Seeing with My Eyes Wide Open...: July 2015

Heading out from Lake Pueblo State Park toward Mesa Verde National Park meant meeting up with Neel and Nancy (brother/sister in-law and best of friends) for a stay at the Far View Lodge, high atop the mesa (approximately 7-8,000 ft.) with a view beyond words in all directions. The route taken across Colorado provided us with beautiful mountain views along the southern end of the Rocky Mountain Range as well as a few challenging climbs and breath taking vistas. The small towns along the way were a welcome opportunity for fueling and our daily search for a local ice cream stop. We are on a three meal a day schedule, of which ice cream is one of them! Colorado has so much to see and we only have scratched the surface but enough so that we want to return again to see the many national parks, monuments and forests in the area.

Once approaching our Mesa Verde destination, we realized that our trailer was not permitted into the park, unless we were headed to the campground. An open parking lot was provided just outside the park entrance for us to drop the trailer (containing our beloved cycle and much of our belongings) before heading up the 13-mile climb to the top. With some anxiety we secured the rig and prayed it would be there the next day when we returned. Once we headed up the winding road to the top, we were relieved to be free of the extra length and weight. The roads wound in and around cliffs and rock walls for what seemed an unending assent to the top as I gasped at the views, trying to describe what I was seeing to Mark as he tightly gripped the wheel and focused his eyes on the road. Pulling into the lodge we were relieved to arrive and quickly meet up with Neel & Nancy and our welcoming “room with a view.” After almost 2 weeks of “togetherness” in our little home, it was a nice change to have the opportunity to converse and trade stories of our adventures with each other.

“Drink water, wear sunscreen and a hat” was what we kept hearing as we acclimated to the altitude and dry heat of southwest Colorado. Except for a bit of shortness of breath during our tours/climbs in among the historical archeological excavations, we were fairly unaffected, but tired out by the end of the day. Our 1-hour morning and 4-hour afternoon guided tours of only a few of the many sites in the park tested our stamina, fear of heights and size restraints (see attached picture) but were full of valuable facts and information. This helped lay a great foundation for our understanding of the geographical history and Native American cultures that are throughout the southwest part of the country. It’s hard to wrap my brain around the incredible history that is in this park and the amount of work that goes in to preserving and learning from these ancient cultures. I have great respect for the park rangers, archeologists, botanists, historians & anthropologists whose passion works to preserve and share this with all of us.

Here are some of my favorite of many pictures at Mesa Verde National Park:

Our room with a view!

Colorado Reunion!

Brothers sharing the experience.

Tight tolerances!

Don't look down!

Always ready for an adventure!

Catching our breath!

In 5^th or 6^th grade I remember seeing a picture in a Weekly Reader newspaper about being able to stand at the spot where 4 states (NM, AZ, UT, CO) come together and always thought I’d really like to do that some day. So, as you can imagine I was pretty excited to find out that our route to the Grand Canyon passed right through Four Corners . The recently updated monument was a popular stopping point along the otherwise desolate stretch of road and for a $5 vehicle entrance fee we could stand in line for a half hour and take our picture in this unique spot as well as take in local souvenir venders, food and native American cultural celebrations. I don’t think I realized how significant this stop was until upon leaving the park and felt a bit of emotion having checked this one off the list of childhood dreams.

Bucket list!

Got it covered!

The next part of our journey to the Grand Canyon was filled with a sense of anticipation leading up to another lifelong dream being realized. The combination of excitement along with the incredible landscape around me was at times more than I could soak in. The colors, land formations and changing vistas on our approach to the park was just getting me ready for the “real deal” of the Canyon.

We made reservations to camp within the Grand Canyon National Park for one night and decided to stay at the nearby Yavapai Lodge for a second night. This gave us the opportunity to get on the motorcycle and see, smell and feel the canyon from that point of view. We hope to return again, maybe to explore the north rim, which we were told is magnificent and less populated.

