After a lovely visit atop Mt Washington, it was time to head out for the next leg of the journey to Springfield VA just outside of Washington DC. When staying in the DC area, Springfield tends to be my favourite thanks to the Franconia-Springfield Metro station that is close by.
I hadn’t been on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in ages but it’s nice to see they’ve embraced the all-electronic toll collection revolution which is why I went for the hard-shell EZ-Pass transponder that works on pretty much every toll road in the immediate vicinity.
Unfortunately, you have no idea how much in tolls you’ve racked up until you see your bill (in this case, the run from Pittsburgh to near the Maryland border was $13.50).
There was lovely scenery throughout this stint. Of course, all good things must come to an end when on the Beltway…I have yet to drive this road where there isn’t a nasty traffic jam and today’s run was no exception. Fortunately, this one was relatively short-lived but then there is a harrowing stretch where to make the turn for the hotel, you have to cross four lanes to your right very quickly prior to the ramps to get onto the Beltway or I-395.
Even though the mixing bowl is much better than it used to be doesn’t mean that it doesn’t suck. 🙁
