Driving the USA

Driving across the United State this past week reminded me of the magnificent country God has given to those of us who live here.  I easily forgot the diversity and beauty as I myopically lived in Orange County.  We are blessed.

Our first stop, Phoenix

Our first day took us through the barren desert of Southern California and Arizona.  Yet, much as I don't like the desert, surprises in colorful, dramatic geography and blooming plant life kept the terrain interesting, reminding me that God is truly the Creator of all.  We spent the night with Smitty's sister in Phoenix, who treated us with her culinary expertise.

Tramp and Sparkle learning to live together

Day two took us from Phoenix to Albuquerque.  If nothing else, I've learned to spell "Albuquerque"!  The wind blew, clouds billowed, rock formations intrigued.  The colors of the land were as varied as the rainbow.  Truly beautiful.  The influence of Native American and Mexican cultures was everywhere.  Our cat and dog learned to be friends in the dog kennel, and Tramp cat decided that he wanted nothing of the windy, noisy outside and quit his meowing.

Day three:  we drove from Albuquerque through a corner of Texas and the tip of the Oklahoma panhandle into Greensburg, Kansas.  By the time we arrived in Greensburg the desert was gone and green fields of alfalfa covered the miles.  Instead of the one story, single motel in town we anticipated, a brand new two story inn with electricity run by wind mills stood in its place.  After buying pizza at a convenience store, we discovered that the whole of Greensburg had been leveled by a tornado in May, 2007.  So many homes missing from their pads.  Every building now standing looking rather new.  This town tore at my heart and reminded me of all the folks in the South who have lost loved ones and possessions to massive tornados, and those whose lives have been forever changed by flooding.  Yet like the folks in Greensburg, they will pick up and go on with life.

Haven, Kansas and visitors

Bethany College cafeteria with Vanessa

On day four we enjoyed the farmlands and took a couple of side trips.  My great grandfather had a farm in Haven, Kansas so we detoured to visit the community where my grandfather was born in 1872.    Haven is a cute, very old town of hard working farmers and small business owners.  We stopped again in the Scandinavia town of Lindsborg, Kansas, home of Bethany College.  Our friends Vanessa and Craig have lived there since 2007, attending college, working, and raising a young daughter.  We ate lunch with them in the cafeteria to spend time catching up.  That evening we stayed with friends Scott and Lynae, enjoying their two boys, lovely home, and KC barbeque.  A short drive day, but long on connection with people.

On the walking trail with Scott, Lynae, and boys

We began day five by crossing the Missouri.  We crossed it two more times, along with the Mississippi, the Wabash, and numerous smaller rivers, finishing the cloudy, misty day of driving through Missouri and Illinois just outside Indianapolis, Indiana.   The highlight: a Japanese restaurant with the friendliest waiter ever!

Mighty Mississippi, St. Louis skyline

Our last day on the road began rainy and  cloudy.  About noon, driving through Ohio, we stopped to Skype with our son and his family.  I'm sure the folks in McDonald's thought we were crazy, but we enjoyed the opportunity.  Some OC friends noticed we were on and called us, too!  Who would have thought that we could be nearly 2,000 miles away but still see each other and have a conversation?  We are blessed.  The green hills of West Virginia and western Pennsylvania gave way to Eighty-Four.  We arrived at our destination early in the afternoon, introduced the dogs to one another, and settled in for this leg of our journey to Kandern.  It is good to be settled again, for now.