We live about forty minutes from the downtown area of Roanoke. There are three roads that will get you there:

The most direct is Route 116, the Jubal Early Highway (Jubal A. Early is not just the name of the ferry that can take you from Maryland to Virginia and back, but is the name of a  Confederate general who was born in a home along the eponymous road). With all the folks around here who commute into Roanoke, there is pretty much a parade of cars cruising along 116 and thus over Windy Gap Mountain, via a series of steep S-curves.

I made my way into the city this morning, and the trip was extra exciting for me because while you can usually count on tractor trailer trucks NOT being on those curves (ahem, because they’re prohibited) (seriously, check out that link! Yowza!), I was surprised by an Allied Van Lines big honkin’ truck, who wasn’t actually honkin’ but was in my lane as we shared a curve.

Fortunately, there is also a 7-11 type of store at the bottom of the mountain, once you get into Roanoke’s outskirts, where one might regather one’s composure and perhaps go pick up some M&Ms to celebrate another day of living.