Then south again, to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. On December 7th, 1787, the US constitution was ratified by the original 13 states. The guy from Delaware put his hand up to be the first one to sign. And thus it comes to pass that, 230 years later, Delaware licence plates proudly proclaim 'The First State'. As state mottos go, it's pretty poor compared to New Hampshire's, which is 'Live Free Or Die'.
West into Maryland and the Virginias. With my 'amateur history geek' hat on, I visited Antietam, the site of the bloodiest day in the American Civil War - and indeed in the whole of American military history. I also saw Harpers Ferry, another key Civil War battleground, and the place where John Brown's abortive slave-revolt insurrection arguably served as as the catalyst for the Civil War to begin with. That episode was memorably retold, with substantial embellishments, in a book I recently read called 'Flashman and the Angel of the Lord'. If you've never read George McDonald Fraser's Flashman books then you should give them a try. There are twelve of them and most good public libraries will have at least one in stock. They're historically informative, riotously funny, and grossly offensive. What's not to like?
This journey has given me plenty to watch out for along the way, not least the roadkill - an adult deer leaves a very big splat. Also did you know it's literally illegal to fill up your own car with petrol in New Jersey? You have to let the attendants do it. Also did you know that if you ask Google Maps to take you from Connecticut to New Jersey while avoiding toll roads, the route takes in downtown Manhattan? That was an interesting drive.
And I got pulled over by an unmarked police car on the freeway, after a slightly-too-gradual deceleration from a 65mph fast lane into a 25mph toll plaza. Not being blessed with either a winning smile or an impressive cleavage, I just gave the guy my best good-heavens-officer-I'm-so-frightfully-sorry act, the Englishman abroad and all that. He sent me on my way. It's a good job he wasn't around when I was testing out that Camaro V8 in the California desert last year...
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| Atlantic City. This is the Showboat hotel and casino, where I spent a surreal but relaxing night. |
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| The Atlantic City boardwalk, guarded by squirrels |
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| Today, a few bits of property here and there. Tomorrow...the whole country? God help us all. |
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| Rehoboth Beach, Delaware |
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| Antietam, Maryland |
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| Harpers Ferry, West Virginia |
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| There are lots of rich people in Rehoboth Beach and they have some novel ways of letting it show. Like having a postbox that's an exact scale replica of the house. |
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| Shopping in the free world... At Walmart. |
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| Edd vs Food #42 Bob Evans Unlike Denny's and Arby's and Wendy's, here we have a diner with a surname. This is country fried steak with gravy. (Over here, gravy isn't always brown). Plus coleslaw, mash, bread rolls and coffee. It's not bad at all, but I prefer the slightly seedier vibe of Denny's. |
