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Monday, 05/05/03; Ashville, North Carolina
Here we are again, Dear Friends and Family, ready to entertain you with our activities for the day!
Before reviewing the day, maybe you would be interested in the statistics of the trip to date? We have been on the road for almost four weeks and things through May 3rd look like this for the Smiths:
Average Driving Hours per day: 5.42
Average MPH: 34.19 (counting stops)
Total Driving Time: 140.92 hours
Total Distance Driven: 4818 miles (671 miles locally)
Total Gasoline Purchased: 282 gallons
Total spent on gasoline: $451.93
Average $1.60 per gallon (regular unleaded)
Average MPG: 17.08
Average of $0.09 per mile (all car costs)
Average Lodging: $50.92 per night
Average Food Costs: $33.99 per Day
Average “Other” Costs: $21.09 per Day
Total Spent on Car: $64.12 (except for gasoline)
Average Total Daily Costs: $125.97
Oil Used: 5 quarts (not including one oil change)
We are about one-third the way around our intended course. We are feeling well and believe our cars are the same. Of course, we realize that things can be going on in those old parts that we are totally unaware of! We don’t just refer to car parts!
Now for the news of the day!
We left Spartanburg, SC in rain, headed for Ashville, NC. On the way we stopped in Brevard, NC to visit a couple of hours with Keith’s Aunt Flora and cousins, Pat and Butch. Keith hadn’t seen them since 1996, so it was a great reunion for him.
The entire day was rainy, heavy at times and the driving was miserable. We reached Ashville by noon and wanted to visit the Biltmore Estate constructed in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, youngest son of Cornelius. It is claimed to be the largest house in the US – floor area of 4 acres! The rain continued to come down and we decided to hold off to see if the rain would slacken as a large portion of the tour of the estate is outside. Well, it didn’t abate, so we decided to stay warm and dry in our hotel room. Later in the afternoon, the rain became intermittent and we drove to a nearby mall for some shopping. Our plan is to remain the night and assess the situation in the morning. Our route is up into Kentucky and Tennessee, the direction from which all the weather is emanating. (The weather report on the morning of 05/06/03 – the time this report is being composed, said that 2.5 inches of rain fell in Ashville yesterday, a record!)
We are meeting for breakfast at 0800 to decide on our course of action for 6 May. You’ll have to check the web page tomorrow to find out our decision.
Regards to all,
The Soggy Four