The Road Not Taken − 15 June, 2007
Two days ago, I wrote:
I have always liked "What If" stories. I think I might have been started down this path by Marvel Comics old What If...? series. Then again, reading science fiction most of my life, I certainly encountered a few alternate history stories.
At any rate, as an adult, I find if there are two options, and I choose one, I always end up wondering what I would have found if I chose the other. I guess the ultimate person to blame is Robert Frost.
In this case, two days before, I had decided to go into Pennsylvania instead of staying and exploring Catoctin Mountain Park. I found a great place there -- Caledonia State Park. However, every now and then as I walked the trails there, I wondered: what would I have found at that other park?
My wife's conference ended. We were leaving Baltimore.
Unfortunately, the conference ended at noon. Now, it made no sense to me to start off and drive the 13 hours back to Florida right then -- so I persuaded my wife to accompany me back to Thurmont, MD, where I'd get to actually travel the Road Not Taken.
Below, I've posted a few of my photos from Catoctin Mountain Park (bmc073 to bmc107). If you follow the link on the park's webpage, you can eventually download a map (five pages later, that is). This is the path we hiked through the park:
The views were spectacular. But this time, I enjoyed the hike much more -- I wasn't doing it alone.
And of course, since Hannah was along, there's at least one inside joke I'm going to try to explain. Take a close look at the sign in photo bmc107. See those two little dolls under the "K" in the word "park"?
Those two are Joan and Amy, the "Head Dolls" (so called because they have enormous heads relative to their bodies). Hannah got these little toys waaay back in the 1970's out of a gumball machine on the Pennsylvania turnpike. Since then, they have traveled with her all over the world -- even Africa and Asia.
One of our inside jokes is to hide these dolls somewhere unexpected in the house, so that they are found by surprise. At our wedding rehearsal, which I'll blog about later, instead of the best man handing me the ring, he handed me Joan Head Doll. Hannah had got me again.
I looked at my road atlas when I got back and realized I was near two things: either to go on to Catoctin Mountain Park, still in Maryland, or to cross over into Pennsylvania. As any cow will tell you, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence ;-) so I traveled north on Maryland 550 into parts unknown.
I have always liked "What If" stories. I think I might have been started down this path by Marvel Comics old What If...? series. Then again, reading science fiction most of my life, I certainly encountered a few alternate history stories.
At any rate, as an adult, I find if there are two options, and I choose one, I always end up wondering what I would have found if I chose the other. I guess the ultimate person to blame is Robert Frost.
In this case, two days before, I had decided to go into Pennsylvania instead of staying and exploring Catoctin Mountain Park. I found a great place there -- Caledonia State Park. However, every now and then as I walked the trails there, I wondered: what would I have found at that other park?
My wife's conference ended. We were leaving Baltimore.
Unfortunately, the conference ended at noon. Now, it made no sense to me to start off and drive the 13 hours back to Florida right then -- so I persuaded my wife to accompany me back to Thurmont, MD, where I'd get to actually travel the Road Not Taken.
Below, I've posted a few of my photos from Catoctin Mountain Park (bmc073 to bmc107). If you follow the link on the park's webpage, you can eventually download a map (five pages later, that is). This is the path we hiked through the park:
- Visitor Center
- Blue Ridge Summit Overlook
- Hog Rock
- Cunningham Falls
- Back to the visitor center by the Falls Nature Trail.
The views were spectacular. But this time, I enjoyed the hike much more -- I wasn't doing it alone.
And of course, since Hannah was along, there's at least one inside joke I'm going to try to explain. Take a close look at the sign in photo bmc107. See those two little dolls under the "K" in the word "park"?
Those two are Joan and Amy, the "Head Dolls" (so called because they have enormous heads relative to their bodies). Hannah got these little toys waaay back in the 1970's out of a gumball machine on the Pennsylvania turnpike. Since then, they have traveled with her all over the world -- even Africa and Asia.
One of our inside jokes is to hide these dolls somewhere unexpected in the house, so that they are found by surprise. At our wedding rehearsal, which I'll blog about later, instead of the best man handing me the ring, he handed me Joan Head Doll. Hannah had got me again.
bmc073
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bmc107
Comments:
kga245 (July 18, 2007. 05:22pm)
Do you have a close-up of the dolls?
bmccosar (July 18, 2007. 06:04pm)
Hannah started her own blog -- look in my 'family' section and you'll go right to it.
kga245 (July 18, 2007. 06:26pm)
Oh yes, of course. http://dandelife.com/cankuzo I noticed her Avatar photo some time ago but didn't place her with you until just now. Good stuff!