6/15/2015

The Victorian décor greeted me in the morning at the Rosemont Inn. Utica had been such a wonderful little surprise. I would have never guessed. The scent in the air meant Rita had been preparing something to tickle my taste buds. Crystal started the day with, what she said was, the best coffee she had ever tasted. Rita mentioned that the coffee had come from a local roaster. I started the morning with a yogurt parfait topped with granola. Actually I had two; Crystal wasn’t a fan of yogurt. I needed as much protein as I could consume. I had felt sluggish and knew that my muscles needed the rebuilding power of the aminos. Our main course was an omelet with a variety of green veggies. Each bite had the flavors of cilantro, basil, and other herbs...

6/14/2015

The bright sun powered its way through my eyelids. The powerful rays hit my skin and commanded me to get out of bed. My body ordered me to remain motionless. It was a struggle which my body lost. I got up, ate a couple of pastries, and set my body in motion.

When I stepped onto the country road, I began to sneeze. I knew I was in for a rough day. The temperatures had also roused the pollen and it was everywhere. I restrained myself from rubbing my eyes for a few miles but the itchiness got the best of me. The corn stalks were just beginning to sprout on the New York farmland. Suddenly a putrid scent violated my nose. When I reached the peak of a monstrous hill, I spotted the source of the aroma. I had correctly guessed familiar scent of cow manure...

6/11/2015

During stage two of our journey, many places we passed had Civil war relics. Of course Gettysburg and Charleston were a couple of the places that instantly pop into my mind. The places had the feel of another world and another era entirely. Stage three has been the beginning of our return to the west. As we pushed towards the sunset, my surroundings took me to a time even further back. The scenery and vegetation changed as it always did. Even the air seemed to change. I began to feel more moisture in the air. It was almost as if my lungs could taste the particles of water in the air.

The route I ran and the relics I spotted told a story of our country’s fight for independence. Much of the history in the northern states focused on the revolutionary war...