Groovin' down the highway

My mother joined me on my trip today. Not literally, but she was sure with me in spirit as I drove through the northwest corner of Massachusetts. I certainly didn't expect to be driving through any mountains in Mass, but there I was winding my way up and back down the lower portion of what I think was the Green Mountains. There were a few stretches that would have made my mother nervous. That's when she joined me.

I could see her sitting in my passenger seat gripping the arm rest with her fingers rubbing back and forth. She has a habit of doing that when she's either nervous or lost in thought. (Seems to be genetic, as I find myself doing the same thing without thinking.) It wasn't enough that I could see her there, but I also heard her voice, "Don't you think you should slow down?" It brought back many memories of one of the few trips we were able to take when I was a kid. We went to Montana and Wyoming and drove through many mountains on narrow, winding roads. Of course they were much higher and the drop-offs were much steeper. But today still would have been enough to make Mom grip that arm rest. The "Bear Crossing" sign would have only added to her anxiety.

But despite the pain-in-the-butt roads, the scenery was beautiful and I only ticked off a few people who got stuck behind my Pink Beast crawling up and down those hills. I also got my shopping groove on today! Bennington Potters, The Apple Barn, a maple syrup farm, and the giant Yankee Candle store in central Massachusetts. I'm staying near there tonight because to get to the next campground along my route would have meant getting into camp way too late.

I think people in New England must not camp much. The choices of campgrounds here in Massachusetts and in the days to come in Rhode Island and Connecticut are very slim. The one I'm at is the most poorly run campground I've been at yet this trip, but I don't have a lot of choice in the matter. (I'd have another way to describe the operation here, but some of my church kids may be reading this blog.) And one look at the shower during my exploration has helped me decide that I'll get an earlier start tomorrow because I won't be showering! Oh well, it's a place to stay for the night.