I have a problem. People come and visit “the newlyweds” and I am forced to research and plan fun and exciting events for all to enjoy. If we lived in New York or Boston or another area with a sizable amount of activities (or an Ikea), I’d be set. But we don’t. We live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where church bazaars (raffles + beer + perogis = a cultural experience I’m still acclimating to) are the highlight of the summer season.
Oh wait! Did I say this was a problem? I meant to say it’s awesome. Call me Rumpelstiltskin, but I’ve discovered I actually enjoy turning straw into gold, not to mention all those visits from our nearest and dearest. Perhaps I should consider a career in event planning or hospitality. NEPA breeds excessive amounts of creativity, I'll give it that. (It also seems to breed excessive amounts of spiders. Ugh. Sooo many spiders in this house...)
But as creative as the 570 is forcing me to become, I am still light years behind my friend J., who popped down from the 413 this week to visit the Carlton B&B. J. and I have been through many adventures together, including (but not limited to): exploring the wilds of the Irish coast, babysitting/handling starchitects and their pretentious antics/groupees, and crafting (or attempting to craft, in my case) anything and everything that could conceivable be handmade. (J.’s ability far exceeds my own in the latter activity. She is the one who made those awesome scarves for our wedding.)
J. is also a former hiking buddy. Together, we set a record (of some sort, I’m sure) for the fastest hike up Mount Greylock on the hottest day in human history, despite a record number of scary mountain men/AT hikers. Oh yes, we are that good.
So while she was here, I thought it might be fun to reenact our woodsy feat. One thing I like about NEPA is the abundance of close and decent hiking. Ricketts Glen State Park is a scenic 45-minute drive away and is probably one of my favorite hikes in the area. The 7.2 mile loop is tougher than most of the trails around here, but it’s totally worth it for the 22 waterfalls along the way.
J. and I drove up there on Wednesday morning and scored absolutely gorgeous weather, zero bugs, and a quiet trail to boot. (It’s a popular hike in the area, so it tends to be a bit crowded sometimes.) One of the reasons why I love this particular hike is because it reminds me of the Cascades (x22) in Pembroke, Virginia, aka “the hike that every Hokie must make a billion times before they graduate.” I have so many good memories of that trail, so it's nice to find something similar a little closer to home. (Bonus: Ricketts Glen has free parking. Way to go, state taxes!)
We didn’t set any records this time, but we had a lovely day with plenty of snack stops - a vital part of hiking - and good conversation. It was a good adventure to add to the books. Our next one? Martha's Vineyard in July with the extended Western Mass. crew. Our first island trip ever. I am so excited (and stockpiling yuppy clothing like you wouldn't believe!) Miss you, J., but I'll see you soon! Thanks for coming down! :)
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