{"id":2651,"date":"2020-12-05T21:41:38","date_gmt":"2020-12-06T03:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/?p=2651"},"modified":"2020-12-08T09:44:09","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T15:44:09","slug":"southwest-pennsylvania-the-colors-of-life-and-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/2020\/12\/southwest-pennsylvania-the-colors-of-life-and-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest Pennsylvania: The Colors of Life and Fall"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We experienced southwest Pennsylvania in the middle of October 2020 at the peak of Fall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2014heavily 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\u2019s challenger with eye-popping insults. Loud honking processions cut off roads and changed our plans in an ostentatious display of allegiance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frankly, we weren\u2019t here to observe and report on politics. We expect the same from any getaway\u2014to forget our ailments and embrace the novelty of new scenes, new people, and local food\u2014even in election year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, the natural beauty delivered on its promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2014our favorite hike in Cooper\u2019s Rock State Park of West Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n