Remembering the PIP

Every road has rules. That's why we need a driver's license. But what if you're in a different state, the rules change, sometimes only slightly? And let's say the road is not a road, but a parkway. In some states that changes the rules more than a little.

While driving on the PIP, the Palisades Interstate Parkway, which is a scenic run from New Jersey to New York, be sure you're not driving an RV. That's prohibited. So are commercial vehicles, buses and trucks that are meant for hauling goods, not people. There are signs to let you know about the rules. But if you cruise by the sign at 60 mph like everyone else, there's no way you'll get the information you need. If you are driving a prohibited vehicle, you're breaking the law. The locals know it too. They honk and scowl and use hand signals as they speed past you.

But don't worry, the cops see this all the time. That's what they said when they pulled up behind us. We were not only driving on the PIP in our 45-ft recreational vehicle, we broke down, spilling transmission fluid all over the precious parkway. The cop was nice though, he didn't give us or the two tow trucks it took to haul us a way, a ticket for being to big for the road.

Rules aside, I would like to travel the PIP again one day. The parkway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are beautiful stone-faced overpasses. The Appalachian Trail meanders right next to it. Lake Welch is nearby. Bear Mountain the Hudson River are the backdrop to a section of the parkway. With all the frustration of being lost, the breakdown and then the police, I really missed the beauty of it.