Monuments, Memorials and the Road Home

Yesterday P.Rod posted about a season of spiritual warfare, especially since moving forward on the Helena church plant. Unexplained sicknesses, crazy things going on, etc. he’s been praying the 27th Psalm.
Curious I looked it up.
Good one to pray.

Very loose game plan today.

Regretted not getting mom that coffee cup with her name in Cedar Village at Yellowstone. Finally found something with her name at Mount Rushmore. Well, Casey did, because she rocks.

Mount Rushmore was cool, but not as impressive as the Tetons and Yellowstone. No Nicholas Cage running around.

What they look like

How they planned to carve them

How to carve a mountain

Same with Crazy Horse. I did like the museum. What impressed me is that it’s privately funded.

South Dakota has interesting rolling topography. Almost like a crater at times.

Stopped at a gas station. It was closed. Lady wanted gas. Only had cash and they were closed.
My first instinct was to pay for their gas.
I didn’t and now I wonder if I should have. They weren’t abandoned. The clerks were still there...

If I finish my current book I’ll have read 5 in the last week. Roadtrips allow for lots of reading time.

Staying at a jacked up Super 8. It’s gotten good and bad reviews. Looks beat up. Got stuck in a smoking room (even though Georgia quit). Casey gagged.
Run down car in the back had Dustin pull his pistol out and chamber a round.
I had a hand near my “travel knife” that Bobby gave me. Not my working blade. It’s sinfully dull. This may be an interesting night...

We survived, and made it home the next day. I powered through the final 298 miles back to Arkansas since I was so tired of sitting in a car at that point.

Reflections on the Road to Mount Rushmore.

Up early and on the road to Rushmore. A several hour drive. Eight if I remember right.

Dubois, WY is an old western town that was modernized. I’m liking this state.

Traveling Southeast across Wyoming towards Casper where Lena lives. No trees. Wide open. Really want to look at a starry night in big sky country.

Listening to music and reflecting. The past me and the now me. The amalgamation of people’s influence and experiences on a person. Getting to the bottom of me, becoming me.
The procession of trauma from my godson, Noah’s death. That feels like another lifetime ago almost.

Check engine light popped up on Daniels truck again. OnStar is running diagnostics. Haven’t heard back from them yet. Everything is broken yet the truck runs.
The suspicion is the truck's hard shifting on cruise control while pulling a camper the size of a small mobile home.

We stopped at a peaceful but crowded campground. No idea what we’re doing tomorrow.

The plan is to pack light and leaving after we see Rushmore. Joey will bring the rest to Jacksonville if necessary, if they don’t meet up with us in Oklahoma.

Taking in the stars. Finally getting to see the Milky Way. Looking at it through the binoculars and I can see even more stars. Reminds me of Psalm 147:4, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”

If only my camera could catch that beauty.

We Have Arrived At Yellowstone

Breakfast at the hotel was good. Joey threw me under the bus, saying I was egging on the girls last night. Playing along with them and their dolls. By playing I mean beating up the dude from Frozen. I forgot his name. Roloff?
I have a hard time ignoring kids.

These mountains are beautiful. Snowing now as we enter Wyoming. Wind moving fast. Before we arrived in Wyoming we stopped at a rest area and almost froze to death. It was snowing. In late June.

I'm from the South. I usually don't see snow in the winter.

As soon as we crossed into the mountains you can see and feel the difference in temperatures and weather

Beautiful shots. Stopped for gas and it’s warm again. Mountains here are weird. Have seen so many pronghorn and an 11,000 foot snow capped mountain.

John learned their are 600 grizzly in there and he’s freaking out. Looking for bear spray.

In the Bridger-Tetons. Gorgeous. So many pictures.

Whoa! Grizzly bear. Buncha idiot tourists taking its picture and its 50 yards away. Still...impressive cool

Now I’m a idiot tourist walking up. It would not be the first stupid thing I’ll do this week.

Wow. Seen mule deer. A moose. Got to the camp and looking around, crowded but plenty of amenities. No cell service though.

Got lots of pictures of Jenny Lake I think and the Tetons, which is where the book I’m reading is based. Deliberately chosen. Westerns are better read if you've been there and have a point reference.