On Thursday, August 24, we left Richmond for the long drive to Connecticut. We were heading north for the memorial service to celebrate the life of my mother-in-law on Saturday, August 26 in West Hartford.
A little after eight that morning we were on the road. We usually take I-95, but we learned a traffic accident near the Parham Road interchange had traffic backed up for miles.
So, we opted to head west eventually connecting with I-81.
Coming off 288, we realized that we could have taken 295 and missed the Parham Road backup, but I kept going connecting us to 522.
We were clipping along passing through Lake Anna, when we came to an abrupt stop. In front of us was a truck with this sign on the back: Line Painting Ahead DO NOT PASS.
For thirty minutes, we sat. Occasionally, the truck would inch forward. Once we cleared this hurdle, it took us three hours to connect to I-81.
On I-81, you quickly zip through sections of West Virginia and Maryland before crossing into Pennsylvania. By a smidgen, I-81 is less stressful than white knuckling the steering wheel on I-95. Lots of trucks use I-81, and sometimes a driver can be trapped behind one.
Today, we were clipping along I-81 pretty well. Some rain showers hit us, but splotches of dense fog pushed us to a slow slog a couple of times.
We made it to Scranton where we depart I-81 for I-84 east. As soon we made the swooping right turn onto I-84 traffic stopped. A signed flashed “incident ahead.” Six lanes of traffic had to scrunch into two. At some point, our stubborn driving habits vanished, we begrudgingly started to be polite and let other cars squeeze into the travel lanes
Once we cleared this slowdown, we started rolling again. Pretty Pennsylvania hills passed quickly, and soon we were in New York state crossing the Hudson River and inching closer to the Connecticut state line.
The closer we came to the Connecticut border, the more concern was shown by my wife, the Commander Supreme. I-84 was a parking lot, cars were moving at the pace of a tortoise. Way up in the blue yonder, the travel gods in the communication satellites were recommending alternate routes other than I-84.
Near Fishkill, New York we left I-84 heading toward the Taconic Parkway. From there we took a series of local roads and two lane state highways through New York into Connecticut.
Along the way, we were escorted by the Ten Mile River which feeds into the Housatonic River. We also saw signage for the Appalachian Trail. As pretty as the little towns were through New York and Connecticut, the best surprise came near Kent, Connecticut.
There we crossed the Housatonic River by driving through the single lane wooden covered Bull’s Bridge. According to Housatonic Heritage, Bull’s Bridge dates back to 1842. Only 109 feet in length, the short drive through it was a refreshing contrast to the madness on an interstate packed with late afternoon commuter traffic.
In all our drives to Connecticut, we had always wondered out loud if there was an alternate route to I-84. Now, we know there is.
While this route was slower, I don’t think I ever topped 55 mph, the key was we kept moving. Mile by mile we crept closer and closer to Farmington.
On this too long day of driving, we did follow the famous words from Yogi Berra: “When you come to the fork in the road, take it.”
I’m glad our frayed and weary nerves gave us the nudge to try this alternate route. In truth, this decision provided us a jolt of energy and endurance that we needed.
Luke Chapter 3 verse five might be worth pondering here:
“Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.”
Earlier in the day, the start to our journey had a rough start. And yet, when we made the decision to depart the interstate with the alternative routes, it seemed that our travel became smoother.
Way up in the sky, we put our trust into technology to guide every turn on the back roads of New York and Connecticut, and some how it worked.
Whenever we take a road trip, I have a silent prayer: “Help me to be a safe, alert, and courteous driver.”
After today, I will always wonder if the good Lord was part of the intervention that nudged us to pursue the fork in the road.
might be baloney 