Smoky Mountain Hiking Trip - Day 10

I got up at 0530 and started teleworking.  At 0730, I woke Mollie so we could go to have breakfast.  We got done with the checkout and eating by 0815 and then went to the drive-through hospital pharmacy, arriving just in time for them to open (0830).  We got my prescriptions and then made our way to I-95 (via Fairfax County parkway).  We were in a traffic jam for a little while but got going without delay by about 0930.  Took I-495, I-270 and US-15 to Harrisburg.  The weather was great, traffic was light and Mollie and I talked a lot.  Somehow, I messed up the route when we reached PA-581 so we ended up following US-15 (west side of the Susquehanna River) until we reached I-81.  We then drove north until we stopped for gas at Shell in Kingsley, PA (1320).  It had gotten much colder by then but the weather was very nice.  We'd been having so much fun talking and the driving was going so well that I forgot to call into a meeting I had (oh well) - clearly, all the fun I've had on the trip has made me forgetful!  I'd promised Mollie that I'd stop at a Tim Hortons on the way and she found one near Hallstead, PA.  We stopped there for lunch (Mollie's treat) at about 1330 and then I got us some donuts to go (1400).  We then got back on I-81, entered New York and then used the shortcut route (via I-86 and back roads through Broome County) to I-88.  We made great time across the state of New York and got off the Interstate near Albany (where it crossed US-20).  We then continued east until we reached I-90, followed it to I-87 and then got off on NY-7.  We took that road to VT-7 and stopped for a break at the Vermont Welcome Center in Bennington at around 1730.  We talked for a while with the friendly volunteers there and then got on the road again.  We used US-7, VT-30 and VT-11 to reach I-91.  Mollie really enjoyed the scenery (including snow and ice) as we drove through the Vermont mountains.  She also nicknamed my Jeep Compass (rental) "Maggie" (for magnetic north).  We made great time to I-91 and used I-89 to reach home (arrived at 1930).  Mollie helped me unload the car and clean up the kitchen.  We talked some more about our day and took funny pictures of Smurfey with all of the new stuffed animals that Mollie had brought with her from Virginia.  Whew - what a great trip!