On the Road Again
I just can’t wait to get on the road again.
It’s really true. As much fun as we had, staying with family for a month in Oregon, for me there’s always been a draw–a real pull–to being on the road. It’s one of the only things that can truly distract me from hoping for news about my novel.
I remember as a child my family would take route 3 out of NYC to get home, and as we got off at the exit, there was a sign, pointing one way to our town, and one way to Paterson. I would play this game with my dad where I’d tell him that they’d switched the signs, and he’d say, “Well, I always wanted to see Paterson.”
With all due respect to the people who live there, it strikes me as funny now that my hunger for new, novel places would extend to Paterson, NJ.
The places we’ll hit along this route–camping in Spokane, WA; seeing the glaciers of Glacier National Park, which are tragically due to vanish by 2030; the infamous Fargo, ND; a lake in the middle of national forest in MN where we can kayak and even take the kids tubing from a motor boat at the safe speed of 5 or 10 mph; and from then on into uncharted territories in Ottawa, before being back in the familiar lands of Montreal, Vermont, and Boston–promise a little more exotica than Paterson probably would’ve offered in the end.
But the excitement I felt as a child to get there isn’t any different at all.
LOL…(big smile) Ahh, Paterson…in its heyday was quite a place…but you’re not old enough, as a kid longing for an adventurous detour, to have found it to be the jewel it twas at the turn of century…wow…two centuries ago now?
Have a great time on your new road trip…us ‘stay behinders’ will be waiting for installments! Enjoy…
PS: Did you know that Rt. 3 was actually built way back when just for the wealthy businessmen of Wall Street that had weekend homes in Montclair to go back and forth? That’s why it ends precisely at Montclair – Valley Road. Cool, huh?
Comment by susan — August 23, 2010 @ 12:04 pm
teehee I love it. I really love a road trip, unfortunately, my husband is a big giant baby, so we don’t really do them. Next time you do it… my grandparents used to motorhome EVERYWHERE and my grandma said highway 2 that runs along the US/Canada border is the prettiest way to go across the country. Even takes you through the Michigan UP. I’m jealous of your time in my Pacific Northwest!
Comment by Hart — August 24, 2010 @ 10:27 am
Hart, we are literally going to be there TODAY! I will give a shout out for your grandparents. And don’t worry, we’re not some intrepid explorers or anything, so if you and your hubby ever want tips for a “soft trip,” we have ‘em
Sue, I did not know that! How odd to have one’s own highway. As if a yacht weren’t enough
Comment by jenny — August 24, 2010 @ 10:42 am