More leaf peeping and a four state run

Yes, I was leaf peeping again today. Two weeks ago the leaves were up in Vermont. Now they're brilliant down in Virginia, at least at 3000 feet above sea level, where this picture was taken. Here in Charlottesville, the trees are a long way from peak yet...we're only about 500 MSL.

For many years I had noted on the Rand McNally that one of the places where you could whip thru a bunch of states in a hurry was on I-81 from Pennsylvania thru the Maryland and West Virginia panhandles into Virginia. Today, for the first time, I got to check it out. The timetable...810 AM, cruising thru Pennsylvania. 811, entering Maryland. 822, into West Virginia. 844, welcome to Virginia! Four states in 34 minutes! Average speed was 0-5 miles above the limit, no more than ten, so obviously some of my friends could do it more quickly, probably in less than half an hour: for example, a certain bilingual UH grad whose first name is the same as the two states just south of Virginia.