On the road

Last year I dropped R. off at Smith College and drove to Ithaca, soaking up the views of places I had seen so many times before.  At the same time I mourned the idea that I would never have the opportunity to drive from Cleveland to Ithaca, which we had done innumerable times.  Life is full of surprises!  This week I did that drive and soaked up every view, every turn.

We enjoyed seeing snow, and not just a pile of it but in its natural state.

And look how empty the road is!

We stopped at my favorite rest stop, which currently has a view of the ice-covered Chautauqua Lake.

photo stolen from the internet

The first zillion times I saw this sign I looked only at the white part and tried to make into the shape of NY.  Finally I looked at the green portion and saw the person.

also taken from the internet

Many signs in this part of the state have the English words and the words of the Seneca Nation.

We saw lots of signs telling people to not text because there was a stop in a few miles.

What I can't capture are the rolling hills, the small towns, and the memories of driving with D.  We'll see what surprises are next.