ROAD TRIP 2024 - DAYS 11 & 12

May 15 & 16

The original plan for West Virginia was to meet up with Kim and Dave Chadwell at The Gorge National park and camp there but the weather did not cooperate.  Instead we stayed in a hotel in Beckley for two nights.  It was a great time of rest and fellowship.  

Then we headed on to North Carolina.  Our first stop was at Prayer Mountain in Moravian Falls.  The drive had us wondering if we were on a road or a walking path.  It continued getting narrower and narrower.  We did see a sign that said “SLOW” so we figured it really was a road.  Finally made it to the top.  So glad that we didn't meet a vehicle coming from the other direction.

 

We walked down the path, enjoying the peace.  Chairs had been placed, singly and in pairs, along the way, nestled among the trees.  We sat and prayed for quite a while.  

                                    

The presence of God was very close and very real.  So glad we continued to the top, even though the road was a challenge - it was well worth the trip.

Next stop:  Concord, NC, to visit with Chris and Christy.

ROAD TRIP 2024 - DAYS 9 & 10

May 13 & 14

We are still enjoying the beautiful green of the Midwest.  The increase in humidity is nice right now because the temperatures are not too high - 60's to 70's.  We have hunted for morel mushrooms and even found a few.  I got a lot of use out of the plant identifying app on my phone.  When Randy was young his grandmother taught him about a lot of the different plants in the area so we checked to see how good his memory was.  He got it right almost every time.

Friend Becky and her husband Ken invited us to stay the night at their home in the woods.  We almost missed the driveway into their secluded A-frame.

 

                                                 Ken, Becky, Tina and Kathy.   

                                                

On Tuesday morning we left Michigan and headed south.

 

 

We are now in West Virginia.

 

 

ROAD TRIP 2024 – DAYS 5,6,7 & 8

TIME TO CATCH UP

We ended up stopping in Greenville, IL, on Wednesday night so we could rest up for a bit.  Stayed the night in a motel and headed back out early Thursday morning.  It rained all the way from Illinois to Michigan.  We arrived safely at Tina's (Randy's sister) that afternoon.  

The next morning, Friday, the three of us headed from Garden City to Addison to spend time with a cousin and her family.  We were blessed to share and witness Mary Lou's profession of faith and baptism.  

Later that afternoon we went hunting for morel mushrooms.  Found a few and cooked them up for dinner – along with some steak and baked potatoes.  Tasty meal.

Saturday we visited with more of Randy's extended family and then headed to the 50th Class Reunion.  

There was a table just as you entered the conference room.  On it were badges with the names and senior pictures of the class members.  It was fun to watch the expressions as they tried to figure out who was who – usually having to look at the picture and the name before you could see their eyes light up with recognition.

Randy opened the night with a short prayer and had an opportunity to share with several of his old classmates.  

That night there was an amazing display of the Northern Lights, unfortunately the sky was overcast in our location so we couldn't see them.  One of Randy's cousins was able to get some beautiful pictures and forwarded them on to us.

Stayed the night with friends in Addison – Randy's home town.   

Now we are back in Garden City at Tina's.  

ROAD TRIP 2024 - DAY 4

 Day 4  May 8

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.
Psalms 24:1 NLT

Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.  Psalms 50:10 KJV

That verse crossed my mind many times as we traveled through the hills in Kansas.  There were so many beautiful sights but we couldn't pull over at every one.  We used to tell the children, “Take a picture with your eyes and remember.”  We did that a lot today.

Last night we were blessed with the opportunity to fellowship with Kristi, Jose, Shelly and Esther in Hutchinson, Kansas.  We are used to seeing Christi and Shelly on our Sunday morning Zoom call.  It was so much more fun to get to share in person.  We were treated to a Mexican meal and stayed the night at Christi's.

We left early this morning.  Our first stop was just up the road at Shelly's.  We got to meet her husband, Miles.  Another wonderful visit.  

Back on the road again we headed to Osawatomie, Kansas.  We learned what many people have learned in the past – you can't always trust the Garmin to lead you to the right place, even if you have just finished updating all the maps.  It all worked out in the end.  As we wandered through the back roads we saw a wild turkey in a field and a heron by a pond. One dirt road narrowed down to a single lane and we drove under an old railroad bridge as a train passed over.  

We found our way to Keith's place.  He is a Kingman transplant.  Still misses the desert but is trying to adjust to the humidity and the greenery. Got to see his wife Dana and their son in law, John.

We are grateful for all the prayers as we travel.  Had a couple of issues today.  As we were driving down a winding road with a 55 mph speed limit we came upon a 4-way stop without warning.  By the time we saw the sign it was too late.  Randy slowed but couldn't stop.  Thank God the person who was waiting to cross over from the right had not entered the intersection.

