The Tunnel to Papa's

It struck me yesterday as I drove down Sandy River Drive on my way back to Papa's Pumpkin Patch. Sandy River is the amazing road that looks like a mile-long covered bridge with the cover being a tunnel of tree branches that arch over the roadway and make for a glorious canopy of color this time of year. 

The tunnel is green and brilliant shades of yellow and orange, and even hints of red. The drive calms and energizes the spirit at the same time. 

River Road is the bridge between city and country life. It runs adjacent to the Missouri River (one of the most beautiful drives in the city I believe) and then it ambles along the river bottoms for about three miles where it joins up with Highway 1804. 

Near the mid-point, you head west from River Road on Sandy River Drive toward Papa's. That's where you find the tunnel. It is the jaunt west on Sandy River that tells you the "country" is near. You enjoy closely cropped wheat fields on either side, and frequently you see deer, turkey, pheasants  or geese rummaging for grain the combines missed.

The tunnel is also that place where you transition for the busier pace of the city to the quieter, calmer pace of the country. The tunnel is where your breathing slows and becomes deeper. It's the place where your foot becomes lighter on the accelerator and you remember there's more to life than the next deadline.

The tunnel to Papa's is the tunnel to our slice of heaven on earth. 

See you soon,

Papa