Our 2004 Odyssey
Our Journals
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Leaving home at 4:00am on Sunday, June 6 enabled us to arrive in New Orleans for an afternoon swamp tour. Talk about gators --- wow! One crawled up on the bank of the river even as we were boarding our boat! We saw alligators everywhere! Brandon was invited to step out on a ledge with the tour guide and actually hand-fed an 8-foot alligator! All of us got to hold a baby alligator! Greg and Brandon sat on a log within 2 feet of a 12-foot alligator (with 2 feet of teeth!) that slithered up on shore as the tour guide hand-fed him a snack! We also saw egrets, other beautiful birds, raccoons and giant mosquitoes! It turned out to be much more of an “up close and personal” tour than we thought we’d get! We all loved it!
In the evening, we strolled the riverwalk area and French Quarter of New Orleans. We ate beignets (square French doughnuts) at the Café du Monde.
Trip Trivia: We traveled through 4 states today!
We stayed on the beautiful Riverwalk in San Antonia, Texas. This is a lovely area! We strolled the Riverwalk in the rain that locals said they desperately needed.
Schlitterbaun Waterpark – San Antonio: Travel Channel’s #1 waterpark in the USA! The park is so big that you have to take shuttle from the East side to the West side. More rain – lots of rain! Thankfully no thunder and lightning, so the park was open. Since it wasn’t the kind of day most people like for spending at a waterpark, we had really short wait times for everything! Schlitterbaun is home to the world’s first “watercoasters” – water rides that blast you uphill as well as downhill! We certainly had a blast and appreciated sharing the park with a lot less people than normal!
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico: We hiked into the Caverns all the way down to the Big Room. Thankfully, we took the elevator back to the top: 75 stories! We really enjoyed the Bat Flight Program at dusk as several hundred thousand bats exit the cavern’s opening for their night flight.
Beautiful territory through New Mexico and the friendliest folks so far in Albuquerque. We also made a quick stop in Roswell, home of the UFO incident (still unexplained), which happened in 1947.
We traveled through the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. Layers of colored rock for miles! We arrived at the Grand Canyon where Greg worked his “hotel magic” and secured a room for us in the El Tovar on the rim of the Grand Canyon! We had tried to book a room here months ago and found out that it is reserved nearly two years in advance! This is an elegant hotel with history dating back to 1905, and it sits right on the south rim of the Canyon!
Trip Trivia: One ton of petrified rock (fossilized wood) is STOLEN from the Petrified Forest each month! We bought our piece of the rock!
It was unbelievably cool this morning: 45 degrees F! We spent a full day in awe of the Grand Canyon from various outlooks and views. We even hiked the South Kaibab trail which takes you down into the Canyon. But then . . . you have to come back out! What a hike! But getting the feel of being IN the Canyon was well worth the hike! Experiencing the Canyon and the awe of God’s creation made us feel so small and insignificant. “ Yet the Lord thinketh upon me.” (Psalm 40:17) God still cares for us and every little detail of our lives.
We got a free tour at Hoover Dam because they were working on the elevators that take you down to the generators. Hoover Dam was fascinating and definitely worth the stop. Then on to the Excalibur in Las Vegas.
The heat is on! 102 degrees at noon! Since we don’t gamble, we enjoyed lots of time in the pool. This was a great change of pace that was just what we needed after Week 1. The hotels are magnificent, unbelievably big and themed to every detail.
The day started with a drive through Death Valley, CA. What a desolate, scorched desert. 115 degrees F! By afternoon, we were visiting with Nathan at Ironwood Christian Camp near Barstow, CA. After supporting summer mission teams who’ve gone there from Hampton Park, it was great to see the camp and to see Nathan so excited about counseling and serving the Lord there this summer.
“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing;… they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.” Isaiah 35:1-2
California Adventure and Disneyland-a nice homecoming after being here for spring break 2 years ago. The crowds were light and temperatures in the 70’s, so we were able to see and do everything we wanted. Our favorites: California Screamin’, Soaring Over California, Mulholland Madness, The Matterhorn, and all the 3-D shows. We spent the full day between the parks and ended up with the Disney Parade of Stars and fireworks.
Trip Trivia: A 5.6 earthquake centered off the coast near San Diego hit around 3:00pm today. Reportedly, it could be felt to Los Angeles; some amusement parks even closed. We were riding the Matterhorn in Disneyland at that time so we were already feeling shock waves!
The kids were in the Pacific Ocean this morning early! The beautiful, but cold Pacific Ocean – water temperatures are in the 50’s at this time of year! We spent most of the day in Yosemite National Park. This was a beautiful park with a unique blend of rocky cliffs, forests and awesome waterfalls. We decided that someday we could spend an entire vacation here. We arrived in San Francisco by early evening and stopped to visit the Carruthers who have just assumed the pastorate at Manor Baptist Church. They are so excited about the ministry God has given them in San Francisco! We really enjoyed our brief time with them and hope we were an encouragement to them. Interesting Fact: Their parsonage is about 1600 square feet and was recently valued at $475,000! Though it was very nice, it wasn’t quite what we would think of for a half-million dollar house!
