Who Needs New England?

 


The sort-of goal for my October trip–to experience the much-touted fall foliage in New Hampshire and Vermont and New York–might have been just a little silly. I realized today, when I walked my boys through Drake Park, that I can get all the fall spectacle I need right here at home. A cool breeze ruffled the Deschutes and coaxed leaves from the park’s glorious maples, deepening the golden carpet. Small groups of visitors posed for each other’s cell phone cameras. “I have never seen such a beautiful place!” gushed one woman who almost backed into me, trying to frame the best shot of trees, river, and footbridge. Would this have been me in New England, if plans hadn’t changed, thrilling to Norman Rockwell scenes that I might have discovered without ever leaving Bend?

Maybe there’s some deep truth to be found in today’s little park experience. But I’m too busy planning my next adventure to look for it. Before winter sets in (I hope), I’m taking off again, heading south to Joshua Tree with stops at other National Parks and a stay in Los Angeles. Chip’s doctor has recommended some adjustments to his Addisons maintenance plan which should keep him in shape for a shorter trip, and that’s the green light I needed to hit the road. California is not new to me, of course, but Joshua Tree will be, and Los Angeles has more to discover and explore than I could possibly exhaust in the rest of my life. I have some ideas of what I want to see and do, but I’m also ready for whatever comes. I plan to be home by November 10, to put away my camping gear and settle into my first retirement winter. But first–the desert!



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