if you want to see the world, you gotta get off the beaten path.

So this was kind of fun. I couldn't help myself, and not being able to resist, and giving in... is one of the best feelings ever. It was a budding desire and I gave in with no reservations. Feeling more lost and out of touch with the little giddy me that's so long been absent, I passed by a Historical Site sign along I-90 outside of Wallace, Idaho and while many of you wouldn't have a second thought for the brown road sign, it screamed to me "HERE I AM! AMY, COME AND ENJOY US." I know that's not grammatically correct, but really, that's kind of how it goes. I was alone in my car, with an agenda I was free to dictate. Damn straight I got off that freeway. It was a chance to explore, to wander, to enjoy, to learn, and to relish in. It was a road to which I knew no destination, a tiny sign displaying only an arrow and camera, and you couldn't have excited me more. WHAT IS UP HERE.......?! CHECK IT OUT! The rest can wait! This is where we are! This is what makes it AWESOME. This is where you get stories, where you get the "oh" factor, where you find the peace, where you see the 15 year old boy dragging out his 6 point elk with a bigger and more prideful grin than even Tyler Knott could put into words!

Slowly, I put my car in second gear, and everything stops. Even my radio seems to find itself turned off, my window rolls down, and the crisp 45 degree fall morning air fills my car. The occasional chimney smoke comforts my mind and as each leaf falls from the trees each breath goes a little deeper, a little slower. Random speed limit signs ask you to keep it under 35 and I glance at my speedometer holding a good 20 mph, and grin :) Further up I wander along the one lane road and when the first road side historical sign appears, I want to stop, but putz by, and then realize, Ames, there is no reason to drive on. You're here for you. Stop and read that baby. Its a short story explaining the ruins that lie before me; how in the 1800's when mining was booming in this small canyon, a war with the union went ary and became just that - a war. The gunfire broke out when stray bullets hit the dynamite demolishing the quarry. It was a sight to see, frozen in time. Amazing considering the spring run off that must come each year.

I continue on unsatisfied and unconvinced that this is all there is to see. My drive takes another hour or so of my Friday and what an hour well spent. I discovered a ghost town yet to be condemned and plenty of fall foliage to make you remember why October is one of the best months out of the year. The sun had yet to make its debut in the bottom of the canyon yet it lit up the tips of trees peering out just high enough, igniting them in beautiful color. Dew still formed on the veggies below and the quiet morning played a harmonic soundtrack for the six hunters who passed me on their four wheelers. Hard to believe I let someone pass me eh? I followed the road for quite some time until I realized the terrain I was on is of that which low profile tires aren't made for, so I turned it around :) Another reason why I miss my truck. All in all, seriously beautiful drive, so quiet, and exactly what I needed. It had been one hell of a rough morning and time spent like that is, well, time well spent. It wasn't about forgetting about everything else, but more of a chance to get to know the "M" function a little bit better on my camera.