A Winter Drive

In the winter of 2007 Teri & I decided to just pack up and go for a drive. It had been snowing a lot for a couple of weeks, but the weather was due to turn. It seemed like the time for a simple, romantic getaway. It was a chance to just do a little exploring Pennsylvania.



We planned a 3-day trip. The first was just about getting to the cabin, so while we did enjoy the drive, it wasn't exactly a meandering journey. We thought we'd leave that for the return trip. Our thinking was it would make going home a lot more fun, plus who doesn't like taking the long way home? As for the middle day, that was just about relaxing, doing a whole lot of nothing in a cozy cabin, and hiking around Hills Creek State Park.


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Our lazy, meandering "Sunday Drive" home along snow packed back roads was simply perfect. It was a very frigid February day. The skies had a light overcast to them, but not enough to be gloomy. We hardly saw a soul as we drove slowly along, taking in the scenery. We also bundled up enough that with the heater running we were able to ride with the windows open. The crisp, clean air, and being able to hear the sounds of blanketed forest added to the experience.






We found a picnic area along one road that hadn't had a visitor for a while. We stopped, made coffee, and enjoyed having the entire valley to ourselves. The hushed stillness of the day, with only an occasional sound of a chickadee, gave us the feeling we were the only people on the earth. A truly unique experience in a state where you usually can hear distant traffic, and airplanes, everywhere you go.



While we didn't see a lot of wildlife, we did come upon this Ruffed Grouse. It was not impressed, or alarmed by our presence. It's very lucky we'd also just eaten!

I've always loved traveling back trails, and to have found a wife that enjoys it as much as I is truly lucky. There're lots of reasons I ran off and married her. Having so many common passions, like this one for instance, is why I'm so happy we met.



When we reached Hyner View State Park we were surprised at finding a photo I'd taken used in their kiosk. I'd leased the image for use as the cover of the State Travel Guide, but didn't expect them to use it for other purposes. The fact that it impressed my new wife made up for the lost income!



Notice that they changed the wing color to red.



It was a perfect road trip!