Road Trip Day Eleven: I Hate Moths

I hit the road just after 8AM and drive north on Highway 84 toward the Connecticut/Massachusetts border.  The apex for the road trip is a mere 254 miles away in August, ME.  Just before the state border I hit the 4000 mile mark for the first half of the trip.  4000 miles, 34 hours of podcasts and one tire.

I didn’t set out to review rest stops, but here it is again.  Just inside Massachusetts I decide to stop.  Traffic has been heavy including long stretches of Santa Monic Freeway style stop-and-go.  The 4^th of July weekend traffic is further slowed by the constant rain and occasional very heavy down pour.  I pull into the rest stop and it is packed; must be 150 cars.  I get out of the car and I need my coat; its in the very low 50s and drizzling.  As I walk up to the visitor’s center I can see a crowd of people at the far end of the stop, 50 yards away from the

The spots are moths

visitor’s center.  As I get to the center I see why.  It is closed.  The crowd is around the 4 portable toilets the State of Massachusetts has dumped in the parking lot.  Literally, in the parking lot taking up a few parking spaces. 

I get in line.  After moment, the lady in front of me points to the last toilet and says, “That one’s
available, if you’re brave.”  While we may never know the starting point of the current Covid pandemic.  I do know where ground zero is for the great cholera pandemic of 21.

The highway through Massachusetts is torture.  Two ill cared for lanes, heavy traffic, 50 MPH Speed Limit and bad weather. And, I am kinda tired of driving.  FINALLY,  I cross into the Live Free or Die State: New Hampshire.  I pay the toll, $2.75 cash and cross over to the four lane, well cared for New Hampshire highway.  Seriously, it is one of the best stretches of highway in the country. 

About an hour later, its over the Portsmouth Bridge and into Kittery Maine.  About 100 miles to go.  I

arrive at my Hotel about 2PM.  Check in and drop my kit.  But, something is off.  The southside of the hotel is covered in thousands of moths.  The northside gets the wind and rain, but I have never seen so many moths.  Turns out they are having the worst outbreak of the Brown Tail Moth in over century.  According to the Maine CDC, the moth has some kind of poisonous hair (as a caterpillar) that causes a rash similar to poison ivy. I hate moths.

A little later I attain the goal, I am with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson.