Follow The Signs

When stuck in traffic I noticed a small brown sign. "Historic Downtown” it said, with an arrow pointing in the direction opposite from where I was headed. Why not? I thought - and on a whim changed my route. Travel adventure isn't exclusive to exotic locales - sometimes it's just off the highway in suburban Pennsylvania.



Within a moment of making my turn towards adventure I crossed Main Street. A restaurant to my right, but little else for such an importantly named street. Disheartened I thought, ala Peggy Lee... "Is that all there is...to Main Street?"



But then I noticed - the streets were numbered. Why not see if something interesting was on First Street? That's a fancy address too! Wrestling with the notion that my logic is not always accurate in that respect, the angel (go for it!) and devil (that’s a dumb idea) duked it out above my shoulders, but the angel won.



You never know when a left hand turn, or lack thereof, can send you in the right direction, because within a few blocks - I saw it.



A store with a cheery red exterior and brushed steel letters. Anyone who grew up in the 20th century and went shopping downtown would see this and immediately think "5 & 10".



My heart stopped. Or actually the opposite - it raced. Because instead of being closed, there was a sign outside saying lunch was served until 2pm.



Stepping onto the creaking wooden floors of Sine's in Quakertown PA was like taking a step back in time.



A lunch counter was dotted with diners eating sandwiches and drinking ice cream sodas. Aisles lined with most anything you could want - tricycles to styrofoam balls, dowels, hardware, candies, house numbers, hairnets, toys, hankies.



Thinking if I rubbed my eyes I might wake up from this dream, I spotted a bearded gentleman precisely laying out a display. I touched his arm to make sure he was real (he was) and met the grandson of the original owners, whose family now worked here.



From a mundane drive home on a suburban superhighway to the discovery of a living dinosaur surviving when all others have long since become extinct, the thrill of this unexpected find remains with me to this day - reminding me to watch for the small signs and follow my instincts, and who knows what I might discover. Even in suburban Pennsylvania.