Sometimes the design of a trip happens organically. This was the case of my fall foliage drive along the Merritt Parkway when I exited at Hamden, CT.
At the end of the exit ramp was a sign with an arrow to West Rock Ridge Park. I had no knowledge about the park, but instantaneously decided to visit.
I landed in a parking area for Wintergreen Lake. It was absolutely stunning and had beautiful walking trails.
While I was there, I asked a fisherman what else I should see in the area. He gave me instructions to West Rock on the other side of the lake where you can drive up to the panoramic views of Hamden and visit Judge’s Cave .
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better… they did. As I was taking in the view from the observation area, I heard guitar music. I looked around and saw that it was live. In large gazebo like stone look out tower was an electrical guitarist singing a mellow tune with heart.
Amidst the panoramic beauty it was magical to experience this unique concert. The singer/song writer, Scott Serkez, loves to play there because of the energy of the space.
We chatted about the power of music, guitars, careers and solo travel. This bridged into another song and a quick lesson about metaphysics,
Video links:
Concert in the Lookout - "Shine"
My expectation for the day was seeing some colorful trees. By being open to the unplanned and reaching out to others at the park, I had an amazingly uncommon experience.
A Fall Foliage trip doesn’t get any better than this.
