gear issues we are experiencing. Option # 2 was about 150 miles, which wouldn’t get us our 400 miles for the day, but would get us set up before dark. Therefore we decided on Lehigh Campground, a mere mile from I-80, which also has a truck stop at the exit.