Serendipitous - an adjective that describes accidentally being in the right place at the right time, like bumping into a good friend in some unusual location, or finding a hundred dollar bill on the ground [vocabulary.com]
I've had people give me awesome compliments on yelp about the adventures I take my family on, but I should probably admit that my family doesn't always want to go. Rarely do they even get out of the car when I stop to see covered bridges and I think I maxed them out on this particular road trip because we saw about 15 on our 3 week adventure to Canada. Honestly I don't blame them, but sometimes my determination gets in the way of my common sense.
A STORY OF A SERENDIPITOUS ENCOUNTER
Take our drive to Packsaddle Bridge for example. Our navigation led us down Pine Valley Road from our comfortable drive on Interstate 70. There were lots of twists, turns and near death experiences to get to Pack Saddle Road and to be honest, Pine Valley isn't a road at all by city slicker standards. It was a mud & gravel pit of the worst uneven surface you would ever expect to find anything other than a SUV trying to cross. I bottomed the car out a few times! My wife gave me the stank-eye nearly the entire time we drove along this road as we were shaken around like we were inside a Mexican piñata. But I kept my focus straight ahead to avoid any eye contact (and of course to watch for any dip in the road that might get us stuck).
What was worse is we lost our cell phone signal and were truly on our own on what had to be the back-woodiest road you may possibly find in all of the United States. If I blew a tire or hit a mud pit too deep I was gonna be in some serious stank eye trouble. So it was like an angelic choir began to sing when we finally made it back on pavement @ Pack Saddle Road. Within a few hundred yards the bridge came into view and I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that asking my wife and kids to get out and see it was gonna result in my decapitation. To be honest, I wasn't entirely confident they might not drive off and leave me there, so I took the keys with me! Hahaha
There was an elderly gentleman parked in the tiny parking area near the bridge when I got out to explore and we exchanged hellos. I went about my usual business taking pics and writing notes about what I saw before heading back to my family. As I approached our vehicle, the elder gentleman struck up a conversation with me and told me all about the bridge and how he has been coming here since he was a tyke. He shared with me a beautiful picture he took several decades ago when the bridge was covered in snow. He asked if I was a bridge lover and I said "AM I EVER! So much so that I think I've gotten my family lost and upset with me for going so far off road to find this place."
Well, to my surprise, the elderly gentleman handed me the picture and told me he wanted me to have it. He then asked me where was I trying to go and started his truck. After telling him our next destination, he turned his truck around and drove us far enough in the right direction that we would not get lost. Along the way he stopped and showed us a rehabilitation center for elephants, but unfortunately there were no elephants roaming where we could see them. How awesome would that have been! I goggled the place when I got home and found this article: http://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2009/07/28/African-elephants-make-themselves-at-home-in-Somerset-County/stories/200907280205
After a few miles he pulled off to the side of the road. A honk of his horn and a wave of his hand informed us we were heading in the right direction and soon after our cell phone signal returned. How good was our fortune that he just happened to be at this bridge when we arrived!
BRIDGE FACTS
Year Built - 1870, rehabilitated in 1998 (after flood damage in 1996)
Builder - Unknown
Total length: 48 ft.
AKA - Doc Miler Bridge
Truss: Multiple Kingpost
Crosses: Brush Creek in Fairhope Township
Vehicular traffic: Yes
Features: Small waterfall, an old outpost building and parking
FINAL THOUGHTS
To borrow from Forest Gump - Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get! My family was so excited about the elephant farm that they forgave me for nearly getting us lost and stuck in the middle of nowhere. Truly we had angels looking out for us on this day and I am grateful. Life indeed is a glorious adventure if you'll just drive! read more