The next issue was on I-35 outside of Overland Park, Kansas.  Someone had lost a wheelbarrow and it was in the middle of road.  Randy was able to avoid it because there was a break in traffic.

Then it started to rain hard.  And the wipers malfunctioned.  This time I was driving.  It happened right by an exit so I was able to pull off the road.  We were reminded about listening to the 'still, small voice.'  When I turned on the wipers I had the thought, “Don't turn the wipers on high.  Something might happen.” But I turned them on high anyway.  And after 3 or 4 swipes they crossed up.  Randy got into his tools to fix them but did not have the sockets or wrench he needed.  Before leaving home it had crossed his mind to throw them in, but he didn't do it.  The rain stopped.  We made it to a Love's truck stop.  He bought a set of sockets and fixed the wipers in less than 5 minutes.  We now have a set of sockets for the van.

Picture above is on the side of the road as Randy tried working on the wipers.  Notice the rainbow?  God's promises are always there.

Right now we are about 7 hours out from Randy's sister in Garden City, MI.  Not sure how much longer we will drive.  We will check back in tomorrow.

ROAD TRIP 2024 - DAY 3

Day 3  May 7

Well, we didn't actually make it to Amarillo.  Our stop was just west of it in the town of Bushland.

Another wonderful visit with family.  This time with oldest son David and his wife Kathy.  They are always so welcoming whenever we come to see them.  David grilled some delicious T-bones and Kathy made homemade ice cream.  David was able to track down the problem with the electrical wiring on the trailer.  It was a short in one of the tail lights.  We can now run safely after dark because we have running lights again.

Grandson Kenny came by.  Randy helped him change a tire on his Blazer.  Nice bonding time with Grandpa and grandson.

We headed out this morning and took the back country roads to avoid the traffic in Amarillo. We are now on our way to Kansas where we will be able to visit with Christi, Jose, Shelly and Miles.

We are enjoying the slower pace of the back roads.  We watched the acrobatic moves of a crop duster as he worked the fields and passed over the road in front of us a couple of times.  A little farther on we caught sight of what we thought were a couple of small deer in the tall grass.  When we got closer we saw that they were two antelope hopping through the field.  Randy spotted a pheasant that looked like he was hunting for bugs in the weeds along the side of the road.

Lots of wide open spaces out here.  Acres and acres of wind farms.  Many trees and bushes have a permanent bend in the direction of the prevailing wind.  

Last night there was a great deal of storm activity in the area.  Tornado sightings were in the news.  Today the weather ahead is clear.  

ROAD TRIP 2024 - DAY 2

 Day 2  May 6

Wonderful visit with Klaus and Linda.  The blessing of a close family is a priceless gift.  We shared memories, faith and thoughts of the future.

Linda sent a picture of the San Francisco Peaks from yesterday morning before the storm rolled in.

 

I think they got a little more snow last night.  When Randy went to open the side door on the van it wouldn't budge.  Our first thought was something electrical because we had a couple issues before leaving.  But then we were reminded of the cold rain and freezing temperatures last night.  Both side doors were frozen shut. When we took off the interior lights stayed on so we knew the doors were not completely closed.  Randy pushed on the doors, all seemed good.  After a short while we heard the comforting click as first the one door, then the other locked into place.  Thank you, Lord.

Earlier this year when Randy received the invitation to his 50th high school reunion, we didn't seriously consider going.  But the Lord had other plans.  The reunion in Michigan is just one part of this trip.  Looking forward to every step along the way.

Next stop – Amarillo (hopefully long before morning :-))

ROAD TRIP 2024 - DAY 1

Day 1  May 5

First stop is in Flagstaff to visit with Kathy's sister, Linda, and brother-in-law Klaus.  The weather is windy and cool.  The skies are overcast.  Looks like storm clouds on the horizon.

Our friend Jack came over earlier today and suggested a different route than the one we have traveled in the past.  This one takes us up through Kansas.  We were excited to discover that it will take us right by friends from our fellowship group who live in Hutchinson, Kansas.  We are used to interacting with them every Sunday on a Zoom call.  What a blessing to know that we will be able to visit in person.

Another surprise is that about three hours farther down the road we will be a short distance from Suzanne's brother Keith.  Looking forward to visiting with him and his wife Dana as well.

The Lord is definitely directing our path.  Thank you for your prayers.

As we approach Flagstaff we can see the San Francisco Peaks.  They are shrouded in clouds.  And the peaks are still capped with snow.

It's beginning to rain . . .