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Having spent a bit over eight weeks on the roads of the western United States in our “Whealhouse”, Diane and I returned to southern Minnesota a few days ago.  We drove just over 7,500 miles in that time, met many wonderful people, no outright curmudgeons, sampled local foods (both good and bad) and viewed countless vistas of our wonderful country.  The question must be asked, naturally in my native tongue (which is well known for dangling participles everywhere)… “So what did you learn then?”

First.  We live in a land of amazing landscapes, full of diversity (including the people) that all of us should visit.  Past leaders have set aside vast areas for our enjoyment; not the way we enjoy a movie by leaving behind our empty “mega jumbo” popcorn buckets and not quite finished artificially sweetened drinks (which create a substance akin to “The Blob” that I call cinemuck).  We ought to enjoy the outdoor parks we pay for quietly and with the admiration they deserve.  Deserts, mountains, rivers, enormous valleys down to the miniscule flowerlike formations of Carlsbad Caverns; they all deserve our protection along with the “ooohs and aaahs” of our observation.

Second.  We met varied and wonderful inhabitants; aardvarks, birds, coyotes, pronghorns, moose (or meese if you see more than one), and yes, even the bear that wanted the leftovers of our dinner as a midnight snack.  Oh, we met a few people, too; most of whom (?) were simply marvelous to chat with.  I’m not writing to vent along any particular political lines, except to mention that most discussions involving the subject showed an overall “tired of all of it” theme.  Maybe this is the legacy of democracy.

Third.  Change is all around us.  Weather patterns are changing (think of western drought and desert flash floods), landscapes are changing (Mount St Helens comes to mind), values are changing (pot became legal in Oregon while we were there – ‘nough said), people are changing… I don’t think we can expect “the good old days” to mean much any longer.

Fourth (and Final).  Don’t ever, ever, never take shortcuts using a stinky slinky.  If you doubt the sincerity of this, just watch “RV” with Robin Williams from a few years ago.

This blog isn’t finished with our first road trip… we’ll be having numerous adventures from today on.  From niece’s baby showers and granddaughter’s first birthdays to winter in a warm wonderland…. Stay in touch.