It’s the Destination, Not the Journey

Driving five miles up a twisty, hillside-hugging road paved with a scant two lanes — not an inch of shoulder to be seen and the lane pavement crumbling away in places — is not my idea of fun. Was it just me, I wondered?

The park’s scenic roadways are shared by motor vehicles, bikers and hikers.
Due to the many blind corners, narrow sections and treacherous drop-offs,
extreme caution should be maintained and adherence to the speed limit followed.
Dobbins Lookout at South Mountain – City website

No, it’s a challenging drive if safety is your thing, so I, too, suggest that you “adhere to the speed limit followed.” Sigh.

And yet we were not the only car on the road and the capacious parking lot at the top spoke to a significant number of regular visitors. The draw? Sunset, and twinkly lights in the valley after that, I guess. I’m not sure of the latter because we headed down as soon as the sun went behind the peak (The better to have some light to drive in, my dear) but cars were still coming up.

Collage of Dobbin's Lookout photos

 

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8 Responses to It’s the Destination, Not the Journey

  1. Tom Watson says:

    There are, in broad terms, journey people and destination people.

    Life is like a river. Journey people are always wondering what’s around the bend in the river, so always pushing further on. Destination people find a place they like and aren’t often concerned about what lies around the bend.
    Tom

  2. I’m very glad to know some extreme caution is in your protocols. These are dangerous times.

    People who are always pushing the edges can drain the resources of emergency backup systems. The current “Everest syndrome” comes to mind. When “adventure” becomes linked to a sense of entitlement, I begin to wonder what more valuable project might benefit from that expense of energy.

    • Isabel Gibson says:

      Laurna – This road must meet local standards, but I sure wouldn’t want to drive it in the real dark. And yeah, we might well be at the point where we feel entitled to an adventure we’re not qualified to undertake safely.

  3. Yikes! Adrenalin-filled drive for a gorgeous view! You are much braver than I am.

    • Isabel Gibson says:

      Judith – Not sure about being braver, but I have a driver I trust. And eyes I can close.

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