The Grand Adventure

The great vacation began with a one-way flight to California. In the beginning we saw big square neighborhoods, horseshoe shaped cul-de-sacs and towering buildings. Later we flew in the spacious skies above the clouds, occasionally dipping down to see the USA quilt; tiny specks of blue water, bumpy brown deserts, amber waves of grain, and black ribbons with ant-sized cars and trucks crawling along.

California is like South Carolina in many ways. The people are nice, gas costs too much, convenience stores are everywhere, and everybody drives too fast. We did notice some differences, though. There are hardly any trees, the Pacific coastline is rocky with black sand, and the ocean water is freezing cold.

We left California on Tuesday and headed east toward Nevada, which is quite different from California. At times, we drove for an hour or more without seeing homes, people, cars, or gas stations, only miles and miles of brown, flat land. When we stopped to have a picnic, the air was so hot and dry that the bread was crunchy before we could finish making our sandwiches. We looked forward to tomorrow when we would turn northward and leave the desert areas.

Southern Idaho has a wide variety of landscapes. We saw thundering waterfalls, deep desert-like canyons, forest- covered mountains, valleys carpeted in wildflowers and rich green farmland that seemed to go on forever. There are many rivers and waterfalls but they are fed by melting snow from the Tetons. Not much rain falls here so everything has to be irrigated, even lawns and gardens. In the towns, there are small ditches snaking through every neighborhood; out in the rural areas, gigantic sprinklers on wheels water the crops. We explored caves, walked on lava flows, and saw a river gushing out of a canyon wall. We visited the river crossing taken by those who dared the Oregon trail and saw the ruts the wagon wheels made, now frozen in time.

We had seen the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park on television shows and in magazine photos but to really be there and experience the purple mountain majesty and serenity in person was humbling. Buffalo were lying around near geysers enjoying the warm steam. Moose and elk meandered beside silvery crystal-clear streams grazing on the deep green grasses while nearby, the deer and the antelope play. Chipmunks skittered in and out of rock crevices beside magnificent waterfalls while a wolf lay partially concealed in the lush shady bushes. Bighorn sheep were showing their babies how to walk sideways on the rocky snow-topped mountains as marmots and osprey admired their progress. We saw and heard only sights and sounds of nature.

Monday was a day to visit two historic sites in Montana. First stop was Pompeys Pillar, which was signed by William Clark and is the only physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Next we soberly toured the Little Big Horn Battlefield trying to imagine the last thoughts and dreams of the Native American men, women, and children who gave their lives fighting to preserve the land they loved and their traditional way of life.

We entered Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado on Tuesday, following a steep road winding back and forth in figure eights until we reached the highest continuous highway in the US. We were entranced by the breathtaking views on both sides of the Continental Divide, which decides whether a stream will go to the Pacific or the Atlantic. Elk were strolling in carpets of wildflowers, bighorn sheep roamed the high peaks and eagles soared over frozen lakes. Dixie and Jeb, wearing flip-flops and shorts, joined other kids to throw snowballs in a field of snow; this was in the middle of July! Later we stopped to have a snack and had to share with chipmunks that scampered about taking peanuts and popcorn from our palms and sniffing in pockets to make sure we weren’t hoarding anything.

This was an exciting journey for our family. Though we experienced only a small part of our country, the magnitude of its beauty and the kindness of its people is indescribable and unforgettable. From the mountains to the prairies to the oceans, we have so many treasures to enjoy and protect.

God bless America, our home sweet home!