Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful day.  There can be no complaints made about 75 degrees in the first part of November.  The sun was shining.  A light breeze helped the last of the stubborn leaves to give up their stronghold and take flight.  

Although, there were lots of items on the list of 'to dos', responsibility was cast out, to ride the thermals with the leaves.  It had been a long while since the last road trip.  Road trips do not fall under going from point A to point B.  They fall under following a meandering, winding road and turning onto another, having no clue where it might emerge. 

There were others who were ready to rumble.  The choice of travel were the chariots of old.  Hot rods.  Muscle cars.  Even new ones, that look like the old ones, were in the mix.  

One of the most amazing things about this particular part of the country, is its ability to change its scenery, in an instant.  After riding through a few miles of barren fields, that had given up their harvest, the road drops into deep valleys and rolling hills.   The twists and turns become more frequent.  Looking in the rear view mirror and seeing a long curve of antiques, equally spaced, rolling at the same speed, gives the rider a sense of being in the right place.  At exactly the right time.

This particular route spilled the steel gathering into the valley where the Illinois River pours into the mighty Mississippi.  The road rides the rocky coast, just mere feet from the banks of the river.  For the passengers, the view is nearly majestic.  The river is wide, sail boats dotted the surface and barges plowed a path to their next destination.  In the distance, a bridge could be seen.  Spanning the river into another state.  Looking the other direction, the water stretched as far as the eye could see.  A haunting thought floated through, wondering at the awe that was surely felt, seeing this magnificent sight for the first time. 

The navigators, of the chariots, kept their eyes on the road.  For they had been swept into a mighty gathering of their collective brethren.  Many waves and 'thumbs up' were given, in each direction.  

An eatery was found and pleasant conversation exchanged.  The trip home was through familiar territory.  Everyone wanted to arrive before the long shadows made the grand whitetail bucks harder to see.  It was a beautiful day.