So if you haven’t been to the Pocono Mountains in the great state of Pennsylvania, put it on your list. Make sure you drive through the state. Soak in the hills and valleys of this beautifully landscaped part of our country. Pull over on one of those scenic view stops and stare at that river in that plateau for a few minutes. It will definitely not be a waste of time.
We lucked out and found a 3 bed, 2 bath home outside of Tannersville, PA. It’s a quaint litttle town in the mountains, about an hour and a half west of New York City. Camelback Ski Resort resides there, along with dozens of hiking trails and sites to see. We had to force that poor Ford Flex up steep roads to get to our spot. The home sat atop a mountain in a community of other homes and condos. As high as we were, we were still looking up at the ski hills, but still able to overlook the beauty of the Pocono Valley.
We arrived at about 10:30am on a Saturday, after about 15 hours of non-stop driving. Who does that anymore? Who drives all through the night only stopping for gas, nature, and junk/fast food? We do, obviously. We just wanted to get there. Fun time is precious, precious readers and listeners. Plus we have 4 very anxious, very impatient children in tow. We couldn’t get there fast enough.
Needless to say, everyone is exhausted. Even though the kids did finally pass out after their very loud, very sleep-happy emotional episode around 12am in the confined space of our rental car, they didn’t really sleep soundly. No one sleeps well in a car. Angela and I took shifts driving so we are beyond tired. We told the kids we had to pass out for a few hours. They needed to unpack, take a nap if they wished, but most importantly, they needed to be quiet. I want to hear a roach pee on a cotton ball. That quiet.
I don’t remember my head hitting the pillow. The kids gave Angela and I almost 3 quiet hours before one came in to tell us they were hungry. I wasn’t even mad. 3 hours was more than I planned on. And honestly, I’m hungry too. So we wiped the sleep from our eyes, unloaded the tarps, bungee cords, and suitcases, and loaded up the Flex with 6 hungry bodies.
I suggested we go to this breakfast/lunch diner on the outskirts of town. You see, I actually lived not too far from here in my previous life (Angela and I like to refer to our previous marriage as our previous “life”. That life died and we get to start all over again :). I will surely tell you about my 8 years living in nearby New Jersey throughout this story.
When I did live here, one of my Jersey buddies had a family golf weekend every year very close to where we are staying. They would start every outing at the Hickory Valley Restaurant and Store- where you can get anything you want served in a skillet pan. So the six of us got a yummy late lunch. Or an even later breakfast. But it was so worth it. Between the local meats that taste like they butcher them right out back to the homemade bread, it was a great first meal for our trip.
So after some full bellies, we made our way over to the Big Pocono State Park and decided to take a hike. We heard there were some pretty cool views that were worth the forty-five minute stroll. Boy were those people right! First of all, just being outdoors and soaking up some nature is rarely disappointing. The kids just kept saying how cool this was and how this was the best vacation ever already. We will see if they feel the same way on the way back.
So we get to the first viewing spot that- in my opinion- you could see California. It was really breathtaking. The clouds didn’t seem to stop. The land just seemed to stretch forever, pausing only to provide you a lake or a stream or a farm, and then back to trees and landscape never ending. We stayed there for probably a good hour- just saying ‘wow’, taking pictures, or just being speechless. Until my stepson breaks the silence:
“Is that a body down there?”
My stepson- Hops as we call him, is at the edge of the mountain, looking down. I walk over to him. There can’t be a body down there. That would be crazy.
I get next to him and look to where he is pointing. I gasp for air. I think it is a body! A man it looks like, laying on his back. He’s about 30-40 yards down the hill. There’s no one else but us around and there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of him falling down there. It’s almost as though he walked or came down there on his own, but he is now not moving or coming back up.
Do I see if he needs help? Do I call 911? Or do I act like nothing happened and rush my family back to the truck so we can get the Flex out of there?
This is supposed to be a vacation. I didn’t sign up for this mess.