Tag: Reading

The Keystone State

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. This post is all about the great state of Pennsylvania – America’s second state. It became a state just 5 days after Delaware became America’s first state in December 1787.

The last time I was in Pennsylvania was almost 19 years ago in October 2007 when I flew from South Florida to Philadelphia International Airport (#PHL) for my overnight flight to Rome Italy (#FCO) where I embarked on a 14-day Transatlantic Carnival cruise from Rome (Civitavecchia) back to Miami. (What a great cruise that was – one of the best ever.)

13 months before that in September 2006 I was in Pennsylvania on a military work trip at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove (north of Philadelphia).

15½ years before that in March 1991 I was in Pennsylvania en route to Miami out of #PHL. Me and a group of Airmen had arrived at Dover Air Force Base from Saudi Arabia (Operations Desert Shield / Storm), and we were transported (by bus) up to the Philadelphia area for a night at a hotel before flying back to Miami the next morning.

Of course – as I’ve written about for the past 3 weeks – I drove I-70 from Illinois to Maryland way back at the end of October 1985 as an 18-year-old. 168 miles of I-70 are in Pennsylvania.

Before that in the Boy Scouts – we may have entered Pennsylvania once or twice along the Appalachian Trail at the Mason-Dixon Line. I may have taken an elementary school field trip to Philadelphia during the mid-1970s. And I definitely visited Hersheypark a few times as a kid with family and extended family (cousins). We also visited the “Outlet Capital Of The World” – Reading – a few times so that my parents could go shopping at the Vanity Fair Outlet Center.

Late tonight I was supposed to be entering Pennsylvania again as part of my Ohio River cruise. We would’ve been docked in Pittsburgh shortly after daybreak tomorrow. I would’ve been exploring Pittsburgh (for the first time in my life) in the morning via a guided tour – and in the afternoon visiting the Heinz History Center. There probably would’ve been a third guided tour this Saturday morning.

I was supposed to be on the Ohio River right now (and since last Saturday). But it wasn’t meant to be. I’ll share why next – #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags Hersheypark, Ohio River, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading

1980s Blogging Career Driving Geography Military Music Radio Travel

The Other Side Of The Ocean

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date November 13, 2025

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. It was exactly 40 years ago this past weekend – on the 10TH of November of 1985 – that I arrived in a foreign country solo for the first time in my life – as a young 18-year-old. I was 5 months into my USAF career – having spent 6½ weeks at Basic Training at Lackland AFB near San Antonio Texas and 3 months at Tech School at Chanute AFB near Rantoul Illinois.

It was a cold Sunday morning at London’s Heathrow Airport, and I had flown all night from Washington Dulles Airport. Of course I lost 5 hours overnight with the time difference.

I made my way to the British Rail station at the airport. I took that to Reading – where I got off the train. Oops. I wasn’t supposed to get off there. I got confused. I ended-up waiting at that station until the next train arrived. That didn’t take very long. I got on it, and I continued on to Swindon. At the Swindon station I hired a cab to take me to my new home and workplace – RAF Fairford – about 13 miles / 20 kilometers away.

The cab driver was nice and friendly. He welcomed me to the U.K., and he turned up the radio for us to listen to. I think we were listening to GWR. An eerie song came on that I had never heard before. It was Talking Heads with “Road To Nowhere”. How appropriate for that song to play on the radio as I was being driven on the left along narrow and winding country roads from Swindon in Wiltshire to RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds of Gloucestershire.

That was the start of my 2-year and 1-week adventure in the south of England as an 18, 19, and 20-year-old. I got to see a lot of England, Scotland, Wales, France, Belgium, and Netherlands. I wish I had seen more of the European continent, but I’m grateful for the areas that I did get to experience while I was over there.

I’ve attended over 150 concerts and live events in my life (115 since 2000), and the first 17 all occurred during those 2 years in England.

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll write about my driving – or lack of it – over the past year. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags England, Fairford, London, Reading, Swindon

1980s Blogging Career Driving Geography Military Music Radio Travel

London To Fairford England

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date November 9, 2023

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. It was exactly 38 years ago tomorrow morning – the 10TH of November back in 1985 – that I arrived in a foreign country solo for the first time in my life – as a young 18-year-old.

It was a cold Sunday morning at London’s Heathrow Airport, and I had flown all night from Washington Dulles Airport. Of course I lost 5 hours overnight with the time difference.

The cab driver was nice and friendly. He welcomed me to the U.K., and he turned up the radio for us to listen to. I think we were listening to GWR. An eerie song came on that I had never heard before. It was Talking Heads with “Road To Nowhere”. How appropriate for that song to play on the radio as this young 18-year-old teenager was being driven on the left along narrow and curvy farmland roads from Swindon to RAF Fairford.

I’ve attended about 150 concerts and live events in my life (100 since 2000), and the first 17 all occurred during those 2 years in England.

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll return home stateside – just like I did exactly 36 years ago. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags England, Fairford, London, Reading, Swindon