A full day in San Francisco . . . We took the CalTrain to downtown. It was the first time any of us had ever ridden on the top level of a double decker subway-like train. From downtown, we took a cable-car/bus through Chinatown to Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. What a great place! Right on the Bay, this area is filled with neat little specialty shops and of course, plenty of seafood restaurants. There’s also an area where sea lions swim and lounge all over the docks. We loved listening to them sing and argue as they claimed territory! We even had lunch at the “Sea Lion Café” so we could watch them as we ate! We also toured Alcatraz, taking a boat out to the island. What a fascinating place and such interesting stories are still being told about this penitentiary that has now been turned into a national park. As we waited for the cable car ride, we were entertained by the street people: the SilverMan (a mine artist totally covered in silver from head to toe); the Birdwoman (a woman in a wheelchair who attracted pigeons to a point where she was totally covered); and the EscapeMan (a guy in a straightjacket and chains who amazingly freed himself). With temperatures in the 70’s, this was a beautiful day!
Trip Trivia: We took a real cable car up and down (way up and down!) Hyde Street. We passed Lombard Street known as “the crookedest street in the world” because of its sharp turns on a 40-degree slope. The turns were built back in the 1920’s to force traffic to descend the steep incline at a safe speed.
A driving day to the Redwoods National Forest, CA. In Jedediah State Park, we saw the biggest trees we’ve ever seen! When our family linked hands, we couldn’t even get halfway around one! The kids couldn’t resist one more opportunity to get into the Pacific Ocean, but it was much colder than the previous water in southern California.
Trip Trivia: We pulled into a gas station in Cave Junction, Oregon only to discover it was a full service station- you know, the kind where they still pump the gas for you! Later we found out that it’s Oregon state law that attendants do the pumping.
We surprised Chelsea and met up with the Wentworths who moved out here 3 years ago. They took the lead as tour guides and showed us all the perfect places to view the Multonomah Falls, Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge area. Beautiful scenery! We went up to Timberline Lodge and the kids played in the snow – yes, snow --- in June. Actually, Mt. Hood is the only place in the U.S. where Olympic skiers can train all year long. We had dinner at the Huckleberry Inn and enjoyed every minute of our time with the Wentworths. Jessica and Chelsea had a great time together. Good friends and good times! After seeing the snow-covered Mt. Hood, Chelsea said “It’s like you always see these places in pictures, but you never get to go there!” We are so thankful that we are getting to go “there!”
Trip Trivia: Today in Salem, Oregon, we were at the 45th Parallel which is the longitudinal line exactly halfway between the North Pole and the Equator!
We started the day with Mt. St. Helens. What a beautiful, snow-covered mountain/volcano! It’s amazing to see the damage still evident in the terrain even 24 years after the powerful eruption in 1980. There were several excellent visitors centers leading up to Mt. St. Helen’s including the Johnston Ridge Observatory. All were very interesting. Then it was on to Seattle, WA. We meandered through Pike Place Market, a colorful farmer’s market made famous by the fish-flinging folks at Pike Place Fish. They obviously love their job and were quite entertaining- singing and flinging! (Their story is the basis for several motivational books and corporate training videos.) This was a bustling market with farmers, artists, craftsmen and street performers.
Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA. There were six buildings full of hands-on science and math exhibits and a butterfly conservatory. We all loved it! We also took in an excellent IMAX: Lewis and Clark: The Great Journey Westward. We stayed at a Wingate Inn which had an indoor waterpark! Beautiful hotel and gorgeous view of the snow-covered mountains in Montana.
We stopped for our second oil change today in Butte, Montana. Then we drove on to West Yellowstone arriving late afternoon. We drove in briefly to look around as we’re planning to be here all day tomorrow. Just in the few miles we drove inside the park, we saw a herd of mule deer and a beautiful buck with velvet antlers of at least 3 feet! It was grazing, then it crossed the river right towards us. Of course, Greg documented the entire encounter!
Trip Trivia: There is no sales tax in the state of Montana.
Yellowstone National Park – We spent the entire day in Yellowstone. We took the full 141 mile scenic route stopping at geyser basins and lookouts along the way. The longest we stayed at any one point was Old Faithful. The geologists love to flaunt the “faithfulness” of the world’s largest geyser as it routinely erupts every 92 minutes, and yet it pales in comparison to God’s faithfulness to us! We watched it erupt and then meandered through the Old Faithful Inn which is celebrating its 100th birthday. We saw lots of deer and bison throughout the day. We took video of a bison crossing the road right in front of our van!
Grand Teton National Park – Absolutely magnificent mountains! The Teton Cascades were massive, poignant and snow-capped. Jenny Lake complemented the beauty of these majestic mountains. We had lunch in Jackson, Wyoming, a quaint little Western town with personality oozing out all over! Then we drove to Pinedale and enjoyed a brief visit with Karen Ladygo Stewart and her two boys. That was fun time well spent! We also saw the world’s largest mineral hot spring in Thermopolis, WY. All of the hotels in this area had “mineral pools”- swimming pools fed by mineral springs.
