Day 36: Staunton VA to Yardley, PA

Lovely day on the road today — plenty of places to stop and even a Starbucks for dad. (On a side note, dad used to drink an 8-shot espresso drink called a Shark Bite — yes, you read that right… EIGHT shots — but his taste has mellowed with age and he now orders cappuccino. The man has a stomach of iron, I tell you.) Bonus: learned today that if you program the GPS for your next destination, not only does she give directions, but she also automatically diverts you around slowdowns and traffic accidents.

Also lovely today, saw the number 444 over ten times today, all in about a 4 hour period. Somebody Up There really wants me to know that I’m being watched over and taken care of! (In other sources, 444 is “Angels are watching over you” — which is definitely a good thing when you’re driving cross-country.)

(Not Matt Wund’s) Chicken and Pears in White Wine Sauce

This afternoon dad took over driving the last rainy part to the home of Matt and Jill Wund and their lovely girls Olivia and Maya. We didn’t want to displace the whole family, especially since they have a guest, Dale, staying already in preparation for a work trip to Alaska, so we are in a nearby Sheraton. Nice room, with a “view” of the roof below. (HA.) Matt made his chicken and pears in white wine sauce with oven roasted veggies: delicious. The linked recipe isn’t Matt’s… he says he made up the dish when the cupboard was bare except for a pear and some frozen chicken breasts, but this one looked pretty close, and I really liked dinner tonight, so I’m sharing a version for you to try. Also gave the Wunds the rest of the jars from Susan’s canning efforts — they were excited to get them, so it’s a win-win all around.

Tonight there’s a hockey game on: Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild, in Las Vegas. Dad is rooting for the Golden Knights. Let you know tomorrow who gets to play the Colorado Avalanche for a chance to claim the ultimate hockey prize. (Want to know more about the Stanley Cup?)

Sleep well out there…