day 4, concluded:
Referencing a great shun-piker's book lent to me by a nice co-worker, I decided to travel close to Philadelphia in order to go through Delaware and eventually through the Eastern Shore of Maryland I've heard so many positives about.  Unfortunately, through the many road changes, I ended up trekking through Philadelphia.  While stoplights in small towns can help give me a chance to notice what otherwise might be a blur, stoplights leading to and through Philly, even on a Saturday, were not a welcome sight to my sleepy eyes.  One positive: Chik-fil-A for lunch.  The calmness & renewed sense of what's important was tested during the hours I spent in this city-I-will-avoid-when-po ssible.  Thankfully, whether the vacation thus far was so fabulous that I couldn't erase all that or because it's utterly ridiculous to let traffic/stoplights effect our happiness & sense of calm, I made it through mostly unscathed.  I was more than ready to take an interstate highway!  The open road was all I seemed to want (and to share my adventures & life with friends again).

Delaware was a short drive, with the toll booth & open sky as the only things I noted.

Maryland's Eastern Shore definitely does have attractive qualities (Sarah's right- it is a place I appreciate).  Unfortunately, I had imprints of mountains in my mind & the flatness before me was repulsive in contrast.  It recalled images of Indiana farmland & expansive Ohio.  Fortunately, by the time I wound through the Eastern shore, even before crossing many bridges, I'd adjusted.  There was something special about the space and land and trees- enough so that I want to go on a daytrip there (and also to cross the Bay Bridge again).  Before too long, I was home again & ready to begin a new day.

Here are pics from the trip.

As an aside, I had a funny surprise as a bonus to my breakfast chocolate this morning.  I'm at work just settling in, enjoying my Kiss, and I see the declaration, "LET'S GO OUT" on its tag.  That's one way of promoting itself!  For whatever reason, I thought it was a funny picture of me alone in a quiet office with an amorous chocolate.