All Aboard!

So my scribe decided to go on strike yesterday, claiming that it wouldn't make a difference if everyone waited another day to hear about my final adventures.  If you've been worried about my safe return to Canada, I suggest you take it up with her, not me. :)

Our final day was quite different, but very fun.  Once everyone was showered and the car was packed, we headed up the street to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park visitors center.  We got info about the park, but most importantly, we found out where we could get on the scenic train that goes through the whole park.  It's a fairly large park, and with only half a day to check it out, we all agreed the train was the best way to go.

It was a 3.5 hour round trip, although let me warn you that "round trip" does not mean that the ride is a loop that brings you back to the beginning.  We got on in the middle of a track that runs along the length of the valley, which means we got to the south end, and then headed back up the same route, passed where we got on, saw the rest of the park as we traveled to the north end, and then back down to where we started.  Is that confusing enough?

The commentary was great, and a lot of neat things were pointed out that we would have missed had we just explored the park on our own, however, as the train doubles back with some new passengers, its all repeated on the second pass.  It was somewhere in the backtracking that Clare and Robin got bored, and decided to sift through their entire collection of receipts to "get ready for the border".  I continued to enjoy the view as they calculated just how much they spent on souvenirs and other crap, oops I mean treasures, that they bought.  Boring!

It was about 6pm before we left the park and started the final drive home.  This is one other time when I just get so confused by you humans.  Why is it that every other driving day, their goal was to get to the next stop by 6ish, but on the last day it was ok to START driving at 6!  I don't get it.  Anyways, we continued our drive through Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, before finally reaching the Canadian border just before midnight.  Once again, there was no excitement at the border, and we were on our way again, arriving home just before 2am.

A few fun facts to end this journey:

- we saw 59 license plates (much more if you count all the different ones each state has!!) - 49 states (missing Alaska), 7 Canadian provinces, 1 Mexican, 1 European (ya, I know), and 1 Cherokee Nation

- we walked at 12, 250' above sea level (Rocky Mountains)
- we walked 1000' into the side of a mountain (gold mine)
- we walked 379' underground (Mammoth Caves)

- we drove on I-60. I-70, I-80 and I-90 (oh and I-1 as far as I'm concerned)
- we drove through 14 states and 1 province
- we visited 5 science centers (thanks Ontario Science Center Membership), as well as 2 museums and a Butterfly Biosphere
- we went to 3 National Parks and 1 National Monument (which was really a park)

- we taught A&W staff about Teen Burgers (and Mama, Grandpa & Baby Burgers) - American friends, is this really only in Canada?  The A&W we went to only had a Papa Burger, what's the point without the rest of the family?

- U-Haul trucks are a great travel resource (thanks to a truck in Colorado with Mammoth Caves painted on the side, we went to Kentucky!)

- Robin is a completely satisfactory traveling companion (maybe next time I'll teach her to scribe for me too)

- I still want to go to Europe!
Whatever!