Some pictures of our time at Grand Canyon National Park and surrounding area:

Before arriving at my brother & sister-in-laws outside of Phoenix, AZ we spent a night at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, AZ. I was a bit hesitant of what we would find there, based on the name of the park, but were pleasantly surprised at the campsite availability and surrounding points of interest to explore. We talked to several locals to find out that nearby was a popular motorcycle ride winding through the mountain range to Prescott, AZ that climbs it’s way through a couple of historical copper mining towns of Jerome & Clarkdale. These quaint towns were virtually left as ghost towns after the mines closed back in the mid 50s and then experienced a rebirth of artists in the 70s to transform them into small local destinations for tourists looking to visit their galleries, restaurants and shops. We enjoyed visiting several shops and galleries followed by lunch at the Haunted Hamburger, overlooking the valley and had one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten! Following that we took a beautiful mountain ride by motorcycle to Prescott and back (no pictures 'cause I was hanging on and leaning...) for our first extended ride together of the trip, with a nice little sunburn to show for it!

Coming up? Phoenix, the Rockcastle Desert Plantation, & LA...!

Seeing landscapes and vistas different from my own, can bring to memory all kinds of historical events or childhood stories that either change or confirm the picture held in my mind’s eye for all these years. Approaching St. Louis, Missouri, crossing the Mississippi River, and viewing the infamous Gateway Arch did just that for me. I pictured westward bound pioneers meeting up with the river and wondered if they considered turning back! Or noting in Hamilton Missouri, the boyhood home or James Cash (JC) Penney and the surrounding little towns, evidence of once bustling small towns in rural MO, unfortunately now showing the more recent blight of economic and agricultural shifts in America. While camping for the night at Cedar Bluff State Park, while I stood in our tiny camper making dinner, a refreshing breeze blew through the windows and looking out over the Kansas plains, I wondered if pioneer women were as inspired and refreshed by those cool breezes as I was at that moment. I pictured Laura Ingalls Wilder spending her childhood days in such a place and could envision the vulnerability of Dorothy and Toto trying to get back to the shelter of home as the storm headed through. We later felt the vulnerability of an impending storm as we lay in bed looking out over the nighttime vista as breathtaking lightening filled the sky at a distance and then felt the camper violently shake from the wind and pelting rain as a storm went through. It is impossible for my minds eye to capture the reality of pictures, stories and movies in the way that my actual eyes and other senses can do. That’s what makes travel so satisfying and inspiring to me. This sensory experience compels me to take it all in…using every one of the senses.

After the first week of travel we have continued to seek and find both divine appointments and Aha! moments to share with each other and to treasure. Here are just a few:

· A last minute revelation that long-time family friend Kate Bryan was living in the area where we were camping and a short conversation through Facebook message provided plans to meet-up, attend church and catch up on life.

· The reality that time doesn’t necessarily change relationships…when you have shared significant experiences with another person (Ukraine, family trips). I’m amazed at how quickly you can pick up where you last left off.

Beautiful Kate!

· The vastness of the United States and the incredible amount of farmland there is around us. This was especially notable in Missouri and most definitely Kansas as we would drive for long stretches of highway with landscape sparsely dotted by small farms and houses as well as small little towns or crossroads.

The vast farm land of Kansas!

The stark contrast of this abandoned farm house.

These grazing cows seemed surprised to see us!

· The unexpected beauty and delight at contrasting landscapes.

· The ease of set up and take down each day as we set out for new destinations.

· The joy we find in just traveling along in the truck/camper and surprise at not getting weary of driving/riding or feeling anxious to “get there.”

· Accidentally finding ourselves at the Air Force Academy on our motorcycle ride and a spur of the moment opportunity to learn about this incredible place and tour it’s architecture and surrounding grounds.

The US Air Force Academy Chapel

Mountain view through the windows.

· Taking a pause to remain in one place for a second night and make time to enjoy an early morning hike around Lake Pueblo and surrounding landscape.

· The timely availability of a Chevy dealer in Colorado Springs to change out our truck back brakes before heading across the Rocky Mountains with peace of mind.

· Opening the trailer to the scary realization of the motorcycle taking a jump and shifting out of it’s wheel chuck has been resolved.

· The dry heat of Pueblo in relief to the high humidity of Missouri and even Kansas.

· Learning to take opportunities that I wouldn’t normally to speak to the locals around me and ask questions to find out about real time events and places of local interest (National Little Britches Finals Rodeo).