Driving And The Local

It’s great to set plans and get away for a weekend but sometimes it is nice to just get in the car and drive somewhere without a particular schedule. This was the balance of our Saturday as we drove up the northeast extension, got off the highway just north of where we had previously looked at apartments, and meandered up and down the semirural roads just enjoying the scenery and looking around. Despite a few pockets of traffic, within a couple of hours since leaving the apartment we found ourselves sitting at another small restaurant beside the railroad tracks although this was definitely a distinctly different location than Hungry Bear Café.

The Local was chosen on a complete whim as we quickly pulled up a map of lunch spots as we crossed the line between Telford into Souderton. Sitting at a table on the old train platform it was a beautiful small town location with Main Street peaking between the sunflowers at the far end of the repurposed depot. I really wish I had gotten a picture of this to share but as we let the house just for a little exploration I completely forgot to put the camera in the car. I’ll get one next time.

The food was pretty darn good as I had eggs benedict (with extra crispy Scrapple on the side) and my wife had a veggie omelet. The coffee was surprisingly tasty as well. You’d be surprised (well, some of you wouldn’t) at how hard it is to find both a good cup of coffee and properly prepared scrapple. Eggs benedict is a fairly consistent way to measure a small breakfast spot as well. So, yes, in addition to the view, we will be returning to The Local in the near future when we continue exploring that area.

After our satisfying stop we got back in the car and continued to weave our way through the small towns as we made our way back to the highway. With the moderate August weather and the roads fairly clear, it was a nice day to be out driving without a plan especially away from the business of the main line. With the afternoon quickly passing us by, we made a couple final stops. The first was to partake in a classic summer treat (for the second weekend in a row) at Rita’s and the second was a stop to a local book store where we actually walked out empty handed.

Nearly home from our casual day, I couldn’t help but think about the ways that things will be different this time next year. With a new baby on the way, we hope to have a home of our own next summer. Where? No idea at this point as we have to restart our search in future months. I just hope that with all the changes, and another year at my current job, we have a greater sense of security and permanence in our life. That would be a welcomed change from the past few years of wondering and worrying about what was going to happen next and were we were going to end up.