The Hike
Fifty minutes into our hour-long drive, I thought we might be in trouble. We’d just passed a hiking trail next to a small pond, and the parking was backed up for half a mile past the tiny, full lot. It was midmorning on a Sunday in fall and we’d wanted to go on a hike where we could see the fall colors in all of their glory. So, we’d searched for the best fall hikes near us the night before and set out at a reasonable time the next morning (or so we thought).
We got closer to our hike, and the trees were beautiful — a dazzling gold even under the overcast sky. We passed several small parking lots — all full — on our way up the mountain. As we got closer to the trailhead, a park ranger in an orange vest blocked our turn and pointed us further up the mountain. So, we followed the unpaved road up and away from the trail. First, we passed lots — all full. Then we saw cars starting to park on the questionable shoulders on the road. After a mile, we decided to turn around. We got back to the ranger who explained that there was simply not enough parking. But there was a cute little town nearby if we took the turn towards the trail and kept driving.
So, we kept driving. Even though it was a little early, we decided we could stop for lunch while we figured out our Plan B. It was a cute diner that had walls covered in shot glasses, and a…
