Sabbatical Day 21/Beachcombing

Six o'clock in the morning is the time I was up today. My father got it in his head to get up early in order to see the ocean at low tide. I complied, thinking the earliest we would dream to get up while on vacation was eight. No, six o'clock in the morning and I was on a cold beach with wet feet.

Beachcombing at low tide was different than when we had previously searched for seashells. The water was farther out than I had imagined it could be. We stood at the edge of the water and thought that if it was high tide we would be completely submurged. We started out at a beach the locals call Ten Mile Beach, though I'm not sure why. Sand dollars were scattered all over the sand, some were in pieces but we were lucky enough to find at least ten whole ones, many of them have the surface area of my fist. To get to Ten Mile Beach you have to cross over a river. When we arrived at the beach we found that that same river cut through the beach and drained into the ocean. It was the craziest thing!

When we had a full bag of sand dollars we headed out to a beach that we were told had starfish. I was obstinate that we wouldn't find any. Ten minutes later I was proven wrong when we had found over thirty starfish! I touched one; they didn't feel slimy and squishy like I thought they were going to. The starfish were hard. It was fascinating.

We returned to our house and ate a large breakfast before taking a nap. Around noon we went out to the beach again and laid out in the warm sun. We were all so thankful for the perfect weather today since it is our last day in Fort Bragg. Tomorrow we leave for San Fransisco. Personally, I am genuinely excited to stay in a city for a few days. Plus, while we are there we get to see Alcatraz!

Sabbatical Day 20/My Magical Forest

We started off our day driving an hour to see the giant redwood trees. My first thought when I walked into the forest was that it was like a magical fairy garden. The redwoods were beautiful, the biggest one we saw was probably twenty feet wide and who knows how tall. Many of them were hollowed out and you wondered how they stood their ground. Moss grew over everything like a blanket of green. Sunlight was sparse, which made the forest seem even more enchanted. The roots from the trees that had fallen over shot up out of the dirt and reminded me of a crown. The dead trees had green life growing from them; trees growing from trees. Like I said, it was an enchanted forest.

After we had eaten a picnic lunch in the forest we went to find a new beach to explore. We came to a place that said there was a beach within hiking distance. We ended up at a cliff overlooking the beach. Not knowing if there was an easier or more direct way down we slid to the sand below us. We were the only ones down there; it was so secluded and we were surrounded by a wall of rock. We stayed there for about an hour or so before returning to our little house.

Sabbatical Day 19/Sea Glass

It rained all day; this wasn't normal Iowa rain, it was rain that swirled and misted and rose up from the ground. Persistent cold sparkles of rain that made their way to your pores and settled themselves into your bones. It was dreadful! And therefore, a sluggish day.

We didn't leave the house until early afternoon, when we went to the sea glass museum. I didn't learn much except the fact that it takes twenty to thirty years for glass to become "sea glass." Basically, it is trash that has been thrown into the ocean and turns up on the shore as treasure. Sea glass truly is beautiful and there are so many different colors; the most rare color is a shade of purple.

We left the museum and strolled the town for a couple of hours (yes, in the rain). While walking aimlessly we came upon a huge tree trunk that had been propped up on its rim for all the world to see. When I saw huge I mean huge! It was an old redwood tree that had been cut down for reasons unknown to me. It was over 1,000 years old, twenty two feet across, and some hundred feet tall. That was about the extent of our adventures today and we are all hoping it doesn't rain again.

Sabbatical Day 18/Alcove

My father went fishing in the ocean today so my mother sister and I had a girls afternoon. On our way to dropping off my dad a thick fog rolled in. It was the weridest thing, one minute beautiful sunshine, the next, you can hardly see the car in front of you. We went to the beach, even though it was freezing, and walked along the shore.

We walked into a little alcove which led even further down the beach. There were so many perfect seashells and even some sea glass. The fog was still thick at this point and it made the alcove seem even more enchanting. No one else was there and it was like we were the only people on the beach. It was so peaceful back there, we are definitely going back.

We left that beach and returned to one we were at a couple of days ago because my sister thought she saw a sand dollar. We didn't find any sand dollars but we did find a few more exquisite seashells. The mist finally lifted, like a curtain being pulled across the sky and we sat underneath the sun's rays until it was time to pick up my father from fishing.

