Departures, Caverns, Canastota

I hardly slept a wink last night. This is standard behavior for me before any trip, and this one promised to be the biggest of my life. We woke early (early for me is 7), packed the car, and took off. The first leg of the trip would be a familiar one: the road to my home in CT. We listened to some new music, and began to lay out some ground rules for new music discovery. We decided that any new band would require at least 3 tracks per album, with "a few" skips allowed. If anyone feels like recommending new driving music (torrent links appreciated!) we'll promise to listen to at least 3 tracks, and maybe even let you know how it was.

Leaving Boston, I tried to take a mental snapshot, partly to compare as we traveled, and partly because it's one of my favorite places, and I know I'll miss it. Coming into Suffield, I felt at home, although dropping off Rigby (the kitty) was a sad moment. We'll miss him for the driving portion of the trip, and I have no doubt he'll miss us (though my parents and siblings are cat lovers and I know he's in good hands). We had a quick lunch with my parents, adjusted the packing job, and spun off for uncharted waters, which for me, started after turning West onto the Mass Pike from Springfield.

It's difficult to tell when or how the landscape started looking different from the places I've been. It's not a sudden, stunning change, but more gradual. The hills start growing a little higher, the distance between settlements growing longer. We enter New York, and I lose the ability to understand the exit signs. B21-64? What the heck is that supposed to mean?!

I'm confronted suddenly by the openness of our trip. Although our stated goal is to make it to the Rocky Mountains, there's nothing stopping us from finding a quiet corner of upstate New York, taking down a "Help Wanted" sign, and settling in. Of course we won't, but the sheer immensity of our possibilites leaves me a little breathless.

Our first stop is Howe Caverns, in Howes Cave, NY. We pull into the compound and enter a large, hotel-like building that houses the ticket office, the museum, a gift shop, and a small cafe. We buy our tickets for the last tour of the day (it ends up being a private one) and, after a short wait (involving a christmas tree), head down to the caverns with our tour guide. Walking through these massive underground caverns is extremely awe-inspiring, and the natural formations are beautiful. Our favorite scene is where, during the last ice age, a huge house-sized chunk of the cavern wall and ceiling collapsed, leaving a pile of boulders they call the Rocky Mountains. (Hey! We made it!) The rocks look like they fell down only months earlier, not thousands of years. Very cool. We also go on a small boat ride in the underground river, and experience total darkness when the tour guide offers to turn out the lights. The thick black makes me think of House Of Leaves (by Mark Z. Danielwski).

Leaving the Caverns, we decide to grab a quick bite at Fernando's, a local pub in the nearby town center. The food is decent, and Lisa orders her first Long Island Iced Tea. She's decided to compare them as we drive. The waitress reminds me of a cross between Honey Bunny (Pulp Fiction) and the drug-addled mother in Gone Baby Gone, but nicer than either. Small town people are friendly! I've taken on the similar task of ordering Hash & Eggs at every diner between here and the West Coast. It's now dark, and I'm stunned by the sight of the stars. Everytime I get out of the city at night, the stars blow me away. Tonight, looking across the rolling hills of New York, they're dazzlingly bright and too numerous to fathom.

After dinner we drive on for another hour or two, finally arriving in the town of Canastota, where I'm currently typing this in Graziano's World Famous Inn. Lisa's already fast asleep, and after a full and exciting first day, I'm about ready to join her. I'm not sure yet if we're finding what we're looking for, or even what exactly it is we're searching for, but so far we're having fun. Tomorrow: Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and Psychics...