Shiga-Kusatsu Kogen Route and Shibu Pass High mountain bends and an autumn break

Once I turned onto the Shiga-Kusatsu Kogen Route in my red convertible, I couldn't stop wondering what was around each bend. I sat up straighter than I had before setting off. Both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road ahead. Today I was heading through Shibu Pass to see the autumn mountains.

As the road wound on, the mountainside stayed close beside me. The view kept shifting between clusters of trees and open slopes. With the top down, air streamed through the car, and the whole landscape felt more open than it does when I drive through a forest.

Each time I straightened the wheel after a bend, another stretch of road came into view. I wanted to enjoy the drive itself, so I kept my eyes on the road as it curled ahead. If I told my friend about this route, I'd want to tell her about more than the scenery: how good it felt to link one bend to the next.

I pulled over where I could see across the mountains and took my time looking back at the scenery I'd just driven through. The slopes had gone by while I was in the car; now I could see them from end to end. Autumn filled the spaces between the trees, and I stayed there, taking it all in for a while before I even thought to take a photo.

I pulled my jacket back on and lingered a little longer, looking out at the mountains. Only after I got out of the car did it really sink in that I'd driven so high up. I was looking forward to the road back, but I didn't want to hurry through my time here.

When I got back into the driver's seat and took the wheel, I was glad there was still more road ahead. The bends I'd taken on the way there might feel different on the way back. I turned my eyes back to the road, hoping the time I'd spent taking in the mountains would stay with me.