Sabbatical Day 17/Horseback Riding

Since it was Sunday, we got up earlier than usual and headed off to church. After church we ate at a sushi house (no one got sushi) and then got dessert at an overpriced chocolate factory. We came back to the house and relaxed until it was time to go horseback riding.

I have never really been on a horse without someone leading me before so today's horseriding was quite an experience. My horse was named NightCap. He didn't really listen to what I was telling him to do but was a good enough horse to know how to follow the leader. I felt so tall when I got up in the saddle, it was a new feeling for me.

The ride took us through redwood trees and along the beach. We rode by a campsite and every few minutes you would hear a child squeel "Horsies! Look!" We reached the beach and the horses slowed their pace. A beach looks so much prettier on a horse. We all reluctantly turned around and headed back towards the stables.

When we got back "home" we headed to Glass Beach. Glass Beach was originally a junkyard. It was cleaned up about thirty years ago and smooth, rock-like glass washes up on the shore. Yes, that's right, I walked on glass. I am invincible.

Sabbatical Day 16/Fort Bragg Magic

We started out our day at the tide pools; there were so many little creatures to see. The tide pools were not what I thought they would be. We walked, slipped, and jumped across rocks and peeked into the habitats of unknown animals (unknown to us, anyway). I was informed that the animals adjust to their habitat and if you move them to a different tide pool they will probably parish, so we didn’t do a lot of touching. I was lucky enough to glance upon crabs and hermit crabs, small fish, and best of all starfish! Starfish are the coolest “fish” ever. Seriously, they are awesome.

We ate lunch on the beach, which unfortunately smelled of seaweed and dead fish. It reminded me a little of the “beaches” at home; the sand was coarse and hot beneath our feet. The waves crashed on the beach with such force that I was surprised any parent would let their child play in the water. Nevertheless, it was the perfect afternoon. My dad and I played volleyball near the water where the sand wasn’t so hot (our record was 145 touches! which I consider to be acceptable, since we were playing on a slope) and we all got a little sun burnt, some more than others.

For dinner, we came back to our little house where we stayed until we couldn’t sit still any longer. To pass the time we went to Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. It was closed when we arrived but we were still able to walk the land. The lighthouse was a beautiful rehabilitated building from 1909. There are eleven other structures on the land, three of which are light keepers’ homes. We decided we would definitely check it out and learn more about it when it was open.

There was a little cove near the lighthouse. We went over to see if there were any fish in it when suddenly what we thought was a rock moved. There were seals all over, playing in the water like children. They were so adorable we didn’t want to leave. It was the perfect ending to a day on the beach.

Sabbatical Day 15/California

After another day of driving, we finally arrived in California today. We are staying a week in the tiny town of Fort Bragg. We are staying in a garage that was renovated by an elderly couple to house pastors and their families when they are on vacation.

It is beautiful where we are staying; the house, I mean. The town is a little shabby but it has many unique stores that we are excited to snoop around in. The house, like I said, is a renovated garage. It has a bedroom/living room and a good sized kitchen. My sister and I are fortunate to sleep in a loft. Our loft overlooks the whole house and there are two twin beds, which we are both excited about.

On our way here, the temperature was in the upper eighties and sunny and I thought to myself, “This is going to be a great week. We can sit on the beach and get a tan and find sea shells in the water.” Well, we continued on our way and slowly, but steadily, the temperature dropped. It is now fifty degrees here. I am heartbroken. I was told by a local that the temperature rarely gets above seventy. We are going to make the best of it anyway and go see tide pools, where we shall find crabs, sand dollars, and starfish, and also we will go to see seals, which I heard were around here somewhere.

When we got here I insisted that we walk the beach, no matter how cold it got. After unpacking and buying more groceries than we have ever eaten in a week, we finally were able to stop at the beach. The sun was setting and the waves were crashing down but I decided to go out to the water anyway. It was so beautiful and the ocean called to me, I wished it was warm so I could lie down on the black sand (yes, the sand is black!). I kept walking and before I knew it I saw a big wave rolling in. You know what happened next. I was soaked! My jeans were heavy with sand and salt water and I couldn’t feel my toes because it was so cold. Let me tell you, I have never felt more alive.

Sabbatical Day 14/Salt Desert

We are staying the night in Reno, Nevada. No one is looking forward to a third day of driving but we are so thrilled that the weather is warm here. We are headed for Fort Bragg, California where we will be staying for a week.

