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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Cemeteries Visited

Weaverland Mennonite Cemetery East Earl Twshp PA
Ranck Family Cemetery East Earl Twshp PA
Grove Family Cemetery Hagerstown MD
State Line PA Cemetery State Line PA
Reformed Cemetery Sharpsburg MD
Antietam National Cemetery Sharpsburg MD
Darkesville Cemetery Darkesville WV
Jacobs Lutheran Church Cemetery Masontown PA
Goodrich Cemetery Goodrich KS
Osawatomie Cemetery Osawatomie KS
Lakeview Cemetery Wichita KS
Old Mission Cemetery Wichita KS
Council Christian Church Peck KS

Friday, January 22, 2010

Eastbound Day 3 Carlisle PA to Norwood MA 399 miles

I arrived in Norwood at 2:30 PM EST.  My total mileage since leaving on this genealogical journey January 4, 2010 is 4,281.1 miles. I was in 12 states over the past 19 days.  I crossed the following major rivers Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, Susquehanna, Potomac, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Arkansas and Ninescah (not major but family members will know why I crossed it).

I slept at Hampton Inns, Residence Inns, La Quinta, Comfort Suites and Drury Inn.  I ate at Cracker Barrel, Steak & Shake, Ruby Tuesday, Starbucks, El Patio, Freddy's, Picadilly, Old Town Cabaret Theater, and One Stop. I visited 13 cemeteries, 2 county courthouses, 3 historical societies, 4 museums, 1 antique shop, 1 university, 1 sign company, 1 camera store, 3 health clubs.  I bought 5 t-shirts, 5 post cards, 3 pencils, 1 camera battery, 1 antique apple crate label, 1 historical CD, 1 DVD, 1 genealogical pedigree chart, 1 gallon of windshield washer fluid,  2 toys for grandkids, and a lot of gasoline.  I attended 1 wedding, and 1 college basketball game.

I visited or spoke with my mother, stepfather, 1 stepmother, 2 sisters, 3 aunts, 1 uncle, 3 first cousins, 2 second cousins, 2 third cousins.  I visited all the places I called home in and around Wichita, KS plus the homes of both my paternal and maternal grandparents.

I have taken 466 digital pictures.

I will be posting a link to all the pictures and my Grove pedigree chart as soon as I can compile all my notes.  For those without access to a computer I will try to get this blog in hard copy form at some point.

Thanks for following me.

JMG

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Eastbound Day 2 Indianapolis IN to Carlisle PA 523 miles

After a wet and, in some places, icy start from Indianapolis the drizzle stopped and for a few minutes in Ohio and Pennsylvania the sun was out.  On Day 1 eastbound I filled up with the least expensive gas on the trip, $2.40 in Kingdom City MO.  It has gradually crept up to $2.59 here in PA.  I am averaging 24 miles per gallon since leaving Boston on January 4.  My average speed has been 63 mph.  I succumbed to the lure of Cracker Barrel for breakfast this morning since I was waiting for the temps to rise so the roads would dry.  I think Cracker Barrel has replaced Stuckey's and Nickerson Farms as the most frequently seen eatery along the interstates.  I will admit the food at Cracker Barrel surpasses Stuckey's and Nickerson Farms.

After crossing the Ohio River at Wheeling WV the route I am now taking is entirely different from the route I took westbound.

On the eastbound trip I have so far driven the width of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio.  Tomorrow I will finish crossing Pennsylvania and the width of New Jersey and Connecticut then the length of Rhode Island then home.  My GPS says I have 399 miles to go.  I should  be home by late afternoon.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Eastbound Day 1 Wichita KS to Indianapolis IN 665 miles

The longest day of driving so far.  At this rate I hope to be back in Norwood on Friday.  Weather in the heartland has been mild for January.  At a point today the temperature in Missouri was 55.  Fog was heavy from west of St. Louis all through Illinois.  By the time the sun went down I was in Indiana and it was clear but damp.

Last night I was lucky enough, thanks to cousins Joe & Sue Poston, to attend my first Wichita State Shockers basketball game in about 40 years.  Last nights game was a pivotal one for my alma mater since they defeated the #1 team in the Missouri Valley Conference Northern Iowa University.

Thanks to cousin Jimmy Smith, Lori Baronian, Sheila Lockwood, Patti Fanning , for the emails and following the blog.