The endless blue sky, the purple-green hillsides reflected in the looking-glass -still water of the Susquehanna River, the flowing floral patterns of the handmade skirts worn by the Amish women walking on the roadside; my drive north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was an idyllic ride through a part of the country that has been only lightly touched by the passage of time. State Road 11 wandered through riverfront bergs, complete with white porches and patriotic buntings. The few storefronts were mostly family restaurants, diners, or general stores attached to post offices. Many were closed on this Sunday. Yet another business seemed to exist in every town, the Adult Shop. In converted farmhouses along the state route they wore large signs proclaiming peep shows and private viewing rooms. One shop in Liverpool, an historic town in Perry County, had a billboard with the daily feature, "Adult Shop – Happy Fathers Day – Special – Pumps 20% Off."
“You are what I never knew I always wanted”
12 years ago
2 comments:
Here in Jax, I saw this sign outside of a strip club on our way home from OP:
Father's Day card--3 dollars, tie--ten dollars, lap dance--priceless.
Now that's classy. But it doesn't capture the irony of what you're seeing in PA.
PS...My grandparents used to live in that area. I celebrated Christmas (and SNOW) there one year.
Your post is the equivalent of Robert Frank's photo-journey across the country in the 1950s, published in The Americans. A beautiful study in contrasts.
Post a Comment