The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-11-15
TINE FOR TAKING TRIPS
is SLIPPING AWAY

This is the best time of winter
to take an outing, but the beauti-
full colors of autumn are fast dis
appearing as leaves fall to the
ground. A few weeks ago was a
wonderful time to be in the noun
tains, but not any more, for the
blue haze, the cold weather, and ice
tend to take away some of the
delights they have for many weeks
been offering the sightseer.
On Sunday Catherine and I, be-
ing in Washington where we had
spent the night, journeyed to the
Skyline drive some Is miles west
of Washington, and drove down
through the Virginia mountains.
Great sheets of ice covered rocks
in many places, the temperature of
course being below freezing, and
wood fires were burning in the
fireplaces of mountain lodges,
which added to the atmosphere of
those places where we stopped to
eat.
The trip was we'll worth while
however, with the long views
across the valleys; the many homes
cleaning in the sunlight, and the
bright sun shining on the hard
wood leaves. We came down to
Richmond through some prosper
Gus looking country and many
small towns not previously visited.
Our journey began early Friday
morning, and it was most interest
ing, being as it was for the great
er part through coastal scenery.
First to Columbia, then Edenton,
to Suffolk and Norfolk, and across
the new bridge and tunnel to
Hampton. We continued up U. S.
II to the fairly new York River
bridge which we have crossed seve-
raj times. We next crossed the new
Is and a half million dollar bridge
over the lower Rappahannock be-
tween Grey's Point and White
Stone, Va. this being one of the
objects of the trip. On this new
toll bridge we saw less traffic on
this weekend day than may be
seen on the Manteo bridge, or even
the Croatan Sound bridge, just
completed last year at a cost of
three million dollars.
From what we observed on the
several toll bridges we crossed, toll
bridges do not always pay off.
Our observation that one toll
bridge in Virginia, costing Is mil
lion dollars, carries less traffic
than that of a three million dollar
bridge here home.
We found that on a journey of
only about 200 miles, we found
four places in Virginia, and one
across the Potomac, where tolls
must be paid.
We paid 35 cents in the Ports
mouth Norfolk tunnel; $1.45 at the
Hampton Roads Bridge tunnel; IS
cents at York River; rs cents at
the happananOcK.
We paid total of $3.50 in tolls
to get into Maryland including the
81 over the Potomac River Bridge
on U. S. 301. There was violent
rainstorm, and driving was rather
precarious, with the heavy traffic
on 3O1, so we stopped for the night
in Maryland, four miles north of
the bridge, at motel which pro-
vided restaurant, and TV set,
with two rooms connecting for $11.
We found that food prices keep
going up in Maryland and in Wash
ington, and one must pay nearly
twice as much for good meals in
these areas as in North Carolina.
After a visit on Saturday to
friends in Southern Maryland, and
on Sunday morning to friends in
Washington, we took off for the
Skyline trail. 1t had not been a
restful night in Washington, for
at our particular hotel, there is a
nearby fire station which answers
many calls a night; we had a
splendid room on a corner, but
there is bus station nearby, from
which it seemed a big bus left
every few minutes during the
night. I have stopped several times
before at this hotel, and knew bet
ter, but forgot to ask for room
on the back, or on a court. Fur
thermore, this hotel seems to
specialize in accommodating week
end groups of high school students
who visit the Nations Capital, and
these groups are not encouraging
to those who wish to go to bed
early, and who are, due to age,
poor sleepers.
It's rather nice to take a week
end trip with ones wife, particular
ly for a person who has to be on
the road and away from home a
great deal, but the trip should
be made leisurely, as we travelled
on Friday and Saturday, and not
like the trip on Sunday, when we
crowded too many miles into a
Journey that called for lot of
slow driving and kept us on the
road until nigh onto midnight.
After all is said, there was moth
-. 80 a -. A n. A -..- ~