Warnings: You may read, herein, what already has been narrated in Susi's voice. So be it. These are my words not to over thrust nor to be a discontinuity; just my reflection of days on the road.
By way of noting, Susi is the blogger; I'm driver and sleeper. I make repairs, she takes good care of Xian (and me.) She cooks, I eat, sleep, study the maps and plan our next routes. Camera work differs: she takes photos and writes for the blog, I take shots for myself; I am moved by what I see; serenity, majesty, awesome land, expansive land, flat land, fields of grain, corn, soy beans, hay, and fence lines that go into another century, control burns or geologic features. I find humor seeing a table mesa of rock formed in a sea 130 million years ago, and that is now framed by recently placed power poles and lines.
Wishfully, I would show you much, but so much of it exists only in my memory, and those are virtual scenes - here a moment then gone.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower made a decision that resulted in the national crisscross of highways known as the Interstate system. Makes for fast furthering across the land and a roadside ecology ripe for corporate commercial concerns such as hotels, food emporia, malls, fuel stops and way side draws advertised as entertainments wondrous to see and visit. Take those roads as needed and expect to see corporate America along the way. I preferred the national, state and county roads traversing farm lands, ( Rt 380 Texas, Trail Creek Road, Montana) canyons, forested hills and valley, towns and hamlets; places of small villages, some thriving, some beset with boarded up store fronts, and over-night stopping place as Gary and Sharon's 'Silver Wind RV Park and Cabins' in Silverton, Tx). These are the roads we like to drive, such as Nebraska SR 2, 375 or so miles from Grand Island to Chadron in Nebraska and paralleled by the BNSF railroad.
Just north of Anselm, Nebraska I spied a roadside stand and sign for Fresh Garden Tomatoes and Vegetables. Went past it in an instant but a quarter mile north along the way, I did a U-turn with the camper to go back beyond the sign, do a second U-turn and stop for produce. Can't do that out on the super-slab.
Traveling these roads affords a unique spontaneity such as the time in Grand Island ,upon suddenly seeing the Logo for Nature's Variety Pet Foods to my left as I passed large buildings, and making an instant check in rear-views and the road ahead, I slammed on the brakes and reversed directions into a parking lot. We met office staff, Xian did tricks and took snacks from a bag I had in the truck; much laughter, people from the warehouse came to visit Xian, and we left with a 30 pound bag of his favorite chow and gift of snacks.
In Lewistown, Montana, instead of moving on early in the morning, we towed back into town, found a health food store; dropped Susi off to get coffee at The Rising Trout Cafe, and then I drove round and round and round until Susi met me on a corner with goodies and coffee. So good were these goodies that I found a 5-car-place on the street and parked the 50' of camper and truck. We spent the better part of an hour there. Ah!
Glacier National Park, and Megan in Roswell, NM were always prime points of travel, still we allowed ourselves to respond to local knowledge, whim, and interest in what the map showed us. The road from Miles City, Montana to Roundup, SR 12, bisects rolling hay, and wheat lands. Out along the hills is a quarry mine yielding an earth used in making fertilizer. I can't recall what. I was tired and looking for a place to stop spied a cattle pen and loading station with plenty of parking place into which we zipped and stopped. Diagonally across from us a dirt road disappeared toward that quarry. And the road needed frequent wetting to keep down the dust. As it turned out we were parked in the turn-around space for those water trucks, a fact I learned when one pulled in and stopped. Me. Well! In complete confidence and attitude of knowing what I was doing, strode over to the driver's door, climbed the step opening the driver's door, and announced, “ “Welcome to the Rt 12 Truck Stop part way from Miles City to Roundup. Parking is free! The cafe is closed right now! And the fuel depot is just now empty, I hope you have enough in your tanks, and (seeing his cracked windshield was mostly mud added) we do not wash windows.” The driver, a 20- something smiled and laughed. Fun!
Often the people we met made the country what it is. If I set aside the geology and agriculture then its the humor, wisdom, openness, thoughtfulness, and giving of those we met. As in past trips we made friends whom we shall see again. Many of them came and went and no photos. We did not meet just people. On Rt 2 in Valier, Montana, while I stopped to check the map, Xian took Susi on leash to a pasture fence to meet the local inhabitants. Nice! A nose to nose greeting with no snorting nor barking.
Out there in the land, politics and politicians were forgotten. Washington, state capitals, and town halls were non entities. Just folk. Some times we listened to opposing points of view, but we heard them in the context of life-in-a-place. Those words made more sense than 'speeches' uttered by a pol from Alaska or Washington, or Connecticut.
Animals and birds. Great Horned Owls, Prong Horn Antelopes; Round bales of hay, straw and alfalfa, and beef cattle; Grasses and trees. Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, and Douglas Fir. Hanging Valleys and up-thrust blocks of 450 million year old sedimentary rocks.
Without doubt the greatest of all of this trip was being able to share it with Susi. To see and meet the country with her was supreme. At times she lead me to new places and people (Jean and Gil Frey and wine in the Casita Camper, St. Mary, Montana.) At times she helped me with my fatigue. She is my excellent co-driver, my partner, my love. I'd like to think of us as two work horses in traces side-by-side not one following the other. Her photos awe me for their sensitivity, composition, and documentary veracity.
Here are a few of my photos to share with you. The first is a photo of Susi at the steering wheel (you may refer back to Susi's entry as as we went up and over the San Juan Mountains in Colorado). Now that is concentration. I love it! and call it "White Knuckle Susi".
A favorite is this one of the dead tree in Glacier National Park.
A mountain prow thrusting through spirit-like fog. There is a sacredness to this land. Creation and "Spirit Of and Behind" creation meld and are felt here.
John McPhee's
Annals of a Former World presents an eminently readable book 's geology as seen along Interstate 80 from New York to California. Well written at times humorous, droll, it is entertaining reading yet remains an excellent explanation of the geologic history of our country. It helps to understand and elucidates what one sees here in the mountains and valleys of Glacier National Park, as well as along the New Jersey Palisades.
A grizzly bear eating red osier dogwood berries. the bear seems annoyed by a viewing gallery.
Oh, this one too! Mae; Cadet Byers, M. L.; in her uniform and “Top Gun” shades. She is a freshman at New Mexico Military Institute. Proud of her. Yes sirreee!
So, time to rest. Time to get on with other adventures in the local scene. And to start thinking about the next voyage with our land-vessel across North America's rolling seas.
Bon Voyage
Bill
