Keep on Truckin'

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).

 

• The welcoming sight of the Rocky mountains after the flat plains of Kansas.

 

 

Coming up next:

Mesa Verde National Park and meeting up with Neel & Nancy, The Grand Canyon National Park, & Arizona to see my brother Dave and sister-in-law Paula.