After I cleaned the car, I made a check list of everything we needed and set to work on gathering our stuff. I sent a message to Vermont Skydiving Adventures to let them know that I might be bring tandems. I got an email back right away and they asked for my contact info.

At 2 PM, I called VSA and spoke with a woman named Heather. We were in luck because the schedule had a few openings. I also asked about places to stay. Since I wasn't certain how far we'd get, I was open to suggestions. Heather was very helpful. By the time we finished talking, I was excited about meeting her in person.  

When Matt got home just after 4, he helped load the van and double checked to make sure I had gotten everything. Price got home from school around 4:25 and we were in the car around 4:40. Not bad! 

Once we were on 295, I realized I had forgotten to take a picture the odometer. We'd already driven about 2 miles - so I'm using 239,224 as my starting mileage for this trip. We hit a little traffic just before we got to Woodbridge, but with that exception the drive was not bad. I took Price over to meet his dad and dropped Matt off at Pot Belly to get some sandwiches to go.

We left Pot Belly at 6:20 PM not sure how long we'd drive before giving up. While I was driving, Matt was working on his computer. When we stopped at the Chesapeake House on 95 to get some gas, Matt took over driving so I could do hotel research. We were still 413 miles from Vermont Skydiving Adventures. 

After some research for hotels along our route, I figured our best bet for a reasonable hotel room was Albany, NY (approximately two hours south of the DZ. Everything in New York was expensive! Since it was going to be late when we checked in, I wanted to select a hotel that would not require an inspection.

I picked the Courtyard located at the Albany Airport. With our AAA discount, the room would be $113.00 plus tax. The original room rate was $219.00! Of course, that rate is inflated to make you think you are getting a deal when the offer you the room online for $139.00 per night. Calling saved us an extra $26.00!

At some point during the drive, I traded messages with my brother. I texted him to tell him we'd be staying in Albany and that we'd get in touch with him in the morning. It would be great to see him! We stopped at the Joyce Kilmer Travel Plaza so I could take over driving. It was 10:15 PM and 184 miles away from the hotel.

When we arrived at the hotel, it was 1 AM. I unloaded the car while Matt was checking in. As soon as I got to the room, I set my alarm for 8:30 AM. Our room was very clean and the bed was comfortable. We were both exhausted! I was happy to have my chiropractic pillow with me! It helps relieve some of the tension in my neck. Just before I fell asleep, I checked the time on my phone 1:25 AM.

So it was from Richmond, VA to Albany, NY - 484 miles.