I have been so lazy since I got home. There is so much to get done, but am I so worn out. The trip took so much out of me.
One of the best parts of the trip took place in the beginning. I plotted my course straight up I95 to Charleston, South Carolina. In my free time I have done quite a bit of looking into my ancestry. I found that the earliest Ganong ( my dad’s side) came from France and traveled to the new world via Holland. He was a Huguenot. He left La Rochelle in the mid to late 1600’s due to religious prosecution. If you enjoy history you really need to look into this. We need to learn a lesson from their struggles for religious freedom. Now my ancestor, Jean Guenon, went to New York, got married and begat the entire Ganong, Genung, etc clans. During my research I found that there is an active Huguenot church still having services in Charleston. I have wanted to visit this church since I found out about it. When I found I was going to Detroit for a terrible trip I decided that I needed to bring some joy into the trip.
I plugged the address into my GPS and there I went. That first day was the most difficult trip I have ever experienced. Now I left at 2:30am from Palm Bay. All of my food plans went up in smoke. I knew I would have to purchase coffee in the morning. I just didn’t know how much. I was stopping so much for coffee to wake me up I forgot to eat breakfast. I made it to Charleston by 10:30am. It is such a beautiful city. I love the buildings, the architecture, the atmosphere! I found a place to park as the roads are really narrow. I decided to just walk until I found the church I was looking for.
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| from the blog spot. French protestant church |
No picture does this justice. I was there on a Wednesday so there were no services. Now my goal is to get to a Sunday service.
I gasped with joy when I saw it. They are doing renovations to this building. One of the delivery men heard me gasp and laughed at me. I just smiled and said that was the only reason I came to Charleston. I went to a shop that sold books and such on the history of Charleston. I asked the clerk if they had anything on the French Protestant Church or Huguenot Church. Nada. I wasn’t amused! lol
I left there with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. There was a light heartedness that I needed for the trip. I can’t wait for Chris to see it with me.
The next step was to move on and head to Perrysburg Ohio. I stopped and made a sandwich for lunch. I headed north. To be honest I have very little memory of this drive other than eating sunflower seeds and drinking coffee. I do remember driving through Virginia and West Virginia. I don’t like mountains and this was pretty much nothing but a drive through the mountains. Did I mention I hate mountains? I hope never to go this way again. Though I doubt I will be heading to Detroit anytime sooner or later after this trip.
I then got to Ohio. I started looking for a gas station. Gas prices were set from Logan, Ohio to Columbus, Ohio at $3.99 for the lowest octain. Could someone from Ohio please explain why the prices are exactly the same? Does the state set the price? Where was a price competition? I made it to the Econolodge at 11:30pm. It was a welcome sight I can tell you. The room was clean, no bugs, the mattress was hard and the pillows stunk, but it was clean and safe. I was really happy with the stay. Not only that but the fan ran in the ac unit all night long! I can’t sleep without one.
When I started planning the trip I planned the food for the trip.
FOOD
Coffee
oatmeal mix
yogurt
bread
lunch meat
cheese
mustard
fruit
fruit cups
protein powder
sunflower seeds
milk
UTENSILS
Plates
plastic silverware
bowl
Coffee maker (French press)
napkins
paper towels
MISC
Water 2 cases
Soda 3 2 liters and 1 24 pack
Vitamins
I wish I could have kept with the program I had planned. Life would have been better I think. The lack of sleep was terrible. It messed me completely up. Dinner was a quick meal of fast food that I don’t even remember. Sad isn’t it.
Please feel free to comment on what you do to save money on trips. I love learning and can’t wait to hear from my readers!
Next post will be concerning the 2nd day of this crazy trip. Not all that much to discuss, but it will make for a shorter post! 🙂
Creatively Living With Sue 