Saturday, August 31, 2013

The Cure for Melancholy


Sorrowful and spent from the experience of Gettysburg, I turned to my favorite mind-clearing activity--driving.  My Prius has become my sanctuary--the movement, the music, the views of a beautiful country--they work together to soothe my body and my brain.  I sing, I dance, I laugh, and I go wherever the road takes me, all with a sense of anticipation.  What lies beyond the bend?

I headed north and while crossing the Susquehanna River to Harrisburg, I quickly made exit to find a place to explore, settling in at Fort Hunter Park.





Drenched with nature, I continued on my way, passing through Hershey...


arriving in the City of Reading...



where I stayed at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel...



 and visited the Pagoda, an historical landmark atop Mt. Penn.



I drove through Allentown and Bethlehem, and I didn't even notice when I had crossed into New Jersey…probably because I was too busy taking in my surroundings. 




Dear readers, get off of the interstate highways.  I mean, they are great when you are in a hurry, and I admit that I had to use the interstate for the latter part of this drive into New York, but you can't see the towns--the houses and the people and the stores and the roads and the bridges and the schools and the parks and the American flags--when you drive on an interstate highway.

Speaking of…Agggghhhhh!  I jumped on an interstate highway and stressfully hurried my way into New York, only to come to a full stop, waiting about 30 minutes to get through a tunnel into the city at a cost of $13.  Ugh.  But I enjoyed the drive through the city and finally worked my way into Yonkers, where I spent a restful evening in the home of a friend.

Check out this backyard. 
Did I say restful?  I slept for about 12 hours…because for two days, I had been tripping…

julie

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