On our way to Reno, we noticed that along the highway it was white, like snow. I looked at the dash and saw that the temperature read 82 degrees. Can’t be snow, right? Well we just had to stop and see what the blanket of white was and how far it went. We stopped at a rest stop and walked out to a sea of salt. Literally. The land was covered in salt as far as the eye could see. It was unlike anything I have ever seen before. We all walked out a ways and it stuck to our feet and our legs and sucked all the moisture out of our skin; a desert of salt.

Sabbatical Day 13/Grand Tetons

This morning we left Yellowstone National Park and headed for the Grand Tetons. The Grand Tetons are mountains that shoot out of the ground instead of gradually coming to a point. The most beautiful mountains are the ones that reflect off the lake. The mountains are all still covered with snow and we were told there were avalanche warnings.

We ate lunch in the shadow of the Grand Tetons beside a river. After we ate we took a short hike along the water’s edge. The river water was crystal clear; you could see all the way to the bottom. We all wished we could sit and watch the river forever.

Right now we are staying at a hotel in Utah on our way to California. It will take us three days total before we arrive in Fort Bragg, California, but we are all excited to be near the ocean and to be warm again.

Sabbatical Day 12/Traffic Jam

Today all national parks are free for the public; we decided to go into Yellowstone anyway. After spending an hour in what we now call a bison traffic jam we ended up in Mammoth Falls. We hiked through some more hot springs, each one more beautiful than the last. The land near hot springs is the color of a ripe orange, it really is that beautiful. We hiked to the top of the trail and looked down on a waterfall of sizzling water.

The prospector, A. Bart Henderson wrote in 1867, “I walked out on a rock and made two steps at the same time, one forward, the other backward, for I had looked down into the depths or bowels of the earth into which the Yellow plunged as if to cool the infernal region that lay under all this wonderful country of lava and boiling springs.”

We headed to another mud pot area and hiked some more. These mud pots were different than the last. The mud bubbles popped when they got hot enough and the land seemed to breathe with built up tension. When we had seen enough of the mud pots we drove to a place where ancient lava used to flow. All I saw were a bunch of rocks, but the view was peaceful.

Since it is our last day in Yellowstone National Park we are packing up and getting ready to move on to California. We are all sad that it is our last day in the wilderness, but excited to see where our journey will take us next.

Sabbatical Day 11/Slowing Down

My sister was sick last night so we had a slow morning. We started our day in Yellowstone by driving to Yellowstone Grand Canyon Waterfall. We had to walk a ways to reach the waterfall but we could hear the rushing water as we got closer. We hiked to the top of a mountain and looked down. Beneath our feet water rushed and swirled and the current was swift. A rainbow of colors shone on the water when the sun came out.

Afterwards we went to see mud pots, which are kind of like hot springs but it is mud bubbling instead of water. The smell was atrocious; it was most definitely the worst thing I have ever smelt in my entire life. My favorite one was called Dragons Mouth. Steam flowed out of a cave and swirled around a pool of steamy mud; the whole thing roared as if it were alive.

As we were driving along we saw many cars stopped by the side of the road; so of course we stopped to see what all the commotion was about. It turns out there was a bear, less than 100 feet away from us. It was just eating grass and not giving us the time of day. That makes nine bears that we have seen. We are hoping to see one more.

To pass the time until dinner we went to a welcome center that talked about the volcano that is Yellowstone and better explained the geysers, hot springs, and mud pots. Exempting the evolution side of how the volcano was created, I learned a lot about how Yellowstone was formed.

We went on a short hike in bear country after dinner before driving to Lamar River Valley. Lamar Valley is where the Lamar Wolf Pack lives. We didn’t see any wolves; however we did learn where their den was located.

Sabbatical Day 10/Getting Friendly with Grizzlys

Since the weather was predicted to be cold and rainy we decided to stay in town today. After church we went out to eat, since it was Father’s Day. Then we went to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.

This museum holds seven bears and eight wolves in captivity. These animals were all saved by this center and are very well taken care of. My favorite grizzly bear was Spirit. As the story goes, she was relocated to different wildlife habitats six times because she kept returning to the resort community of Whitefish, Montana to obtain food. Spirit was finally put in the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in 2002. I was told that this grizzly is the only one that will sit near the fence and watch the people as they watch her. She was really adorable.

