Back on the Road

We’re back on the road, heading toward Yellowstone. We took a break in Missoula to spend the night. I’d read that Montana is gorgeous with mountains and big skies, but who knew Idaho was also beautiful?

It’s been fun rediscovering old cd’s (remember those?) during these long hours on the road, and one favorite has been the Innocence Mission. There’s a lovely lyric on one of their first albums that goes “Gentle Jesus aren’t you always, aren’t you every hour, here?” and I’ve powerfully felt that line on this trip. At the very least He has been with us by keeping us safe on the road and helping us (mostly) offer each other kind encouragement. But oh, is His presence felt in the stillness of the trees and majesty of the mountains. It’s not always been easy for me to sense Christ’s presence in the selfish, busy moments of my life, or even in the quiet, seeking ones. But He has met me here, and His being flows like the rivers we cross and winds that gently sway us.

There’s another song the group wrote when the husband and wife duo were told they couldn’t have children. She sings, “If I could I would burst into flower. If I could I would not be so barren.” When I heard that back in high school my heart felt sympathy for them. Now, that song hits me in another way. Though I truly feel thankful and filled up as we encounter so much beauty and wonder, a small sadness has lingered on this trip, almost an emptiness, and a feeling that someone is missing. We are so truly thankful for Maggie, but even she says from time to time, “Mom, if I had a sister she could sit in that chair!” or “I wish my brother could build a sandcastle with me right now!” This RV just seems too empty. It’s needs a few more Junior Ranger badges, or another set of shoes. And a little person to own those things. I’m not sure what to do with that longing most of the time, except to give Maggie an extra squeeze and thank God for the blessing she is.

One more quote from Innocence Mission: “I am always beginning the world.” When you’re like me, looking at forty and doing the daily grind,  seeing the world with freshness is kind of hard. This trip has felt like a series of rebirths for me; like discovering the world again and again for the first time each time. What a gift. I’m going to try to see wonder in my day-to-day more now.

 

Seattle

I'll tell ya, I've spent a lot of time figuring out what, exactly, we're doing.  My dad asked once if I'd call our endeavor a vacation, and I said, "I don't know!"   I asked Matt what he'd call it, and he said "A...trip."  We had always wanted to make the big drive from Ann Arbor to Seattle, so I think that's this is - our big Seattle drive!  (With some truly amazing stops on the way.)  So whatever it is we're doing, we drove to Seattle.    

And here we are in Seattle.  It's different from our usual trips here for a few reasons: COVID has caused us to stick around Matt's parents' home more, which has been great!  They've treated us to many grand meals and fun trips to the playground, and introduced Maggie to Ramona, a new favorite.  This is also the first time we've had a "car" and bikes here, so we've been able to explore the city a bit differently.

We also hit an extra National Park: the North Cascades.  We had an enjoyable hike along the Skagit River and a rainy picnic near an old train engine.

We're so thankful to Matt's parents for their hospitality, and grateful for the time Maggie has been able to spend with them and her cousin, Ezra.  I wish we could stay longer, but on Thursday we'll hit the road for our journey toward home.  What an amazing..."thing" this has been, and even despite the RV troubles we are so grateful for this experience.        

 

The Distance

You haven't heard much from us lately because we've been enjoying our time here in Seattle with my parents and my sister and her family. The weather's been reasonably good (though we had our first real rainy day, of course... but not until day 28 of the trip!), and we've done many trips to the neighborhood playground and other fun outdoor areas in the city. Maggie's eating up the time with her grandparents, her aunt and uncle, and her 2 year-old cousin - they're very cute together. And Samantha, the RV, has been getting some love in the repair shop (new hot water heater!). I realized I've taken almost no pictures here in Seattle - maybe Marianne can add some later. But what I do have is video evidence of something I'm very proud of that's come out of this trip.

More Redwoods Photos

California and Redwood National Park

We drove from one batch of big trees to another, with a few fun stops on the way. First we had a lovely visit with Matt’s aunts and uncles, Narleen and Fred, and Ruth and Dana. It was great to catch up with them, and Maggie just loved chatting with them and doing puzzles with Dana.  Then we drove through Napa Valley, which offered beautiful views of vineyards and chateaus.  We stopped at a beautiful winery in Sonoma and enjoyed a tasting on their patio.  We rolled into our campsite at Redwood National Park quite late, so only had time for a short hike, but it was amazing!  For the first time on our trip our surroundings were a surreal mix of green moss, grey rocks and tall, red trees - a change from some of the monotone places we had visited.  Matt described it as "fern gully"; I too found it quite magical.

The next morning we went to the Visitor's Center, and were greeted by a lovely park ranger who recommended some fantastic hikes past amazingly huge trees.  We then headed to the northern part of the park, where our hike took us out to the ocean.  Maggie LOVED playing in the sand, and Matt LOVED dipping his toes in the chilly ocean water.

It was back on the road, and we're now here in Seattle.