The Road Not Taken

In Lily (our van),Sue & I have now been on the road one day shy of two weeks, probably the longest we have been away from home in years. We enjoy travel but it would be a misnomer to label us as travelers. Of course, all in life is relative. We make choices, we create responsibilities, and we grow comfortable in our routines. From my perspective all of that is good; it is the stuff of life. I find it fulfilling and I do not find myself discomfited nor restless. But travel! Ah, the world is out there and it is glorious. Travel opens our minds, forces us to reflect on our perspectives, coaxes us to review our lives and provides respite from our routines thereby creating renewal. Travel also pushes us out of our comfort zones which, in turn, helps us grow.

The road we have taken is a trip to Utah. Our nephew, Peter, and his incredible soul mate Emily Joy (#cruzanwithjoy) were married last weekend in Salt Lake City. Surrounding this event, the four Cruzan siblings, embraced the opportunity to reconnect, spend time together, and join-up in Salt Lake City to help Pete & Emily celebrate. We Cruzan siblings are no longer a young group by age but we are a positive, vibrant, caring crew and proudly reflect the values of our phenomenal parents. Earl & Mabel were married 61 years at the time of dad’s death. The marriage years of Barb & Dale, Wayne & Linda, Dave & Nancy, Sue & I add to 209 years. Not a bad record in this day and age.

On the way to Salt Lake City, we enjoyed staying with long-time friends, Daryl & Marcy, whom we have not seen in way too long. We four (as speed skating nerds) traveled to Nagano for the 1998 Olympics, 2002 to Salt Lake City to witness, our nephew, Casey, win the Gold, and to Torino for the 2006 Olympics. Talk about memories and opening new vistas. The Lippincott’s built a beautiful home on a mountain top (11,000 feet) just outside Laramie, WY. They are phenomenal hosts and the scenery there made it clear we were no longer on the prairies of southern Wisconsin. Old friends – the fabric of life. While in Wyoming, we visited an area called Vedauwoo (land of the earthborn spirits). This great place for camping and hiking is, literally, right off I-80 just east of Laramie and is in the Medicine Bow National Forest. We didn’t have much time to explore – just a short hike – but enough time to make me want to revisit. I had no clue that this area was even here.

Salt Lake City is a beautiful place. Lots to see and do. We took in Temple Square & the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Rehearsal, Park City, the State Capital building (beautiful with interesting exhibits), and some city hiking trails. The surrounding mountains are beautiful and our breathing let us know we were not accustomed to altitude. I will not describe the wedding here as I could not do it justice. It was so meaningful & special – nice job Pete & Emily.

Sue & I had often talked of visiting southern Utah so decided this was the chance as long as we were nearly there. Last Monday we departed SLC and aimed south for Cedar City. From there we explored Zion National Park, Kolob Canyon, Bryce National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and other wonders of this part of our country. Zion was awe-inspiring. We hiked, ooed and ahed (sp?), stretched our out-of- shape legs, became short of breath in the altitude and heat (as this is the year without spring in Wisconsin this was the first time we felt really warm outside), and drained our Camel Backs. It is hot and dry here, no doubt about it. At the end of the day we were tired but content. Our Taylor Creek hike in Kolob Canyon was my favorite of the day. The next day we headed to Bryce Canyon National Park. The drive over from Cedar City was spectacular. While Zion and Kolob Canyon were incredible, Bryce blew us away. We completed a great hike (barely) and felt very righteous. This hike was labeled “moderate.” The steepness, the heat, the altitude, and sometimes the drop-offs expanded our limits. While I would have liked to have tried one of the hikes labeled “strenuous” it was unlikely that my current conditioning would have made it wise. We also took in Kodachrome Basin – a State Park in the general vicinity. We completed a short hike there. On the return drive to Cedar City we encountered Cedar Breaks National Monument. There were still significant piles of snow through this area.

Yesterday we left Cedar City behind and drove on US Highway 12 (a National Scenic Byway) over to Torrey. We thought we had seen so much but new unique scenery unfolded at nearly every turn. We wanted to explore Escalante National Park but just couldn’t get it all done. We did stop in the town of Escalante and had lunch at Escalante Outfitters – a unique and fun place. A bit later we experienced Kiva Koffee – a very exquisite coffee shop with views that will knock your socks off. Pretty easy to drive right by this place without noticing (it’s a bit hidden) but it had been recommended to us so we were watching for it. My iced Americano was near ambrosia.

