We left at about 7:00, with the sun not up on this last day of daylight savings time. We went across the GWB and it gradually got lighter as we traveled west across NJ. Due to the cloudiness, November-ness, and west-ness of our location, it didn't really get light enough for the street lights to go off until about 7:50, which is when we crossed I-287 and officially left the NY area.
The fall foliage was decent in northern NJ, some areas seemed past peak and some seemed near peak, but none were directly at peak because the foliage this year is crappy.
It was never really light enough for any pictures, but this is the best I got, while passing thru Allamuchy State Park.
We stopped at a scenic overlook above the Delaware Water Gap, one that we had stopped at once before in April when we took a different 500 mile drive in the snow to the Grand Canyon of PA. Anyway, here's the view from the overlook:
Not bad, no?
A few miles later, we stopped at the Water Gap itself. I've been there four times in the last seven months--once in April, once in May, once in August, and now once in November. The foliage was probably peak there, but it was only like 45 degrees, do we didn't linger.
We crossed the Delaware and entered Pennsylvania, and a few miles in, we left I-80 and started on a southwesterly course on US 209, through the southern part of the Poconos. The scenery was decent, and the hillsides were completely draped in muted peak color. It probably had peaked a few days ago and by the time w were there was starting to fade.
It was still pretty damn nice though. Anyway, when we got to the town of Jim Thorpe, we left US 209 to a little known scenic overlook on Flagstaff Road, on a cliff about 600 feet above the Lehigh River. Here are some pics from dat:
Above: This is the fall color of Flagstaff Road, on the way up.
Above: The view to the north, including the Lehigh River and Jim Thorpe.
Looking south, where the foliage seems to be past peak on the north facing slopes.
We passed Jim Thorpe and continued south, passing lots of election signs. The most contested election, judging by the signs, seemed to be the election for coroner, oddly. We passed Tamaqua, a slightly larger town with 2 skyscrapers, both across the street from each other. One was a 15 story housing project, and the other was a 6 story luxury co-op.
When we reached Pottsville, we headed south for a few miles on busy PA 61, and then a few miles on less traveled PA 183, which seemed to be heading straight for Blue Mountain.
We turned west before we could reach Blue though, onto PA 895, an obscure road paralleling I-78 that I have now traveled 36 miles of on 3 separate occasions--November 2005, October 2006, and now November 2007. We took it all the way to I-81, which we took south over a gap in Blue Mountain and into the Susquehanna River Valley. We exited the interstate in Carlisle, to go south on SR 34 and 94 through the foothills of southern Pennsylvania's mountains. The sun was out here, away from the coast and the remnants of Hurricane Noel. This made for some pretty sweet pictures, like this one.
We then took SR 243 east to York, and got stuck in a sea of red lights for about one hour, and also stopped to pick up lunch for 15 minutes. Afterwards, we headed east on limited access US 30, crossed the Susquehanna River, and then exited the highway for SR 340 through the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The road took us through towns like Intercourse and Bird In Hand. It was also excruciatingly slow, commercialized, and unauthentic, filled with shoppers and stuff. Pretty much all of the horse drawn buggies were run by tourist companies. It seems that if the Amish want a quiet life, why would they live in PA Dutch Country? Anyway here's a pic of some Amish people:
Then we reached US 30 again and skirted the outer suburbs of Philly--King of Prussia, Norristown, Conshohocken, and the like. Then we went north on the Penna. Turnpike Northeast Extension. The foliage ever since recrossing the Susquehanna had been pretty crappy--either green, bare, or brown--, but as we approached Allentown the yellows and oranges began to appear once more (there were, like, zero red trees this year). In Allentown we took US 222 to SR 33 to I-78, after missing the exit for I-78 right off the turnpike. As we approached the Delaware we got a very nice view of the sunlight on yellow NJ hills, against a dark gray sky.
In NJ, we got some more nice views, including one where we rose to the top of a crest in a rock cut and then saw the whole piedmont--it was very pastoral. The weather conditions were optimal for taking pictures of good fall color--a dark sky, bright late afternoon sun, and...um, an interstate. But here's a nice pic.
I-78 really seems to stay out of the suburbs for a while--while I-80 passes huge towns like Hackensack and Paterson, I-78 rolls gently through the hills, and, althugh suburbia is all around, you can't see it. Anyhowsers, when we got home it was 5:45 PM. The end.
On a related, although not related matter: Last night I was bored, and I subscribe to all these emails about travel deals. One of them last night was from Spirit Airlines. Usually they have some pretty sick sale fares, but they're for midweek travel or they're all sold out. But this time there was a $21 fare to Fort Lauderdale on a weekend in December. So I convinced my mom to book it, and I'ma go to Florida December 8th and come back the morning of December 9th. I'll be there for like 22 hours, but at least it'll be warm. And fun. And unique. And interesting. And relaxing. And exciting. And enjoyable. And palmy. And balmy. And breezy. And watery. And recreation-ful.