In a book called Grizzly Country, Andy Russell wrote, “The same wind blows across the plains to the east; the same waters flow down the valleys there, and the birds still nest and sing in the coverts. But there the song of freedom is muted now. It is not grizzly country anymore.”

After going to see the animals we went shopping for a while. There are some really neat stores in West Yellowstone; unfortunately everything is overpriced since we are in the National Park area. All in all, it was a very relaxing and uneventful day.

Sabbatical Day 9/Old Faithful

Old Faithful is a significant site in Yellowstone National Park. Every year, millions of people come out to gaze upon its “eruptions” of water. Today we made up four of the curious onlookers anxious to see this phenomenon. As the water below the earth’s crust built up pressure the crowd became restless. Short shoots of water spouted up . . . one, two, three; a hush fell over the crowd. One of the onlookers shouted “you can do it” and up went 130 feet of water.

After seeing Old Faithful erupt we all wanted to see more geysers and hot springs. We stopped at Biscuit Basin which is an area with thermal pools. The most beautiful and interesting was a pool of clear blue water, which only got darker and clearer the farther down you looked. This hot spring was correctly named Sapphire Pool.

We were on our way back to the cabin when we spotted another group of hot springs. These pools of water stuck out from the rest because all you could see was the steam rising up like clouds across the land. The wind today was very cold but when we entered this land of hot springs, warm breezes twirled around and the steam was so thick you couldn’t see your hand in front of you. When the steam rose and you were able to see the pools they were green, yellow, orange, blue, and red.

“The earth is more alive where geysers and hot boiling water are present. Because of its geyser basins and thermal areas, Yellowstone is considered to have a lot of medicine and be a powerful spiritual place.” –Eastern Shoshone Cultural Center

Sabbatical Day 8/Geyser Watching

Waking up in a cold cabin underneath warm bed covers was quite comfortable. However, I was soon pulled out of bed the sound of my cabin mates waking up. I put on four layers before heading out the door and I was still cold, as was the rest of my family. The first thing we saw was buffalo crossing a river. I couldn’t believe that an animal that large could swim. A whole family clan crossed right in front of our vehicle along with their babies.

We stopped at Norris Geyser Basin which included a “museum” (if you could call it that). The museum was a little open building with facts about geysers and hot springs. The hot springs smell like sulfur, basically rotten eggs; it was nasty. Despite the smell the hot springs were beautiful, smoky and colorful. A quote by Joe Meeker, a trapper from 1829, describes it better than anything: “And behold! The whole country beyond was smoking with the vapor from boiling springs, and burning with gasses issuing from small craters, each of which was emitting a sharp whistling sound . . . Out of craters issued blue flames and molten brimstone.”

On our way back to our cabin we saw two more bears. The first black bear we saw started at the top of a mountain; we used binoculars to see him. People began to hike up the mountain to get a better view but the bear suddenly started moving towards the people and the cars. We didn’t stick around long enough to see the outcome.

Sabbatical Day 7/Yellowstone

Today we drove into Yellowstone National Park. On our way into the park we drove by the Buffalo Bill Dam. The force of the water against the dam was incredible; it was amazing that something could withstand that much pressure. When the water hit the dam it became mist that blew up to the top.

We are currently at an elevation of 7,733 feet. It is so cold up here and even though the temperature is above freezing there is still so much snow. I heard that in some places the snow is 1,000 feet deep. I have never seen so much snow, and it is already June! We are all making the best of it though and have already seen a lot of wildlife.

There are so many bison here; you can see herds of them on the side of the road. If you are lucky, they will cross the road right in front of your car. Bison have the cutest little calves. Baby bison are just like children; they fight, play, and won’t leave their mother’s side.

We were on our way to lunch today when we happened upon many parked cars on the road. Rangers were swarming everywhere so we stopped to see where everyone was looking. A grizzly bear was wandering not too far from the road. Upon entering the park we were told to stay 300 feet away from bears and 100 feet away from any other wildlife. People were definitely not 300 feet away. It was beautiful, yet terrifying to think that something so destructive was that close to us.

Sabbatical Day 6/Rockies

We left South Dakota today and entered Wyoming. Wyoming is the fourth state that I have driven in. Remember, I have to get thirty hours of driving before the end of July. (So far I only have twelve hours!)