If the scenery was not input enough, we have also been listening to books as we drive. The first was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon. Incredibly good novel that provides the perspective of a 15 year old living with Aspergers. The second was The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman. Hillerman’s novels feature the Navajo in the southwest. Great mysteries providing the flavor & lore of Native Americans. We are working on John Irving’s, A Prayer for Owen Meany. This is one of my favorite books. I have read it a couple of times and listened to it at least once before. It continues to entertain me and provide much fodder for reflection. Irving is a gifted, gifted author.

So, here we are, in the midst of God’s incredible creation. Our sense of wonder and awe is on overload. How did mere man ever travel and settle in this area? How do we ensure that these wonders are preserved for our children and grandchildren? We so want to have those we love close by us right now so that they can experience this beauty, this grandeur, this universe. We seem so small, so petty, and so insignificant, in the midst of all this. I am so thankful for the blessings God has provided, the opportunities, the experiences, the history. My life is indeed good and the road God has led me to is fine.

Go West Young Man. Go West.

What a whirlwind of activity!  I hope my readers don’t do this to themselves. The past few weeks have been extremely busy as we have been trying to complete the massive lists we created in preparation for our highly anticipated trip to Utah.  While probably not true, it seems that everything we have been putting off for the past five years found a home on these lists.  The trip has been planned for some time but suddenly you realize it is like – tomorrow.  So, finally (or already) today we were off.  We didn’t leave the driveway until 9:15 this morning but in that magic moment the mayhem of preparation left us as we headed west.

Lily (our van) was loaded to the gunnels even though it is just the two of us.  That’s the beauty of traveling by car – you can pretty much take what you want without having to be overly discerning about the way you pack.  It was also great to not be required to catch a bus to O’Hare or similar departure point at 0 Dark Thirty in the morning.   I didn’t have to remove my shoes and belt nor was I patted down. 

Traffic was decent all day and we cruised along very nicely.  Lily is equipped with Sirius Satellite Radio which is very nice for a trip of this sort.  My play lists today were 60’s on Six, Coffee House, Broadway, Seriously Sinatra, and 40’s Junction.  Contrary to the opinion of some, I was not alive during the 40’s but I am a student of World War II history and the culture of the times. We have several books on CD from the library but some members of the travel group spent most of the day sleeping so we won’t break those out until tomorrow.  

I generally enjoy driving and watching our country unfold as we head west.  It is easy for me to get caught up in my thoughts and reflections so the time goes by quite quickly for me.  Often, songs on the radio send my thoughts swirling into other times and places and I become quite nostalgic.  Later next week, we will be joining most of my side of the family in Salt Lake City for the wedding of a nephew.  Thus, my mind spent considerable time thinking about my three siblings.  I am the youngest of four and I am closing in on my seventh decade.  Thus, our group activities play out differently than they did when we started these gatherings not long after my father’s promotion to Glory back in 1997.  We Cruzan siblings do not see each other all that often so it will be good to reconnect. Also while driving, my mind produces writing ideas. Of course, these are usually great while driving but the trick is to remember them when at the computer or equipped with pen & paper. I do quite a bit of journaling so always have catch up to complete after a long drive.

We made it to the west side of Omaha today with no issues until a few miles from our motel when someone thought they wanted to exit I-80 but changed their mind and tried to veer back on at the last (maybe longer than the last) minute.  Those of us following all put our brake pedals all the way to Australia or whatever is on the other side of the earth from us.  Collisions averted but I don’t know how. I choose to believe it was a God story.  In the blink of an eye, this action nearly resulted in a fairly high- speed multi-car pile-up.  Something like this tends to accelerate the heart rate a bit. Some call this a near-miss but I believe near-hit is a better term.

Anyway, we are safely ensconced in our hotel room for the night. I am quite sure we will sleep well as we did not last night. (Ask Sue about her probable broken toe as she, in the dark of our bedroom, encountered her partially packed suitcase). I am grateful for the change of pace vacation brings. While routines are a welcome part of life, having a justified break from them is also invigorating.  I am thankful for the ability to drive and see this great country.  I am grateful for good company and companionship. I am thankful for God’s intervention that protected us on the road today. And I am grateful for family and friends taking care of our Milton business while we are traveling. Off to Laramie tomorrow to connect with some good friends we haven’t seen in several years.