Trip Trivia: Vice President Dick Cheney and Harrison Ford have homes in Jackson, Wyoming.
We experienced a “cattle crossing” in Buffalo, Wyoming today! As we rounded a curve in the mountains, a big sign warned “Caution: Cows on Road!” Sure enough, a huge herd was being moved right across the road! There were at least 10 cowboys and cowgirls on horses rounding up the herd. Now that was a fun experience! We saw Devil’s Tower (the backdrop for Close Encounters of the Third Kind). This massive volcanic stump stretches 875 feet into the sky. We were at Mt. Rushmore for the evening lighting ceremony. It was an inspiring ceremony that aroused feelings of patriotism. Thankfully, we all had our jackets because it was cold!
Trip Trivia: Saturday night in Rapid City is “cruisin’ night.” We were in standstill traffic thinking everyone was going to Mt. Rushmore until a friendly local resident gave us the “inside story!
Morning at Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial. Both were fascinating structures. We got MeMa a rock from the blasting! From there, we drove to the famous Wall Drug Store, a huge complex made famous in the 1930’s by offering free ice water. This was a fun stop! It sits within minutes of Badlands National Park, which showcases rapidly changing landscapes within a 40-mile scenic loop. Grasslands, deep gorges, and jagged rock ridges striated with rose, tan, gold and green colors make this terrain unique.
Trip Trivia: We bought the National Parks Monopoly at the Badlands Visitor’s Center.
We arrived in Bloomington, MN by late afternoon, so we were able to shuttle over to the Mall of America to briefly get a glimpse. We walked the third and fourth floors. That is one humongous mall! There are 2 food courts on each level and 4 floors in all. It’s really quite overwhelming!
We spent the day in the Mall of America! Thanks to Camp Snoopy, an indoor adventure park that fills the center of the mall, even the kids enjoyed spending a day at the mall! Timberland Twister, the newest roller coaster in the park, was everyone’s favorite. It’s the first roller coaster of its kind that spins in addition to the normal ups and downs. We walked floors one and two just so we could say we really walked the whole mall! As for shopping, we only took in a few specialty stores, mainly stores that we don’t have in Greenville. The big anchor stores were Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and Sears. Overall, it was actually a very beautiful mall with each floor having its own style and personality. Sitting benches were plentiful, and there was a warm, welcoming, safe feeling to the mall.
We drove to Chicago in time to spend the evening at the Navy Pier on Lake Michigan. It was a beautiful evening, and we got an overview of the city by riding the famous ferris wheel. Then there were fireworks----lots of fireworks! A grand, patriotic 20-minute display of fireworks shot from a barge right off the pier. A great way to end the day!
Chelsea’s long-awaited special day finally arrived: a visit to the American Girl Store in Chicago! We had reservations for brunch, and then we shopped ‘til we dropped! It was very special, and both of us had lots of fun. Greg and Brandon entertained themselves by going to see the new movie, Spiderman 2. We all met back at the Hancock Building and went up to the Observatory on the 94th floor. From the top of this building, the view of Chicago and beyond is spectacular. You can actually see 4 states! The day ended with a drive to Ohio.
This was the only day we veered from the itinerary! Ralph and Lisa called to say they would be at the Starbucks in Ohio for the weekend ---only a 6 hour drive from Chicago which is nothing to us at this point! Since we had never been to Anne and Christopher’s and hadn’t seen baby Anders, it took very little thought to make this opportunity into a reality. It was great to see where Anne has spent her adult life - places I had only heard about for years. Staying at their farmhouse, I felt like I was waking up in a Folgers commercial with cool morning fresh air, bright sun in the window, birds singing and cows mooing! It was a perfect combination having the Starbucks/Hegedus/Moss clans reunited. We had so much fun being together, sharing stories and memories. God has blessed our families with kindred spirits. Just wish we all lived closer!
We arrived in St. Louis around noon to encounter the only crowds we’ve faced on this entire trip! The St. Louis Fair was in full swing for the 4th of July weekend so the entire area downtown surrounding the Arch was extremely busy. We toured the Museum of Westward Expansion and took the “Journey to the top of the Arch” tram ride. The view from atop the Gateway Arch is stunning! As part of the Fair, an air show was going on, so we watched a “Wingwalker” fly around us while we were at the top of the Arch!
St. Louis had a spectacular fireworks display that evening. We sat in front of the courthouse and watched as the 20-minute fireworks filled the stainless steel frame of the Arch!
We arrived at James and Stephanie Porter’s around 2:30pm. It was so good to see them in their new home in Nashville, TN. Their home was beautiful and the nursery is ready and waiting for Ashley Anne! We had a great meal at Famous Dave’s BBQ and watched a “Top Ten in the Nation” fireworks display in downtown Nashville. We really miss having the Porter’s in Greenville, and we enjoyed our time with them.
Day 30: Home!
Home at last!
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. O taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 24:1, Psalm 34:8