On The Road Again… Returning Home From Erie

I woke up early Saturday morning still enveloped by the mass of comforters on the hotel bed. With a few things still having to be taken care of on the computer, it didn’t take long for me to make my way to the coffee maker before beginning my morning routine. I had been invited to breakfast the night before so there was little time to waste… it was going to be a bit of a mad rush to get myself together.

Once I got myself squared away, I packed everything up, and got out of the room (not before taking a final photo out the window at my view.

With everything back in the car, I walked over to check out before enjoying a quick nosh. There wasn’t much conversation as the Masonic herd (or is it gaggle? Flock? I don’t know) was already making their way to the Convention Center next door. A few bites later and I joined a small group heading over.

The meeting concluded by noon and we all made our way to lunch in the next conference room over. After an additional hour of discussion and fellowship we all went our separate ways with the Grand Lodge officers heading off to meetings and the rest of us heading either back to the hotel or beginning our journey back home. I made my way back to the parking garage and couldn’t help but to take a picture of the excellent view that my car was able to enjoy during the stay.

For the first time I made my way through the middle of the city and slowly glanced at the stores and people lining the main street. The drive home was pretty uneventful with cool weather and clear skies the entire way across the Commonwealth. While I wasn’t able to take any photos during my drive through the city, I did manage to get a few lucky shots while I was coasting down the highway.

The first section of highway was straight and pretty boring but I could tell that the clouds were going to be an interesting travel companion.

As the time flew by (mostly while I was on the phone) the elevation increased…

…and the clouds became even more intriguing.

Soon I was high in the mountains…

…weaving in and out of curves…

…and cutting into the mountains.

Not long after that excellent stretch of road, I stopped for a few minutes at the next rest stop. All of the rest stops that I encountered during my travel where in pretty good shape, clean, and the grounds were well maintained.

By the time I left the rest stop the sun was beginning to fall behind the range beside me. The longest day of the year was a great one for traveling and provided the perfect ending to my weekend trip to Erie and my time exploring the commonwealth.

One final push and my trip came to an end. It was long, tiring, and left me a little stiff from driving but it was a great weekend trip that I would do again in a second. In fact, I am already planning the trip next year with my wife. Now that I know what to expect, I plan on attending all of these meetings in the future.

When Was The Last Time You Went Spelunking?

 

The last time I went spelunking at Crystal Cave in Kutztown, Pennsylvania was when I was in elementary school about 20 years ago. I don’t remember much about the fieldtrip but it didn’t take much to have the memories come back to me once we stepped foot into the screening room near the entrance of the cave. While the clacking of the projector was now absent, the movie remained the same which allowed my childhood to come back to me.

With the heat index nearing 100 degrees, the 55 degree coolness of the cave was a welcomed change from the sweltering summer soup. It took some time for our eyes to adjust and the rock that surrounded us had little detail at the beginning.

Soon some details began to emerge and we were able to take a closer look at a few of the columns that surrounded us.

Fortunately, we are not in an earthquake area as the fault line ran right through the middle of the cave.

With our pupils fully dilated, the beauty of this other world began to show through with what, at first glance, looks like a garden of hanging carrots in the corner of the first room.

Our bearings established, we made our way deeper into the subterranean world.

Like many city streets that surround our neighborhood, even caves have pot holes. However, I have never seen a gap in the asphalt that looked like this one.

This second room is where the colors of the cave displayed the natural mosaic that provides warmth that is difficult to explain in words or pictures.

The growth of formations can also be witnessed by way of the variety of stalactites throughout the network of tunnels. From infants…

… to pubescent mineral deposits.

When viewing this progression of forming formations we are reminded here and there that they can easily be gone in an instant.

Walking over the stunted stalagmites we also took note of the immense lake that sits just beside one of the upper platforms. This body of water is also known as Lake Inferior.  

The flow of water in the cave is not limited to the slow drips from the ceilings and the pools scattered about the ledges, it also forms waterfalls frozen in time…

…and surrounded by small patches of moss from the artificial daylight.

Something to keep in mind when spelunking, especially when frequently looking through a viewfinder, is that a slight tilt of the head can make you a little dizzy…

…and make you feel like the roof is coming down on you.

So take your time and enjoy the colors that surround you…

… and don’t be afraid if it feels like someone is looking over you.

By taking your time and looking around at the different textures, colors, and formations you experience such an amazing variety of feelings.

There are different points throughout the tour where I would look up and see a clear autumn night full of stars.

But what took my breath away was when I looked off to the far end of the room and saw what looked like scaffolding climbing up the rocks.

It looked much like what I would imagine the structure that Michelangelo would lay on to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When I looked up I saw not a depiction of G-d but the work of G-d’s own hand.

Thankfully I had captured all the images that I wanted to before that discovery because there was no way that I was going to be able to follow that photo. So we headed toward the light and into the seasonal stranglehold. Crystal Cave was a completely different experience as an adult and I would encourage a visit for those that may have seen it as a child (the same can be said for most local caves). It was an interesting way to relive a small part of my childhood and see things from a completely different perspective.

To concluded our day trip this weekend we grabbed a quick bite, enjoyed a swift game of miniature golf, and spent a few minutes and a couple dollars browsing in the air conditioned souvenir shops (you can read about my discover at one of the shops in my previous post). With all buildings explored and the heat beginning to diminish our energy, we headed back to the car and made our way home. Now it’s time to rest up for next weekend.