Have you ever had one of those experiences that, at the time it happens, just doesn’t hit you how much it means? Maybe later on down the road it becomes more and more important to you?
It’s been four months now since my wife and I took what was for us, a vacation of a lifetime. We drove from Ohio to the west coast, up the coast and back to Ohio.
We covered just over 7,000 miles, spent 26 days away from home and went through 17 states. We saw sights that we had always heard about or had seen in pictures, but to see them in person was quite amazing.
I think as time passes, and the more we think back on everything we got to do and see, it sinks in more and more. At the time we were traveling and seeing everything, it was so overwhelming that it took time for the impact of what we did to really hit us.
Famous Sites
We saw the famous archway in St. Louis, stopped at Vaile, Colorado and went into the Grand Canyon National Park. We went on to Las Vegas for all the lights, entertainment and activities there. We drove up the coast to San Francisco, a city we had always dreamed of seeing, sitting by the bay and driving across the Golden Gate Bridge. We took an Amtrak ride from a town we found nice and interesting, San Luis Obispo back down to Los Angeles and saw many famous sites and landmarks there. Then we drove back up the coast to visit some friends in Klamath Falls, Oregon, then up to Seattle and Mt. Rainier then over to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho where we had dinner with a couple other friends.
From there we went down into Yellowstone National Park to see Old Faithful, getting there just fifteen minutes before it erupted. We went over to see Mt. Rushmore and the famous four presidents sculpted into the mountain. We finished up our trip with a stop in Chicago and a walk around Navy Pier and down the Magnificent Mile.
I think once we got home we were so tired and full of memories, it just didn’t sink in how much this affected us. As time passes, it hits me how much this trip means to the both of us. For me, I got to spend this fantastic trip with my best friend and the person I love more than I can express, getting to see such beautiful and interesting scenery, famous landmarks and interesting sites. And all the while we were making wonderful memories that we will never forget.
Fear
One of the things that really hit me about this trip is the fact that I really had some fear about going. Not a fear that something would happen, but a fear of the unknown. I wondered how would we ever pack a car for a month, how would we find where to stay every night, and how would I ever be able to drive in some of those big cities. The truth of the matter is I could have told my wife I was very nervous about doing this and wanted to wait a while. She would have said that is fine and we would have probably gone to the beach like normal, and probably never made this trip.
The thing is, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was time to take the plunge and make the decision to give it a try and see what happens. Sometimes we just have to look past our fears, jump in and take off. That is exactly what we did and it turned out great. For my wife and me, we feel that God was watching over us along the way, protecting us and guiding our schedule. I know not everyone believes that, and that is OK.
All along the way, everything just seemed to fall into place at the right time and right place. We had great weather, got into nice hotels every night at decent prices, had no trouble on the road, and just enjoyed ourselves beyond expression. We got to spend a little time with some fellow believers, enjoying good conversation and good food, and to us, we felt we had better fellowship than we have found in most churches we were part of in the past.
So, I guess if there is any moral to the story, it would be look past your fears, make up your mind you are going to do what you feel is right and don’t let worry or fear hold you back. You might just miss a great time and lose those wonderful memories that last a lifetime.
Done with Religion 
It was beautiful.
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Thank you Michael. We really enjoyed the time we had with you two. Such fun, happy memories we have of our time there.
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Thank you for your comment.
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Mike, that evening with you and your wive was one of the highlights of our 2015 as well. Thanks for looking us up, dear brother. And Becky, you two are always welcome to stay over with us at our “Red Roof Inn” if you can get up this way (we have the only house in town with a red roof! :-) . Bless you all!
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And, I forgot to mention in my first comment, I live in Denver, jist a hop, skip, and a jump to Vail. I’m glad you and your wife were able to see such gorgeous country here with these Rocky mountains!
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I would love to walk where Jesus did. Whenever I express this desire, I often get the response, even from church-goers, that “I would never go there. It’s too dangerous.” I pray that they (and I) will remember that believing in His Promises mean that we are preceded by His angel as Abraham told his servant that he would be went to get Isaac a wife. : )
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Yes! Michael Clark and another woman, her name is Claudia.
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Thanks Becky. Sorry your trip was over a tragic event. Glad that everything went good on the trip. Your friend wouldn’t happen to be Michael Clark would it? Thanks for the comment.
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What fun! I’d like to visit two friends I’ve met online that live in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. One day.
My husband and I took a trip to Taos, NM last July with some friends. It was over the anniversary of a tragic event in our friends’ lives. We haven’t been travelers in our 27 1/2 years of marriage. And God has redeemed much in our life, our marriage. This trip was exceptional from the get-go. Everything was perfect, as it needed to be for the hard time of year it was…God knew. The trip, the home we stayed in, the view, the whole time we were there, was the highlight of 2015 for me. I had fear, too. Like you said, the unknown. But it unfolded beautifully.
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I agree, the first time is always the most rewarding and memorable, yet always good to take a second or third visit because there is always something you miss the first time. By the way, we stopped at Devil’s Tower also. I had to see the famous site that was from one of my favorite movies, Closer Encounters. Thanks for your comment.
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Wonderful story! Karen and I took a similar trip a few years ago, from IL to WA and stopped at a few places along the way – one of which was Devil’s Tower in mid-October. We walked the trail around it and on the backside of the tower, found ourselves in a blizzard. It was too warm for the snow to stick, just a beautiful sight and lasting memory. On that trip we had reservations in advance and checking into our first hotel, met an older retired couple who just wandered in off the interstate and asked for a room. The clerk said they had “only one reservation” for the night and the couple smiled at us and asked “newly retired, eh?” ;) “No need for reservations this time of year, son” … he suggested we simply drive until we were tired and stop there for the night – hotels often will negotiate rates because there are fewer travelers than in peak season. We did that on our IL to WA run last October and it mostly worked out, except for pheasant season in SD.
Another thing the Lord has shown us about such travels … the first time we take a trip to a new destination is always the best time. When the next year we try to replicate the trip, it’s never as good as the first time. Perhaps vacations are meant to be firsts, a break from the mundane to enjoy something new?
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Thanks Helen. Many good memories could easily be lost due to fear. Glad you and your husband are making great memories also.
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My husband & I have overcome our fears also. And always have been blessed by the experience of doing something new. Just getting rental car & driving all over South Dakota and panning for gold in a rain storm was the best time ever. We were rewarded by finding a couple flakes of gold; and not being struck by lightening! The Lord always sends His angels to tell us, “fear not”. Thanks for posting this reminded me of our trips out west also. Helen
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