Delaware - Who Do They Think They Are, Anyway?
Mo and I are back. I think I could attempt to summarize our trip in 3 sentences or less, but this might include inside joke stuff, which would be annoying to you and therefore not amusing. So, I will say this:
1. Total time down: 14 hours (Salem to Brandy Station, VA - door to door)
2. Total time back: 12 hours. A drastic improvement.
3. No A/C. But plenty of water dousing in the car.
4. Next time, we fly (we say this every time we make the trek to visit Lynanne, but road trip nostalgia gets the best of us when we plan the next visit and we conveniently forget about the sweating, the deliriousness, the back of the knee cramps, the lines for the ladies room, the gridlock, the trash smells emitted from NYC and NJ, the terrible radio stations in Delaware)
Speaking of Delaware, did you know that they have no "Welcome to Delaware" sign on the way in from New Jersey? This is after they gouge you with a 5 dollar toll. Mo was absolutely ripped about this and I must say, her anger was contagious. I mean, come on, Delaware. Apart from being the first state (ooooooo! the first state!) and offering tax-free shopping, what have you got to be so holier than thou about? We should make our own welcome sign for Delaware. Welcome to our good-for-nothing snore of a hell hole state! What do you expect from a state whose macroinvertebrate is the freaking stonefly? Is that all you got? Keep your stupid stonefly and put up a damn welcome sign! I vote to change their state motto from "The First State" to "The Rudest Little State" or "We May Be Small, but We're Plenty Ill-Mannered!" Why don't they just throw your toll money back at you the way the trees threw apples at Dorothy?
So, I am hoping to post more details of the trip later.
Incidentally, I am glad I missed baseball this weekend. It's pretty humiliating to get your ass kicked by a "twin." Awful name choice, Minnesota.
Oh, and we thought we heard something about an upcoming ban of offensive team names - at least in the NFL. I'm going to look into this. Let's bury the tomahawk, people. Once and for all.
posted by Kim @ 8:59 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
I hate to have to tell you this, dear, but before anyone else does: the only tolls in Delaware are $2 on I-95 and two $1 tolls on State Route 1. There are nice discounts for EZ Pass at all three, and on Route 1 the EZ Pass speed limit is 65.
I think you are thinking of Maryland, where there is a $5 toll.
The toll to get out of New Jersey is $3, but that goes to the Delaware River Port Authority, not Delaware, and let's skip the Garden State jokes.
PD
How can that be? I distinctly remember the toll over the Delaware Memorial Bridge being way more than 2 bucks. We actually wrote about it in our road trip journal. Mo, back me up please! (from the end of the NJ Turnpike, into Delaware)
I didn't throw any NJ jokes out there (aside from stating that there were unpleasant smells - and, trust me, that's no joke).
Well, I could be wrong. It has been a while since I left NJ that way, but I thought all DRPA tolls were $3. I take the BFB all the time. Do you remember the $2 toll ($1.25 with EZPass) going from Delaware to Maryland?
And I just meant, let's not get started on NJ jokes, like it's free to go there but you have to pay to leave.
PD
The NCAA is banning Indian mascots in post-season tournaments. Just post-season, and colleges with offensive mascots only have to cover up logos so they can't be seen on camera. It's also being phased in over the next 3 years. So it's a step in the right direction, but they could have done more.
Serious story about it.
Some columnist being offensive while attacking them for doing it in a half-assed way.
Twitch - thanks for the clarification and the information. Definitely a step in the right direction, and about time.
Now now, my grandmother livs in DE, and my entire family is there as we speak, and at least three close friends of mine are from there, and I'll brook no ill-will towards it. It's a good little state.
Per my EZ-Pass statement:
Delaware Water Gap Bridge $0.60
Delaware Memorial Bridge $3.00
These are, apparently, discounted prices for EZ-Pass, so maybe the 3 dollar one is 5 w/out.
These were only on my last statement because of my Cleveland and Philly trips in the month before this statement.
Perhaps, Andrew. A welcome sign with a picture of that stonefly would be a good start.
Minnesota has "twin cities" Minnealolis & St. Paul. I agree, the name is not too intimidating. But my mother's whole family is there...
good to have you back, girl. looking forward to the TV catch-phrase quiz.
Once again, I probably should not be saying anything publicly, Jere, but the Delaware River Port Authority did away with its 10% EZPass discount some time ago and added a $1 monthly fee.
So, now we have confirmation: the toll to get out of Jersey and into DE is $3.
PD
No more EZ Pass discount? Is Delaware the only state to do away with this?
Incidentally, I once bought a very nice set of luggage in Delaware. And I stayed at a great beach house there on Broadkill Beach. I'm sure there are fine people in Delaware. It's the port authority I've got a beef with. And to be honest, I'm not really even sure how mad I am about it at this point.
Oh, come on!!!
The Delaware River Port Authority has nothing to do with the state of Delaware. It is a creature of interstate compact and has always been headquartered in Camden, NJ. You remember Camden. I guess there was still a discount when you went to Trader Joe's in Marlton.
I am sorry I got this started. The Delaware toll roads are actually the only ones I have driven on this year where I did get a discount.
pd
It's funny when you get all fired up like that :)
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