Road Trip!

Who knew when I decided to start a blog, that the family who doesn't have a spontaneous bone in their body would up and go on an unplanned road trip. But, this is 2020 after all; the unexpected has become the new norm. So, I've been a little preoccupied, but I thought, now that we are home and caught up on laundry, I'd share a little of our adventure and some of the observations I made along the way.

It all started a couple weeks ago now when my husband and two of our kids were supposed to go to Michigan on an annual trip that they look forward to each year. Saturday morning it got cancelled, and they were pretty disappointed. That evening my husband and I were sitting in our living room alone, and my husband said, "Should we just take everyone to Mount Rushmore? I have time off from work and the money set aside that I was going to use to go to Michigan." Well, having inherited my love of travel from my grandparents, of course I heartily agreed. We called the kids and told them we were leaving on vacation the next morning at 9:00a.m. You can imagine the scrambling to get seven people ready to leave town for five days. No, unless you've ever done it, you really can't imagine it😀. But, at 9:00a.m. Sunday morning, we were on the road and ready for a great adventure.

We spent Sunday driving across North Dakota because we wanted to visit Teddy Roosevelt National Park on our way. Other than a few looooong delays because of road construction, the drive was fairly uneventful. It was here that I made my first observation. Anyone who complains about overpopulation has never driven across North Dakota. Seriously. We live in a very rural area of northern Minnesota, but that drive made us feel like we lived in a congested area. We drive an hour and forty-five minutes to get to the nearest Walmart, but those great farmers in North Dakota (unless they have a store or two hidden behind some of those amazing hills) must drive all day to get to any "real" shopping. In fact, a lot of the road construction we encountered was on back roads literally hours from anything. Eventually, we came upon a large field full of campers and RVs. It was a make-shift city for the workers. I should have gotten a picture, but we were so glad to be driving again that I didn't think of it until we were past.

Not that that is an earth shattering observation, but think about it. Thousands of square miles of land with nothing but a few occasional cows grazing on them. I realize it may not be the most hospitable land, but multitudes of people live in far less hospitable environments. I also realize that the land is already owned by someone. I am in no way saying that we should redistribute the land😀. I am merely noting that if overpopulation were really an issue, there would be people on those hills. In fact, I love that they are so uninhabited. They are beautiful as they are, so undisturbed. Just a good reminder to be careful what you believe and and do your research.

As we approached Teddy Roosevelt National Park, we pulled off at the first overlook/rest area. As we drove up the hill and rounded the corner into the parking lot, we were welcomed by a herd of buffalo leisurely making their way through the area. It was awesome seeing them up close, and while the rest of the family walked to the overlook, I waited in the car and enjoyed watching the buffalo meander over the hill and out of sight.

When we made our way down to South Dakota, once again the openness of the land and unique land formations kept us looking out our windows and commenting on everything we didn't see. Just wide-open beautiful scenery. And along with that, observation number two: our God has created an amazing diversity of landscapes and beauty. I kept thinking about how the sights I was viewing were formed and was reminded of the flood God sent as judgement on a wicked earth, and yet, years later there is incredible beauty in the "scars" left behind. You know, sometimes when we go through difficult, even terrible times, we may not see it at the moment, but if we allow God to take those painful, devastating events and use them in our lives to mold our character more into the likeness of His Son, then years down the road others will look at us and see a beauty that has covered the scars. They may never know what you have gone through to reflect that beauty, but they will see a depth of character and godliness that is attractive.

We spent two days at Mount Rushmore and the surrounding area. I remember visiting there 40 years ago with my grandparents and was so happy to be able to share it with my family. The weather was beautiful, the monument still impressive, and the gift shop expensive😄. Nonetheless, we all managed to come out with several great souvenirs. My favorite was a knife that said "World's Greatest Dad" that our ten-year-old bought for my husband (who was waiting outside on a bench while we shopped). I love seeing little acts of kindness like that. Of course, that used up his money, so he had to borrow money from me to get himself a t-shirt, but it was money well-lent.

One of the things I really enjoyed led to another observation. My family wanted to hike some of the trails around the monument. Since I have limited mobility and was using my electric scooter, I stayed behind at the observation deck and watched the people coming and going. It was so refreshing. Do you know what I saw? Americans. Americans of every skin color. Americans of every age. Americans of every social class. Americans from dozens of different states based on the license plates in the parking lot. Americans with masks. Americans without masks. And they were all enjoying each other's company. I saw them taking each other's pictures. I saw them admiring a piece of our nation's heritage. I saw an older veteran and a young service man exchanging hand-shakes. I saw a young mother encouraging her children to be respectful and use the stairs so those who really needed the elevator would have access to it. I saw an older couple having fun trying to take selfies on their phones. I saw strangers enjoying each other's company regardless of their differences. I saw diversity united into a beautiful picture of what this country is all about. I saw a piece of the America I know and love. The America I want my children and grandchildren to know and love as well. It's not perfect, but I'd rather live here than anywhere else in the world.

The second day in the Mount Rushmore area, the girls and I visited the National Presidential Wax Museum. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was very impressed. I will limit my description to one scene because I still can't get it out of my mind. It was a depiction of President Johnson being sworn in aboard Air Force One after President's Kennedy's assassination. What struck me so profoundly was Jackie Kennedy standing there with her husband's blood still all over her clothes. I think seeing it in color made it more real to me. I was reminded of the sacrifices so many have made while serving our country. It makes the preservation of this nation all the more poignant to me. That was a burden no woman should be called upon to bear. Not to mention all the men and women past and present who have defended this land with their lives, or those who have given their husbands, wives, sons or daughters. The freedoms we enjoy have been bought for us at great price.

My final observation is on a more personal note. I am so grateful for my family. We had a great time together. We are not perfect, but it was so nice to be able to enjoy spending time together. I'll close with a few fun pictures to encourage you to get out and spend time with those you love most.