Amazing Race Leg 3- Where the heck is Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania?

Let me review with you, dear audience, why I was on this crazy Amazing Race. I had several reasons for taking the trip that I did. My dear Stacey was finishing up her maternity leave, and had invited me many times to visit her family in the south since her move. I was determined to make it to her before she went back to work. I told myself that if I went to North Carolina, that was going to do a little tour of the state while I was there, since my college roommate Kathleen had moved to Durham. I also have another dear friend Becky, who lives on the coast. As you have seen, the stops in Charlotte and Durham were doable, but pushing to make it out to the Wilmington beach area. Since Becky and her family will soon be moving to Florida, I guess my eventual visit to them will be another adventure.



Now, how the heck did I end up combining this grand tour of North Carolina with a trip to middle of nowhere Pennsylvania? My very dear friend from school, JoEllen, has a very fun and cool husband Tom. We do lots of CONE events, and boat travels with them along the Charles River. Tom lovingly restores 1967 Camaro Pacecars. For several years now, Tom has been making his way out to Carlise, Pennsylvania for the All GM Nationals show. JoEllen has joked with us about being a camaro widow, and how when she has attended with Tom, she was like a groupie. She has lauded us with very funny stories of her experiences at the show and the Holiday Inn. At some point during this year, JoEllen suggested that at the end of the school year we should all go with them to PA, and do fun things down there. It seemed like most of our other friends had other things going on, but I was still interested in going. It turned out that I wouldn't be the only tag along (which I was kind of concerned about). Tom's parents would be coming, along with Tom's sister Randi, whom I have traveled to Super Soap Weekend with, her husband Billy and their daughter Kay, also Randi's best friend Janet and her husband Jason. I basically never saw Tom the whole weekend. He was very busy with his car friends:)



The big question was, could I get to North Carolina and then fly to PA in time before the weekend was over? Well, yes of course it turned out! I had to fly very, very early from Raleigh to Dulles, in Virginia. I had a bit of layover, but was very happy to see Dunkin Donuts when I got off the plane! Alas, they did not serve Iced Tea, but I was needing a coffee anyway. I hung around the airport, and awaited my little jet to Harrisburg. Both were quick easy flights, and as we descended in to Harrisburg I admired the mighty Susquehenna River and also noticed a large power plant right along the river. Hmmm...I wondered...I mentioned it to JoEllen later and she told me that it was the infamous "Three Mile Island" of the nuclear meltdown of 1979. Nice! A little extra history for the trip! I believe I have mentioned earlier that JoEllen and I love "The Amazing Race" and would like to be the first teachers to win! She was considering leaving me tasks at the Harrisburg Airport so that I could find my own way from there- perhaps having an Amish man pick me up in a horse and buggy, and requiring me to churn butter along the way or something. JoEllen brought a long her charming son Michael, aka Miguel to pick me up. The rest of the gang, sans Tom, was back at the hotel, and we would all head to Hershey Park from there. (Enjoy the clip of Michael greeting me at the airport at the bottom- it is currently being difficult, so I'm posting without it and will post later.)



Speaking of the hotel, this Holiday Inn in Mechanicsburg, PA is some place. It might just be the Mecca of middle of nowhere. JoEllen had told us funny stores of her previous trip. It's a very nice, average Holiday Inn. Before I arrived on Saturday morning, it had played host to a......wait for it.....a Kick Ball Tournament. Adults in matching t-shirts playing out back at the field behind the hotel. It's also appears to be the most sought after Wedding location- there were no joke, four weddings there are on Saturday. Some of them even happen outside in a tent next to the pool:) When I arrived there was a giant flea market happening in the front parking lot, and there were also two bars/clubs as part of the hotel. One was called the "Legends Lounge" and I got momentarily excited that this might be the spot where John Gosselin of "John and Kate Plus 8" had been spotted with his elementary school teacher mistress back in the spring. (Turns out that it is come kind of chain, but I wasn't far from where they were in Reading!) The sight to be seen was the "Tiki Bar". In Boston, it reminds me of Marina Bay in Quincy. Fake grass huts, probably some pretend sand, and oh yeah- giant torches out front and apparently open until 4 a.m. There isn't much to do out there. I didn't make it in to this lovely place, but we heard some very interesting stories from car buddies of Tom's on Sunday morning. I hadn't noticed earlier in the day that one of the brides having her big day at the hotel appeared to be pregnant (not judging), but apparently since she had to turn in early, her new hubby went to hang at that Tiki Bar- where he became the chief pourer for the wet t-shirt contest! nice, right! At some point she came and dragged his butt out of there...



I realized way to late into this trip that I could've been doing more with the flip cam. I think that I may have been bold enough to "interview" some people on the plane and such. I am off to Vegas in a week and half, and I will have my partner in crime Natalie, so maybe I'll have some funny stuff when we return.



I think I will break this post in to two- and come back tomorrow (?) and tell you more about my exploits in PA! Hershey! Gettysburg! Crystal Cave....oooohhhhhh!