Wyoming doesn't seem much different from South Dakota at first but once you drive a little farther you can see the Rocky Mountains. At first I thought I was looking at white clouds but once I looked closer I could see that they were blue snow covered mountains. It seemed that we could reach out and touch them but the closer you got the farther away they seemed to be.

We're sitting in a hotel in Cody right now and I can still see you Rocky Mountains out the lobby window. Cody is a beautiful western town with cowboys and rodeo shows. I wish we could stay here for more than one night but we head to Yellowstone National Park in the morning. Plus, we are all excited to spend the next week among wildlife.

Sabbatical Day 5/Sight Seeing

This morning was the most relaxing we've had since we've begun our trip. We were able to sleep in and take our leisurely time getting ready. We decided to go spelunking today, although it was more like "caving" since we took a path that was already laid out for us and we were led by a tour guide. The cave that we visited was called the Wind Cave.

Wind Cave is a large cave, approximately 100 miles, discovered by the Native Americans, though they never explored it because they saw it as sacred. In the 1890's a young man named Alvin McDonald came across the cave and began to explore it and map it out himself. Using only a candle, he was able to map out many of the extensive passageways that contain boxwork, popcorn, and frostwork formations. Wind Cave is not home to any animals and has very few stalactites and stalagmites. In McDonald's diary he wrote, "Have given up the idea of finding the end of Wind Cave." Even today, the cave is still being explored and mapped out.

We stopped for lunch in a homey little place called Dahl's Restaurant before continuing on to the Mammoth Site. The Mammoth Site is an indoor excavation that holds the fossils of 58 Columbian and woolly mammoths. We took a tour through the excavation site and were able to see the new discoveries that had been made. It was so interesting to see the whole skeleton structure of a mammoth cemented in limestone. Not only were there mammoths found but also camels, lions, wolves, and giant bears that became trapped in a sinkhole thousands of years ago.

This is our last day in South Dakota. When we got here we weren't sure what to expect but we ended up in a nice cozy cabin near town. It truly is beautiful here but we are ready to move on. We will take a day before we reach Yellowstone National Park where we'll be staying for a week.

Sabbatical Day 4/Custer

Things we learned today: never start a hike without knowing how far you're going; never underestimate how quickly the weather can change; keep an extra pair of shoes in the car at all times.

We got up early this morning with the intent on seeing wildlife in Custer State Park, and wildlife we did see! The first animal we saw was a pronghorn deer, which looks a lot like an antelope. We later found out that they can run at 40 miles per hour or faster for great distances. Prairie dogs are also numerous and we were able to see their little "village" all along the side of the road. They look a little like chipmunks but a whole lot cuter. I wanted to take one home with me. Once we passed the prairie dogs we soon came across burros. Burros look like donkeys but are friendlier. These animals came right up to our car window and stuck their heads inside our vehicle! They even let us pet them; their nicknames are begging burros. They were so adorable. We also saw buffalo again today; there are 1400 buffalo in Custer State Park during the summer months.

We took a picnic lunch at a lake; after lunch my father and sister fished while my mother and I explored the mountainside. We weren't gone long before we decided to head back and wait for the rest of the family to join us. We ended up on a strenuous hike along a stream. My mother said that she would never underestimate the meaning of the word strenuous again! It started at the top of a waterfall and we were literally walking down the waterfall, holding on to the manmade railing for dear life. I'll have to admit that it was enjoyable trying to get around the water and searching for the safest and driest route.

Two hours later, when we were finally back at the lake my father grilled the fish that he and my sister caught (chicken for me, I hate fish!) and we ate a quick dinner before a storm rolled in. We got back to the cabin exhausted yet satisfied from the hike.

Sabbatical Day 3/Crazy Horse

Our adventures didn't begin today until the afternoon. We started off our day at church, then came back to the cabin and ate lunch. When we were stuffed with Sunday dinner we left to check out Crazy Horse.

Crazy Horse is huge. I'd say it's around four times bigger than Mount Rushmore, except it's not completed yet. The story of how Crazy Horse was thought up is truly amazing. It started when a sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, won first prize at the New York World's Fair in 1939. This Indian, Standing Bear, heard of Ziolkowski and invited him to the Black Hills and asked him to carve a great Native American Hero. In 1947 the project of Crazy Horse was begun. Ziolkowski worked on it by himself for five years and continued to work on it until he died in 1982. Since then his family has taken over the project and hopes to see it completed.

