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Won Honorable Mention for 5/21/05 prompt for

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ID: 333655   (Rated: 13+) The Writer's Cramp  Write the best story/poem to a prompt in 24 hours or less and win 10,000 GPs! by Sophy

Prompt: What would it be like to be a tourist in your town? Write a story or poem telling us about that lovely (or unlovely) place. Put it on a platter and serve it to us. LOL

There is a highway running through the center of my town. One side of the highway hosts some shops and the elementary and middle schools (we share a high school with a neighboring town) while the other side rises up the mountain and into multi-million dollar homes.

I live up the hill, although not in the multi-million dollar homes. The easiest way to get to my house is to go up the mountain. And yes I do mean that literally. My friend visited last week and she closed her eyes the entire way up. First of all the road goes almost straight up and then it curves back and forth as you climb. It’s guaranteed to make you sick if you look down to the right since the mountain drops off. Nestled down on the slope are a horse farm (lovely smell in the summer time) and various other houses. While the right side drops off to an almost sheer cliff, the left side rises up with houses perched on top. When you reach the top of the hill, before you drop into the upper valley, a sign proclaims the name of the house sitting atop the hill. “Hilltop” is spelled out in calligraphy on the sign that sits roadside.

There is only one real tourist attraction in town. And I don’t know that I would really call it an attraction. Atop the mountain, on another road, sits Washington Rock. There is a rock there with a plaque that proclaims George Washington used this point as a look-out during the Revolutionary War. The rebel army (the Americans) could spy on the British who where harassing settlements in West Fields, which culminated in the battle of Short Hills on May 26, 1777. This is Green Brook’s claim to fame.

If you look my town up on the Internet, you find attractions for New York City and surrounding areas but nothing for our town. Despite this it is a picturesque little town. We have your standard grocery stores and Dunkin Donuts, along with a variety of pizza places and Chinese restaurants. We also have a very cool little shop, called “Earth, Paint, and Fire,” where you can paint your own pottery. We have a bowling alley that attracts kids and adults alike during all seasons. The closest mall is about half an hour down the highway. There is one hotel in town, a Howard Johnson’s, that actually sits on the border between my town and the next one. There are parks a plenty to run and play in for children and adults.

Unfortunately, I can’t really say that my town has much to offer tourists. You’re welcome to come and visit, although I would avoid my house during the winter season. New York City is only a brief train ride away (from a neighboring town) and there are many things to do there.