I was awake by 0500 and let Mollie sleep in my bed (she said she'd been uncomfortable all night). I then got ready and did some reading while I waited for her and Brenna to wake up for the morning. Neither got up until well after 0800 so it sort of put a damper on the mood (they are NOT morning people). We packed up the two cars (moving a lot of stuff I'd brought for Mollie and Brenna into Brenna's car) and then left the hotel (0915). Thinking we could get some breakfast at the nearby Chick-Fil-A, we drove there (I was following Brenna and she was having problems with her Google Maps) and discovered they didn't open until 1100. This upset both girls and I was worried about how our visit was going to end. Fortunately (?), there was a nice Wawa next door to the Chick-Fil-A and they had breakfast sandwiches and several different kinds of coffee. This made Brenna and Mollie happy. After getting our food/drink (0930), we ate together outside on a nice patio. Our conversation revolved around a lot of plans that both of my daughters had for the rest of the Summer (some things were a surprise to each of them). We stayed together until around 1015 and then said goodbye. I headed back towards I-64 on some surface/city streets and made phone calls (Erin, Brother Jim, Stephanie, etc.) on the way. When I reached the Interstate, I found it packed with traffic. This situation lasted all the way to I-295 but then conditions improved. The time Google Maps predicted for me to reach the DC area was so bad (nearly twice the time required the previous day) that I asked Stephanie to meet me in Beltsville (closer to BWI) instead of DC. This allowed me to take the longer (but faster, as it turned out) routing via US-301. The weather was nice and the roads going north weren't too crowded. However, there were lots of intersections with lights and it slowed me down considerably. I stopped for gas at a 7-Eleven in King George (1115) and then (after passing through Dahlgren), crossed the Potomac into Maryland. Traffic started to pick up and, by the time I reached MD-5, I had to take several Google-recommended shortcuts to avoid major delays. Gradually, I made up lost time and (using MD-5, I-495 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway) reached Greenbelt by 1320. Stephanie arrived at almost the same time and we stumbled across a Chevy's Restaurant there. This was a chain that we'd frequented (for margarita happy hour in Pentagon City) many, many times while I still lived in the DC Metro area and the menu/drinks at this Maryland location did not disappoint. We had another enjoyable meal there until around 1500 and then (using Stephanie's car) drove a short distance to Greenbelt Park. We took a walk there, mostly on paved roads in their campground, and then returned to Chevy's. After saying goodbye, I departed for BWI at around 1630. The Baltimore-Washington Parkway was already quite busy and then it started raining - what a mess! I managed to reach Arundell Mills before I realized I needed to top off my fuel tank before turning in the rental car. It took a lot of maneuvering on unfamiliar streets to locate an Exxon station (with the highest prices I've seen all during the trip). After finishing the gas fillup mission, I was on my way again by 1655. More traffic lights and rain followed me all the way to the car rental return building - luckily, the check-in process was quick and efficient. I then made my way to the waiting area (Erin had texted that she would be there shortly) and huddled in a covered-bus-stop to avoid getting wet. A family nearby was dropping off their loved ones and must have spotted me wearing my backpack because they came by to offer me three packets of Top Ramen that they were planning to throw away. At first, I didn't accept but then reconsidered because I realized these items would be good for my upcoming Trail Magic event. Erin arrived a little bit later (1730) and we got on our way towards her home. She'd left Kiki at Austin's parents' home and was missing her dog a lot. I'd previously suggested that we go out to dinner at someplace she liked so she drove me to a BBQ Food Truck she frequents in Catonsville. Unfortunately, we arrived to find that they had almost run out of food. They suggested we walk a short distance to eat at Caffe Di Roma and that turned out to be a great idea. At 1800, we ordered some of their delicious macaroni and cheese, along with some affordable sandwiches (they came with good chips and pickles). It was great to eat with Erin one more time and we had a great conversation. Afterwards, we drove towards Baltimore and had almost reached Camden Yards before Erin realized we had time to visit a waterfront park that she and Austin like to visit (Covington Park). The weather was hot and muggy but there was a nice breeze. After about 30 minutes there, we returned to Erin's apartment and spent the rest of the night watching Disney+ shorts and the movie "Up". After wondering about my daughters all day, I figured out that Brenna had managed to get Mollie home and then drive back to Harrisonburg herself. They texted that they'd had a great time visiting (I agreed). I posted all the photos I (and the girls) had taken at Busch Gardens on social media (it turned out to be a very popular Facebook entry) and then made a separate post for my time with Erin in Baltimore (also popular). Erin and I talked a lot more (and she shared funny texts with her sisters about what we were doing) before it was time for bed (2200). I'm going to miss spending time with my daughters after I leave for home tomorrow...