The reason they chose to carve Crazy Horse is because he defended his people against the "white men" and refused to live in a reservation. He was killed by an American soldier while standing under a flag of truce. "My lands are where my dead lie buried," Crazy Horse.

We toured around for a while before deciding to drive on Needle's Highway. That's when we saw buffalo for the first time. I mean, they were right next to us on the road, just standing there, eating grass, taking their owns sweet buffalo time. It was crazy! They were huge; their heads were almost as big as I am. I have to say, buffalo are my new favorite animal.

Sabbatical Day 2/Mount Rushmore

We woke up this morning to the sound of fire alarms going off in our hotel. Dazed and confused we grabbed our bags of "important" contents and peaked out of our hotel room into the faces of other dazed and confused guests. Needless to say, it was a false alarm and we were soon returned to our proper beds and fell into a dreamless sleep before starting our day for the second time.

I started my day off driving again. It was a long, imagionation-less ride before we finally reached the Badlands. I'm not quite sure why they call the Badlands bad because it held the most beautiful landscape I have ever laid eyes upon. When the clouds moved they revealed a beautiful, pure blue sky that can only be described as Crayola blue.

Mid-way through our trip we stopped at Wall, a tiny little town known for Wall-Drug. Wall-Drug is a street containing rows of different drug stores, which all seem to sell the same merchandise. Each store is filled to capacity with cowboy accessories such as boots, hats, furs, etc.

After spending a wonderful hour and a half looking at cowboy wear we decided to move on. We traveled for another two hours before reaching Mount Rushmore. It was incredible. The monument is so big; I was told that Washington's nose is twenty feet long! It took twelve years and a million dollars to create, not to mention all the labor it took. How that was possible seventy years ago I'll never understand.

I am now sitting in a cabin in Black HIlls Bungalows. Our cabin is so cozy and it sits right next to a lake. We will be here for three nights before taking off for Yellowstone National Park.

Sabbatical Day 1/The Beginning

At eight o'clock this morning we packed up our vehicle and left for our sabbatical. Hoping we didn't forget anything we set our eyes towards the horizon and began to drive the tremendously long eight hours to our destination for the day.

Since I am a newly licensed driver our insurance has increased. In order to get ten percent off of our insurance I must drive thirty hours with my parents. Luckily on our vacation we have a lot of driving to do. I successfully drove for four hours today. Needless to say my parents are very pleased that I did half the driving. (They are, however, praying that I don't reck the car.)

We are now in Chamberlain, South Dakota. We drove out of Iowa, through Minnesota, and here we are. While we are in South Dakota we took the liberty of going to see the Corn Palace. Let me tell you it's about as exciting as its name. It was built in the late 1800's to attract tourists. That was then, this is now. I have to admit, taking all that time to create new pictures for the building every year is  . . . fascinating?

Tomorrow we head to the Black Hills. I am really excited to start hiking in the mountains. We're renting a cabin for four days before we head to Yellowstone.

Summer2011

Summer has just begun, families are leaving for vacation, friends are planning parties every day, you stay up all night to watch sunrise just because you have nothing better to do. As a summer resolution I have decided to start this blog. Hopefully I won't bore you with the minute details of my life.

To kick off the summer my friends and I had an end of the school year party. It rained. However, we still had the time of our lives celebrating our success' (or failure's) of this year. You see, we all realize that no matter how difficult, stressful, boring it all was, we have three months of freedom to recuperate. We promised ourselves and each other that we were going to use every second of that time to experience new things.

Tomorrow my family and I leave on a sabbatical, different than a vacation. [Def. -- sabbatical: any extended period of leave from one's customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.] My mother, sister, and I will be gone for approximately four weeks. My father won't return for another three weeks after that. We stop first in the Black Hills, then we travel to Yellowstone State Park, and at the end of our journey we hope to be in California.

During these four weeks away from home I hope to have many opportunities to see and experience once in a lifetime opportunities. For example, while we're in Yellowstone I hope I see some kind of a bear, even though every fiber of my being fights against setting eyes upon something that could rip me to shreds. Regardless, it would be amazing to see wildlife like bears, elk, bison, etc.

I'm not exactly sure what our plan during this journey is but I hope that we grow closer to God and closer as a family during our weeks away from home. I am anticipating when we leave and trust that this is an opportunity of a lifetime.