Road Signs – Part II

On my trip back from Toronto, I was enjoying a beautiful drive through the Allegheny Mountains of New York, then into Pennsylvania. Once I had decided to call it a day and locate a place to spend the night on my two-day return trip, I exited off the PA Turnpike at Somerset. I had seen a billboard advertising an inviting local restaurant. It sounded like a nice place to have dinner, rather than a typical chain.

As I follow the directions to the restaurant, I passed by many hotels, so I knew there’d be no problem finding a place to stay nearby. I saw the restaurant but passed the entrance, so decided to tour around the area a little before returning. I stopped at a light up the hill. As I waited for the light to change, I was thinking about the great ambience of the historic area I found myself in.

“It sure would be nice to stay in a nice B & B (Bed & Breakfast) instead of a chain hotel! But how would I find one quickly – and even be able to get a room with no reservations?” I mused, and half-prayed.

Suddenly I looked a little closer at the sign across the street from me. It looked like a country inn. Wow! That would be a fast answer to a hardly-breathed prayer! As I pulled into the parking lot, a gentleman got up from his chair on the back porch and said “hello!” I asked him if he was the owner, by chance. When he replied that he was, I asked if there were any rooms available for the night. His wife gave me the tour and we settled on a room. It was the exact price that had popped into my head that I would have expected to pay for a regular (modest) hotel room in that area. So to me it seemed a bargain and an additional confirmation that it was the place I needed to be that night!

After unpacking, I went back to the restaurant for dinner. Then I enjoyed a leisurely night drinking in the blessings of the environment – with a beautiful garden, peaceful surroundings and time to read and pray. At a delicious breakfast the next morning, I enjoyed a lovely visit with the proprietors. Dan was a retired minister, also an artist and a singer. I enjoyed his paintings throughout the house and listened to his men’s quartet singing gospel songs I hadn’t heard in ages on their latest CD. Joyce, I discovered, was a wonderful cook, decorator and gardener. So I took myself on a photo tour of the grounds.

Here are a couple of pictures of my special moments of blessing there. If you’re ever in the area, you may want to check out their website for accommodations. http://www.somersetcountryinn.com/ They’re near Seven Springs and ski country in the winter, but it’s a beautiful area any time of year.

So my faith lesson today is to remember that when you keep the dialogue open with God, you never know what surprises will appear right in front of you! And thanks for your hospitality along the way, Dan and Joyce!