He has fallen, and he can't get up.

Mountains fall. This is part of the pain of existence. They last longer than mayflies, but in the grand cosmic things is it really all that much longer?

But I am getting ahead of myself.

The trip was a good one. We drove up on Friday through mostly good weather, though it was bookended by gray skies. Much of the road was also fun, but my loathing for I-95 through Connecticut has only grown with each passing trip through it.

We arrived, checked in, and visited with Alikat's father and stepmother. They had pictures of their cruise to Alaska, many of which were just breathtaking. We followed that up with a nice dinner, and a visit to the hottub/pool. Not a bad day, all in all, and it prepared us for the next day. And I probably needed preparation.

Because Saturday was shopping day.

This was understood beforehand. I was given free reign - my only instruction was to leave the wife and step-mother-in-law alone while they bonded over racks of multi-colored cloth.

I finished my shopping by noon, other than a shoe purchase that I completed immediately after noon. And we all met up to have a mexican lunch together at this place called Cafe Noche.

The afternoon found me exploring in the car while everyone else did their shopping. Actually, I'm not sure what Alikat's father did, but the women went back to their multi-colored pieces of cloth. I feel I was much more productive because, in my explorations, I found the coolest road in the world.

It was as if someone had started at the top and simply poured asphalt down both sides of a small mountain. It was a single solitary black line cutting over rock and through dense forest, barely wide enough for two cars to pass on either side. The road, which was unmarred by lane markers, was aptly called 'Hurricane Mountain Road'. Crest a small hill and the road would literally drop out from under the vehicle, as if it were a ramp. Hit it too hard and it would be pretty easy to lose control of the car. The road spends the majority of its time at around 45 degrees, up or down. Sharp turns complimented the motif nicely. Most of the drive was dense forest, but on one side there was a hole in the trees and you could see out through the mountains, and it was beautiful.

The road was seasonal - open only during spring, summer and fall. Winter's conditions combined with the aggressive styling of the road itself would have made it a death trap. But on Saturday, it felt alive.

Oh yeah, I drove through a state park too. But it was all downhill after two passes over Hurricane Mountain Road.

We regrouped after my explorations and ooh'd and ahh'd over everyone's selections of multi-colored pieces of cloth. Then we went out to dinner at a very nice bed and breakfast place. Much good food and alcohol was consumed.

Day three found us batting some cleanup shopping ('us' meaning the ladies), driving through a national forest, eating lunch together, and parting.

Alikat and I then headed up I-93 slightly to confirm that the old man in the mountain is, in fact, gone. And he is. Like a mayfly that sprouted wings yesterday, the poor old guy has now fallen, passed beyond the veil, collapsed under his own weight - whatever. It really is too bad, but I can't find myself getting all that broken up about it. Heh. When I see pictures, I can't help but think "Well, of course it collapsed, it looks like it was barely staying up there to begin with."

We had considered doing other things in the area, but the place was jam-packed with everyone from families to motorcycle gangs... so we drove back home. And yesterday was spent in recovery mode, watching the Two Towers DVD that we picked up during our trip.

So, was it a productive trip? I believe so. We certainly ate and drank well, thanks to Alikat's father. And we got some shopping done. And perhaps most importantly, we saw some interesting things. Alikat is already asking, "Want to go back?" Well... I can't see why not.

Posted by Reid at September 2, 2003 12:10 PM | TrackBack