I am nine, staying with my grandparents. Grandpa driving to town, I'm along for funs and grins. Grandpa asks if I want to see a short cut and so we drive off the highway and around and up and up a butte and onto the top. Park. Stroll to the edge. Grandpa points to the horizon.
'There's your shortcut - straight down.'
He laughs and we drive down the road and into town.
I come from a long line of men who only think we're funny, it's true.
The week of Thanksgiving myself and three boys are going to park our butts in a car and drive, man, for about sixteen hours to grandma's house.
A side trip on the way to my mother-in-law's is planned, no time for other dilly-dally on the outbound leg.
Our over the river and through the woods coming home will take us roughly D.C. - Hagerstown - Morgantown - Wheeling - Columbus - Indianapolis - Chicago - Home.
Is there anything to see on that route?
Anyone can drive for sixteen hours and see nothing but dreary rest stops, fast food joints and asphalt. How often can you give a kid a memory like the one grandpa gave to me?
'There's your shortcut - straight down.'
He laughs and we drive down the road and into town.
I come from a long line of men who only think we're funny, it's true.
The week of Thanksgiving myself and three boys are going to park our butts in a car and drive, man, for about sixteen hours to grandma's house.
A side trip on the way to my mother-in-law's is planned, no time for other dilly-dally on the outbound leg.
Our over the river and through the woods coming home will take us roughly D.C. - Hagerstown - Morgantown - Wheeling - Columbus - Indianapolis - Chicago - Home.
Is there anything to see on that route?
- Not far off the road.
- Can be seen in less than an hour.
- Free.
- Bonus if I can break open a lame pun or joke.
Anyone can drive for sixteen hours and see nothing but dreary rest stops, fast food joints and asphalt. How often can you give a kid a memory like the one grandpa gave to me?
