East Brunswick (NJ) to Omaha (NE)

We started on a very interesting and adventurous trip on Mar 30th 2012 Friday, from East Brunswick, New Jersey to Omaha, Nebraska in our Mazda MPV. By the time we finished doing the last cleaning before we handed over the keys it was already evening at around 4 pm, It was a nice sunny evening and we then went and handed over the Comcast Modem in their office and headed towards Omaha, NE which was about 22 hours and over 1300 miles away from the starting point in NJ. We planned to stop at Pittsburgh after visiting the temple there, but we realized we cannot do it since we have started late. So we thought of driving as much as we can and halt at a comfortable place in Pennsylvania. We filled up the gas and kept driving, the initial stretch of 1 hour was a busy traffic on the Friday evening, after we reached PA it was lesser traffic. It was a bright day and quite pleasant with a chill wind, so the drive was beautiful with the first few leaves and flowers looking beautiful on the trees around.

The roads were getting narrow in PA, and we reached a little mountainous area with a lot of winding roads and clock reached 8pm, so we thought of halting around after we crossed the two long tunnels in the mountains of BlueMountain and the Tuscarora Mountain . We halted at a nice Quality Inn Hotel, took some rest for the night. The little one Akilangandhi with us were also excited and having fun with us. He liked the Dora, Elmo, Mickey...Videos played in the newly set DVD player in the car, which his father specially got it ready for the drive so he is comfortable.

We then began our day with a nice continental breakfast at the hotel and then headed our way, we crossed yet another tunnel, the Tuscarora tunnel all these tunnels on the Pennsylvania highway. The road after that was a very winding way for more than an hour, we were happy that we did halt at the right place, because this was looking quite a tough drive in the day light and would have been even tougher in the night. After about 2 hours drive we reached the Pittsburgh Sri Venkateshwara Temple. This was the first Hindu temple built before about 35 years and the wet and beautiful morning made it look beautiful. It was in a small hilly area and this again looked a tough way in daylight reminding us that all happens for good and that we are making this route in the daylight, though it was a cloudy morning. We had the nice VenPongal prasadam there and the nice Darisanam after the Ashtothara archana. Akilan also enjoyed the temple atmosphere and the Prasadam. We picked up some lunch from the temple itself, since the Puliyogre and the BisibeleBath was really inviting to our noses and headed our way again. The morning had become even foggy and the visibility was very less on the way. There was quite less traffic but now the roads were slowly getting more of a straight one. Thus allowing to see more of what is ahead... We reached a rest area where we hogged our lunch and the yummy BisibeleBath gave us more enthu after which we continued our journey.

Akilan dozed off after some time and we now switched to hear some melody Ilayaraja songs and just kept our senses busy by having some or other interesting conversation and heading our way. We hardly took about 2 other halts in the rest areas and my husband Chidam (Chidambaranathan) kept driving while we enjoyed the various snack items we had picked up from Indian store in NJ. We wanted to cover as much distance as possible since the day was becoming brighter and sunny and giving us more enthu, It looked more beautiful and very very less traffic and those straight and wide roads, with just the trucks here and there made the journey more peaceful. We crossed PA, and reached Indiana, Illinois(Chicago) and reached Iowa, and by now it got darker as we hit the 8 pm mark and also there were some drizzles. Now we were also very exhausted and decided to halt at whichever good Choice Hotel we would find. We saw a nice Comfort Inn hotel on the way and took the exit for that, but then we took a turn to enter that and realized it again took us to the highway and we were back heading further, so we thought of taking the next one, again the same thing happened, where we thought we were entering the Quality Inn Hotel but this time again we hit the highway. It had also started pouring, and we were now feeling very tired and just wanted to halt and take rest at wherever we stay, now there seemed to be no inns around and the road was just going on and on leading us just miles after miles. We were traveling more towards the destination but now we were both worried about the darkness, rain and also the tiredness felt more because of these reasons. Akilan was fast asleep , and we felt at least he was not going through what was worrying us. We even thought we may just keep driving and reach Omaha, NE this way. Then suddenly we saw some exit which would take us to a Motel 6 Hotel, and we thought we would just somehow make our way there, This time we figured out that we should take the way ahead in the exit, but should take a left or a right after we enter the exit, only then it will lead to its entrance. But oh my this one was not so exciting, place, but ya were so tired and went ahead to enquirer if it was available, and wow there was just one last one, and we just quickly did the formalities, entered it, got freshened hogged the Puliyogre, some fruits and stuff and feel asleep.

The next day morning felt so fresh and good, and we came out to see a beautiful bright morning at 7am, in Iowa Atkinson.

When GPS showed us that we were just 4 hours away from our destination, of wow again we felt so good, that we would reach well before noon at Omaha. That gave us the extra feel that again all happens for good, and now we can reach well on time to head into our new place. We filled ourselves with some good coffee and breakfast at a McDe, and also filled car with gas, and headed our journey, we just kept going the broad roads just crossing the few trucks and the travel felt quite easy with the least traffic on the way. When we were about and hour away that is where we started seeing few cars, and the name boards to Omaha made us feel good that we were nearing our destination. On our way we called our parents to find our the good timing to enter the new place and realized we should reach there after 1.30 pm, so we decided to go to Wal-Mart or some shopping center there and pick up the required grocery stuff to enter into our new place..
We then reached on time to meet our Rental office, did the paper work, got the keys and yes on time entered our new apartment which is really a nice place, and felt good about the selection online, and ya now we were home again. First became fresh and then yes did our Pooja and had our home made food, The next important thing we needed was internet which we had earlier had made arrangements to have it when we reach, but there were some configuration to be made to get online. We had the hour long calls with the customer care and got that set up so we could call our parents and inform that yes we reached Omaha, NE and by now we were so exhausted that all we wanted was a lot of sleep, but yes we felt just great to be all safe and good by the blessings of our elders and wishes of all our loved ones.