After spending the night in Lancaster PA at a Hampton Inn, the plan was to spend the morning touring some of the many attractions of this interesting region. Amish crafts are always a big hit, as are other artisan products. To give the attractions time to open we rose late (7:30 am). At that time it was raining lightly. An hour later the area was blanketed with three inches of snow and it was coming down wet and heavy. Anticipating a difficult drive to the north east, we abandoned our Lancaster plans and drove out into the thick snow which by then had covered all the secondary roads. This is the scene as we loaded the car.
The drive northeastward was uneventful, except for the snow that kept speeds down. Uneasy about how far north the snow would still be falling, we opted to drive through with only short stops for gas and coffee. By Reading, PA (below) the snow began to mix with rain and the roads were just wet.
The drive through the Delaware Water Gap recreation area (Pennsylvania route 209) was over mostly dry
roads, so we stopped at the Village Diner on route 209 in Milford, PA for lunch. Not
only was the diner convenient to I 84, the most direct route back to
Connecticut, but it lived up to its Trip Advisor 4.5 stars for food,
service and ambiance. The fish taco's were great and the cheff's salad was a hit too. If you like fast food there is plenty of that up
the road, but give me an authentic American diner any day.
We crossed into New York at Port Jervis and continued for about three hours before we saw the familiar sight of the winding country roads of south eastern Connecticut which we call home. The road pictured below was a dirt track between small farms when we moved into the area thirty years ago. Although here is no snow here today, note the lack of foliage signaling that it is still winter in Connecticut.
I notice that this blog has discussed food and navigational flubs more that attractions. While food and getting lost and visiting tourist attractions are important, these are not the most important features of car trips (although you can make a case for the importance of food stops). One thing I enjoyed thoroughly during our stops every hour and a half was the opportunity to talk to local people. People standing in lines for coffee or lunch, or gas or just wandering around some attraction are often quite chatty. The mix of regional accents and sensibilities was a lot of fun. People from South Carolina wanted us to move there. A stranger in line at a buffet in New Port News, VA cautioned me to keep my daily expectations low, and be thankful to be alive every day. A woman in New York urged me to go back and enjoy Lancaster, PA and to take her along for some shopping. A sales woman at the Virginia Zoo had a catch in her throat when she noted the passing of a much loved elephant and the transfer of the remaining pachyderms to another zoo. Although many of the people we met were there to sell us something (a hotel room, gas, food, souvenirs) we took the time to converse and learn a little about their lives and hopes. In part these trips are about experiencing what exists behind those dots on the map. I doubt I will ever understand how and why America works, but it is fun to experience it along the way. See you next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment