We left Wild Willy's in the rain and it kept up for most of that day. We started out on some windy local roads through the hills and small towns of West Virginia. Then found a state highway and finally followed some interstates east, then north. We drove back home from southern West Virginia in 3 days, stopping for the night in Parkersburg WV, then in Erie PA.
The only reason to get on an interstate is speed: to get there quickly. Set the cruise control (just a bit slower than the car that just passed you) and try to stay awake. Caffeine in any form generally helps! On our final day we covered 780 kilometers from Erie PA to Montreal, entirely on interstates, something that wouldn't be possible on the backroads.
Those backroads, however, are where the intetesting stuff happens. Small towns, farmer's markets or even a gun sale. The roads are fun to drive: they have curves and you need to constantly adjust your speed. And when you need to stop, you can walk into a local restaurant or gas station where people are generally happy to chat with strangers. Interstates on the other have these generic rest stops for food and gas with chain fast food restaurants.
There are always lots of choices as to how to get from point A to point B. The question is do you choose to focus on the journey or on the destination?
