The Most Beautiful Sight in the World

Back in 2004, when I was attending the Basic Non-Commissioned Officer's Course, (BNCOC),  at  Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. Little did I know that one one my mistakes on this weekend would lead me to view to what I believe to be the most beautiful sight I have seen to this day.

  It was on the Thanksgivings Day weekend. We had gotten off early that Thursday at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. We had our Class-A in-ranks inspection, and a safety briefing right before being released for the weekend. I was looking to being off for four days that weekend. My wife and my children were at my wife's mother's house in Virginia. They were in the far west side of Virginia. It would have been an eight hour drive going from where I was at over to their location. I remembered when my brother told me that it took him eight hours to drive from his house, which is on the coast of Virginia over to my wife's hometown of Richlands, Virginia to visit us when when we were there back in the 1990's. I used this to gage on how long it would take me to drive from my present location to my wife's hometown for the Thanksgivings Day weekend.

  I set for my journey almost immediately after I was released by my chain of command. I remember that I had to go through Washington, DC. If you're not that familar with driving through the heart of DC, like I was, you might get turned around, much like I did. I was using a road map, despite using this road map, I must have passed the Watergate Hotel at least three times. This back tracking set me behind schedule of arriving at my wife's mother's home in time. By the time I got on to onto highway 262 South, it was already night fall. I don't know about you, but, after being up real early that Thursday morning and having to drive at night, I was beginning to feel a little bit drowsy. The weather was real  bad on this particular night. The raining was pouring down and combined with me driving at night, I found it harder and harder to stay awake. I've always thought it's better to be safe than to put myself into harm's way. The next rest stop I arrived at, I decided to stop and get some sleep. I called my wife, and told her that I was going to get some sleep before I went any further. By doing so, She wouldn't expect to arrive until early the next morning, which was Friday.

  After I arrived at the rest stop, I used to restroom, looked at the map posted on the wall there to see where I was at. I went to my car, put my driver's seat back and almost immediately, fell asleep. I didn't wake up until the next morning, I think around 6 am or so. When I woke up, I went to the restroom, and went back in my car, decided which was the shortest route to get to where my wife and my kids were at, started my car and headed southward bound Highway 262 South.

  As I was driving down highway 262 South, the road turned into 77 South. I made a left unto 40 West.
Looking at the map, I decided that it was shorter in distance to take Highway 16 North to where I had to go. I went with that. I started to drive on highway 16 North. The road started out okay at first.  About 20 miles into driving on this highway, I found myself driving up every mountain there and descending down every mountain. It took me larger than I anticipated. It would have been longer to drive up highway 460 north in distance, but I would have arrived at my destination several hours sooner.  This miscalculation would, in my opinion leave a lasting memory that was well worth the the longer driving trip.

  As I was driving one mountain, I was actually driving up and down Appalachian Mountains. At one point when I had gotten to the very top on this one mountain in particular, the road was very narrow. I had to drive slowly to prevent from going into the on coming lane. I arrive at the top of this mountain, and I saw mist just seeping down the side of the mountain. I pulled over to the shoulder of the mountain, the far right, my side shoulder. There was plenty of room to park my car there. There running right down the mountain was this mountain stream. The stream ran down the mountain, and right across the road and down the other side of the mountain. I  got out of my car to have a look at it. The first thing I noticed there was that mountain crisp chill in the air. The air smelled fresh and clean, and the air, the closest thing that I can describe it, is that it smelled just like apple spice. I kid you not. The air smelled just like apple spice combined with the cool, chilly breezy mist rolling down off the mountain.

  When I looked over the edge of the mountain, I could see the town far down below. I estimate it must have been about 3000 feet below. I could see the entire layout of the town there. The town looked like it ones you see on a jigsaw puzzle. Kind of like the one as seen in the movie, "Joe Dirt", what he sees the moment when he lays eyes on Silvertown. It was a picture perfect, almost surreal looking town as seen from a distance. It was that stuning sight, combined with that unbelieveable smell of the apple spice scent in the air. I wish I had a camera, and a bottle so I can just take bottle full of that scent. It was nature's work at it's finest enhancing man's creation on display on that morning.

  Someday, I'll take that that trip again. It'll have to be the same time of the year, I think in order to replicate the same results. Be advised, if you decide to go on the same route I took, make sure your vehicle is in tip top running shape. Your vehicle will have to endure the ordeal of having to drive all the way to the top of every mountain top as you head north ward on Highway 16 to the exit onto Highway 460 South.

Nature's beauty is quite something to behold, combined with man's own work,  nature can shine even more.