We experienced southwest Pennsylvania in the middle of October 2020 at the peak of Fall.
Like cotton candy, the trees had ballooned in rainbow colors, blanketing the mountains and the valleys. I and my family were traversing the COVID-19 year, where our travel and social life had catapulted into an unrecognizable, indefinite end. And our blessings, being the five of us together, propelled us on the road. Our destination was a rural town named Somerset, Pennsylvania. Besides the Fall colors, jutted from the street sides and homes signs of political affiliations—heavily leaning on one side. For days of us roaming the streets, every dwelling, every shop flew Trump flags, building covers, yard signs, some mocking the President’s challenger with eye-popping insults. Loud honking processions cut off roads and changed our plans in an ostentatious display of allegiance.
Frankly, we weren’t here to observe and report on politics. We expect the same from any getaway—to forget our ailments and embrace the novelty of new scenes, new people, and local food—even in election year.
Luckily, the natural beauty delivered on its promise.
With the vibrant colors, we drifted to the Rock City, where we crawled deep into the hilly crevices; a carpet of leaves painted our paths orange, and red, yellow, green, brown covered our heads—our favorite hike in Cooper’s Rock State Park of West Virginia.
Our second favorite was the hike from the parking lot to the falls in McConnells Mill State Park in Pennsylvania. There’s something peaceful about sitting next to a whispering river reflecting yellow leaves, with tree droppings floating by.
A vast majority of our time, we spent quarantining in our beautiful rental home atop the Hidden Valley. Children played with new toys. Their excitement showed they were just like adults—excited about novelty.
After four days of Fall photography and rest, we returned home to an uncertain future. I was editing Land of Dreams, readying it for a final beta review. The precarious future didn’t fool us this time into thinking things would get better. A month later, though, it got better—about 156 million people voted. Both sides showed up. And democracy worked. Life’s seldom about winning. It’s about getting your voice heard and feel like you matter. The election is over. Life carries on. And there is the hope of the next vacation, next outlet.
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