Wander-Full Weekend
Jackson Brown’s tune, ‘Stay, just a little bit longer…if you take a little time and you leave it all behind.’ echoes in my heart as I pull away from the Porchvue Winery. A beautiful retreat, yet like the Meander Creek I passed in Austintown, OH, we follow the asphalt current east. The Winnie rolls toward Honesdale, PA, wild purple Chicory and Queen Anne’s Lace dance up and down the hills as far as the eye can see. Pine trees in a straight line down the center of the highway give focus to the ‘long view’ of the mountains in the distance. It is easy to fall into the ‘zone.’
Pennsylvania rest stops are beautifully maintained and after a three-hour drive, a pitstop is in order. This state is the first I see with signs saying ‘Text Stop’ ahead, it can wait! Following directions, I throw a blanket and pillow on the ground to catch up on texting. A rare round of barking alerts me to a man in fluorescent yellow vest & gloves approaching. I quickly drop the phone to settle Sami. The caretaker is enamored by my beautiful white companion, a trend I soon find common wherever we go, and asks for a chance to pet her. Once the bright yellow gloves are removed, she is happy to comply.
Sami chill time!
‘On the Road Again’ plays as the Winnie rolls on, a timely return to the highway. When we finally pull into Honesdale, I’m ready for a locally brewed beverage at the Irving Cliff Brewery. Expecting something tucked into a hillside with a view, I was surprised to find a city site with a paved parking lot facing a row of small houses with one of the red-brown dilapidated storage barns across the way. Not to be deterred, Sami and I head in for a cold one. A family with children finishing their meal faun over Sami. We roam toward the bowels of the brewery where two huge stainless kettles stand growling loudly like the Wizard of Oz behind a curtain. No proprietor in sight, thirst drives me to the bar. A Pomeranian pup has a seat at the far end perched on a tall stool seeming to know something about this place. Sami and I settle into a seat near the middle of the bar still searching for anyone to help me out; check in, buy a brew, order a burger…. anything!
A young man wanders in taking a spot anxiously out of Sami reach. He seems to know the tapster who shows up with a drink for him before he asks and I grab the bartender’s attention, I request a pale ale. He asks if I’ll be eating and when I say yes, he refers me to someone behind a curtain shielding the kitchen from view. I’m beginning to wish I had followed Jackson Brown’s pleading to STAY at the Porchvue Winery where it all felt so welcoming. I ask the fellow next to me if he comes here often hoping to learn the low down on the area. A nice young man, we talk at least 20 minutes before ‘Glinda, the good witch’ finally appears from behind the curtain with a menu.
In the end, the burgers are impressive. Andy, the young man, turns out to be newly divorced, moving back to his hometown area in upper New York. A shaky leg and twitching fingers tell me he is just the anxious sort. He must have needed an ear as he proceeds to tell me he rarely talks to strangers at a bar, and he can’t seem to meet any eligible women his age. I suggest joining groups where there are like minded women. His response, “I joined a hiking club and a skiing club, but they were all old women….” I finish my burger and decide a KOA campground six miles away in Honesdale might be a better choice for the night.
Pulling into the Koa somehow feels like home. A call to my husband, Jim, reassures that I made the right choice. I feel comfortable settling into my cozy camper for a good rest. By the morning, I’m again ready to roll out excited at the prospect of getting to Cape Cod and Woods Hole, MA where the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard departs. With advice from the camp manager, I choose the scenic route PA 402 south out of Honesdale. Rolling too quickly I fly by a stunning 12-foot-high Rhododendron bush laden with bright pink blossoms leaning against a mound of whitewashed stones with a tiny brook running by it. I promised myself not to miss the next engaging shot!
Just as the road curved before the entrance to Interstate 84, the morning sun hit the side of an old church, highlighting a spectacular blanket of shimmering emerald ivy laid across the entire southeast side. A showstopper, I immediately turned into the parking area to the front of St. John Neumann Parish. Grabbing Sami’s leash, we head in for the shot. Angling for the sun at my back I turned and spied something directly to the east set behind the church. Sami found it first as we rounded the corner. Smiling at us was Mother Mary protected by a lovely white stone grotto. I stood for a moment knowing Dad and my sister were here with me, both guided by the Blessed Mother each in their own way. I whispered a silent prayer of thanks. Across the road appeared a musical staff strung high between the pine trees; birds perched like notes ready for Sunday hymns.
A glorious patch of sunny yellow goldenrods seems to wave a welcome to the southeast corner of New York with Milky Chance, beating out “And I want you…we can bring it on the floor…you’ve never danced like this before…we don’t talk about it…” Whizzing past the next exit on Route 84 the name ‘Sandy Hook’ catches my eye. Instantly I feel a jolt, “Why God?” I continue east through Connecticut merging with Route 90 until turning south just west of Boston on Rt 495. Time is like a feather, as the ‘zone’ takes me floating through the hills to the songs of ‘Sunday Funday Radio,’ a mix of jazz artists.
The Coonamesett Hotel in Falmouth, MA is a welcome sight by 4:00pm. I check in eager for a hot shower and a soft bed. But I hear a guitar, I’m drawn to the outside patio for a cup of chowder and a set by the L & M Duo. I linger, Sami resting at my feet. The wander-full weekends scenic routes and stunning images leave me sweetly satisfied. The smell of lavender soap & warm water finally run over my tired body; so soothing. I cocoon into the fresh clean sheets with visions of the Vineyard drawing me into a deep sleep, Sami at my side and the Blessed Mother in my heart.
