Pine Brook, NJ to Somerset, PA via Harrisburg

My alarm was set for 6.30am but for some reason I woke at 6am so I got up and did a few bits online (as well as my KasimInfo.com website, I’m in the process of setting up a website to sell a book I’ve just written as it will be published soon after I get back from the US).

I left my hotel at 9.15am and started my drive towards Dayton, Ohio. As it’s about 10 hours I decided to split the journey over two days and also to split that journey into parts too so that I can visit some places on the way as during most of my other trips to US, I’ve just driven from place to place.

Today I opted to stop in Pennsylvania’s capital Harrisburg and join the tour of their government building. Just outside Harrisburg I stopped at a McDonald’s in a truck stop for some lunch and spotted this mobile chapel:


I arrived in Harrisburg at about 1pm and there wasn’t much traffic around but I wasn’t sure if it was just a quiet city or not. I’ve only been here once before which was in 2000 when Kasim played on the Todd Rundgren Power Trio Tour and it was quiet that evening in the city too as it was a Sunday. I easily found somewhere to park and the guy there said that he was just leaving and I could park for free which was a result!

I wandered up to the main building but couldn’t find my way in! I did find one door for visitors but it was locked. Eventually I managed to find a policeman and he said that it is Columbus Day today and everywhere is shut! Instead I wandered around the building and went back to my car! At least it gave me a break from my drive.

I did find this lovely fountain. I wasn’t sure if it always ran red or if it was because it was Columbus Day or whether there was a dead body in it!






I had the shorter part of the drive this afternoon (about 2.5 hours) but it was also the most boring part as it was along the Pennsylvania Turnpike which I’ve driven along so many times. There was some dramatic scenery but it’s just a long two track road (although it does go through 3 long tunnels).

Tonight I’m staying in Somerset, PA at a hotel that is about 400 yards from the turnpike entrance. The hotel is a Days Inn and it’s a motel style one but it’s perfectly clean and the staff here are very friendly plus, most importantly, the wireless Internet access is free and a strong signal so I’m happy!

I had a drive around the town (which didn’t take long!) and had dinner at a Ruby Tuesday but IMHO opinion their menu isn’t as good as it was when I last visited one a few months ago. I then came back to my room and watched some US TV for the first time since I’ve been here. However I found it rather frustrating due to all the commercial breaks (there were 8 in one hour – yes, I counted!). I’m somebody who always records programmes on commercial stations at home so that I can fast-forward through the adverts!

I then logged on for an hour or so and a friend rang me at about 11pm and we chatted for quite a while. When I got off the phone I was surprised to discover that it was past 1am so I got to sleep at about 1.30am.