a long(er) way home

Do you usually follow the same roads each time you drive to the same destination? Sometimes a change is good.

Today I chose a different path as I drove home from a visit with Mom in central New York, leaving the Mass Pike at West Springfield. I followed I-91 north then picked up route 2 to continue to the east. I was a bit surprised to find that for the first 20 miles or so that route 2 was a two-lane road but given the population in that part of the state it makes a certain amount of sense. It was two lanes with a speed limit changing from 30 to 45 and back to 30. Then it became a limited access road that was still only 2 lanes wide. A bit later it widened to four lanes, matching the configuration of the road closer to the Boston area.

I was looking for an alternative to the Mass Pike for days when there are (known) long delays in the Sturbridge area. I hit one of those driving home from Utica on December 26th; that day the extra half hour of my route 2 alternate route would have taken less time than staying on the pike.

I'm glad I drove route 2 today. The area of the state I passed through was beautiful - it's now on my list of places to visit with my camera.