Travels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike

So here we are again, traveling across this great Commonwealth of ours from Western Pennsylvania to New Jersey, a trip we make at least twice a year. Try as you might to find some better cost-free route, the only logical way to get there is on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, with all its glory and potholes.


Right now we are driving through a construction zone, which is to be expected in the summer. The curious thing is that this particular section of the road has been under construction as long as I can remember, with the same lane shifting and uneven roads that it always had.

On one hand, I appreciate the consistency. It is one constant in an ever-changing world, something on which you can rely. On the other hand, I have to wonder if they will ever finish working on it. How long can it possibly take? Shouldn’t 20 or 30 years have been enough time? One of the great mysteries of life, I suppose.

The road itself isn’t the fanciest, but it takes you where you need to go. It’s just a lot of trees, rest stops, and signs, with a few bridges, tunnels and farms thrown in, for good measure. The scenery can be pretty, if you like that sort of thing, especially in autumn, when the leaves turn. Our turnpike trips have become much more joyous since we broke down and got E-Z Pass, allowing “e-z” sailing through toll booths, and eliminating the need to have enough cash for tolls.

Our established routine on these trips goes something like this. My husband drives first, including our stop for fast food breakfast sandwiches and coffee on our way. I take over for the middle of the ride. If it is going to rain, this is usually when it happens (I am an inclement weather magnet). I turn the wheel back over to him for the final leg of the trip.

We are not driven to break speed records (no pun intended). We are perfectly happy to stop whenever there is a need. The rest stops are some of the most pragmatic establishments that you will ever find. They all have a gas station which has gas at the same outrageous prices you can find at home, not-always-clean-but-better-than-an-outhouse restrooms, and fast food. Whether you are at the state-of-the-art Sideling Hill rest stop (which features an entire convenience store), or one of the more modest stops, you can find all the necessities you might need on a road trip there, including maps, sunglasses, umbrellas, aspirin, reading material, and, perhaps most important of all, coffee. Conveniently, they also carry Pennsylvania souvenirs like coffee mugs and t-shirts.

Traveling on the turnpike is the great equalizer among people. No one cares who you are, how much money you make, or what you look like at turnpike rest stops. Folks of all walks of life bond together in a common experience. We all just want to refresh and replenish before resuming our quest to get where we’re going.

Back on the road, my husband and I pass the time with conversation and music, which is pretty much the way we pass the time everywhere else, too. The Hairspray and Big River soundtracks are some of our favorite traveling music, and Cool Yule by Bette Midler, the best Christmas album of all time, is as enjoyable in July as it is December.

To risk embarrassing a certain family member (she knows who she is), I will admit here that we also pass the time by singing, usually a medley of our favorite T.V. theme songs. My personal favorite is the theme from “The Patty Duke Show” (about “cousins, identical cousins”) but I also have a real soft spot for the duet we do to the theme from Green Acres, with me doing the Eddie Albert part, and my husband doing a spot-on Eva Gabor.

On this trip I have also found one more way to pass the time. The turnpike is a mighty fine place to write a blog. I finished this one before it was my turn to take over the driving.