Ah 'Merica

What a strange and wonderful place my native country is! Driving through the vast landscape is one of the best ways to reconnect with just how diverse the landscape is.
We departed last Monday to head east to Doug's native Minnesota. We made Las Vegas our first stop as we found a good summer hotel deal and it made for a soft start as it's only about 4 hours from our house. We decided to stay in the historic downtown area rather than the strip in part because of the deal, in part because we kind of like this older area of town. The downside is that it is also a bit seedier and has a coarser element present than the strip. Even so, the hotel was nice with a lovely, clean pool which we needed since it was 114F outside! My favorite feature were these lovely lounge chairs set right in the water. You really stayed nice and cool even in the roasting sun. We enjoyed some refreshing beverages and a wander through Fremont street while looking for somewhere to eat. Elvis impersonators, neon signs, loads of people and music surrounded us. We played a little on the slot machines and I was feeling very proud of my $20.00 win, enough to buy us dinner! We knew we had a long drive ahead in the morning so decided to tuck in fairly early.
Unfortunately at about 3.15 a.m. we were awakened to the sound of fighting in the room upstairs from us. It escalated to rather loud noises and crashing furniture and when the man threatened to throw the woman over the balcony, we decided to call 911. Again, the loose gun culture of the US had us spooked and we were just glad that a full on shoot out didn't begin. The police came and took the man away and things settled down. Still, after waking up a few hours later, we were ready to get on the road. Bye bye Vegas. Heat, alcohol, hard times, and bad decisions make this town a little hard to take for long periods of time. Fun entertainment and people watching unfortunately laced with lots of sadness too.
We got on our way and the drive east through Nevada, a small part of Arizona, Utah and on into Colorado offered beautiful views. This area of the US just dazzles with beauty as dramatic rock structures dot the landscape. We finally landed in Glenwood Springs, CO and enjoyed a lovely stay in a nice roadside hotel. There wasn't time for us to enjoy these hot springs. Would've been more fun in cooler temperatures as well. The owners of the hotel were Polish and had immigrated 20 years ago, bought this hotel and are thriving.
The following day took us from ski sloped mountain sides, through the Rockies alongside of water for much of the interstate to the plains of Nebraska where the road didn't bend and farmland spread out for miles. There's something about those wide open spaces that I love. It's very soothing to be able to see for miles around and I think good to remember where our food is grown. We landed in Lincoln, Nebraska, home of the University of Nebraska where clearly everything is about Big Red and the Cornhuskers. The next morning, we took a great tour of Memorial Stadium thanks to the fact that Doug's best friend from MN has a daughter on the track team there. The facilities are unbelievable and amazing. Thought about my dad often as the American Football scene there is historic. Quite a legacy really. To enjoy the privilege of being a top US athlete at a top University here is really a special treat. It was neat to get an up close and personal look at a school like Nebraska.
From there it was a mere 6 hour drive to Doug's mom's house. Heading north on I-35 I was surprised to drive by my dad's birthplace, Nevada, Iowa (pronounced Nevayda, not nevahda). We also ran into the only bad weather we had on the entire journey as the skies grew black and torrential rain pounded us. I had to slow down to about 20 miles per hour as the road just disappeared under the heavy rainfall. It was over as quickly as it began and the home stretch was pleasant and beautiful.
Now we are in MN for the week. The main reason for being here is to be present for the interment of Doug's dad's ashes near the family farm in Dawson, MN where 6 generations of Fondells are buried. We'll also attend the wedding of the daughter of a close friend from college and enjoy seeing some of our MN friends. 
It's gorgeous in MN right now...like the perfect Swedish summer with mild, sunny temperatures, low bug factor and almost no humidity at all.
I had forgotten that summer isn't oppressively hot everywhere. It's nice to relax and revel in these lovely summer days.

America the Beautiful: Part 3

Today was a drive across America's Grassland! Huge farms dotted the landscape of South Dakota. We crossed the big and beautiful Missouri river and enjoyed watching the acres go by. 
Our first stop was the famed Wall Drug. Who knew that such a ridiculous and wonderful place could be put on America's map simply by offering free ice water from billboards strategically placed a good 20 miles outside of its location? I had not been there since I was child and I was every bit enchanted by it as any kid would be! It's the wild west as you envision it! Kitsch abounded in every imaginable manner! And I even got a cup of coffee for 5 cents! I did like the travelers chapel. If all else fails, maybe we have a career there!
Tanner and I tried our hand at driving a stagecoach. Doug recreated his Dusty Dan part and decided to ride the giant Jack-a-lope...a legendary range animal that is a mix of jack rabbit and antelope!
I loved the horse tie ups in front of the parking spots. Well, we could've stayed there for a long time, but we still had miles to travel.
The next stop was another bizarre and wonderful place: The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota! This is a civic center that is entirely covered in corn cobs! The inside is a big arena where sporting events, public events and even the upcoming High School graduation will take place. The woman in charge took great pride in her job as she told visitors about the place. They were working on the exterior so it wasn't really displayed in all of its usual glory, but it was still very fun to see this! Tanner had to stay in the car for this one. When we returned he had finagled his way into the front seat!
Eastward we continued. More farm land. But with the added bonus of a few of the 10,000 lakes that Minnesota boasts! Soon we crossed over into Minnesota...more farmland! But then it was time for our first ice cream treat of the trip. Tanner even got a cone and boy was he happy with that! He enjoyed looking out the window and poking his head between the seats, checking in with us now and again.
So we have finally arrived at our destination! It's great to be home with Doug's parents. Tanner is quickly making himself at home and testing Doug's parents to see if they will slip him some food!
We're glad to be here. There are some challenging days ahead as we get the lay of the land with Doug's sister. We are so thankful that we can be here. And we really enjoyed these days of driving across our beautiful and diverse country.

On The Road Again

We arrived back from our magnificent trip to the Holy Lands to some difficult news. Doug's youngest sister, Jan, has made the decision to go on hospice care to seek to manage better the challenges that she is facing as regards her valiant fight against cancer. Jan's fight has been one of the most courageous I've ever seen, spanning well over the past 15 years. It's hard to realize that treatment options have been exhausted and the disease just won't relent. The decision to go on hospice means that Jan can be home, with her family, and not have to spend her precious energy elsewhere. To say that this is a difficult time for all involved would be the understatement of the year.

So we know all along that once we were back from our trip, we would pack up the car and the dog and head east to Minnesota. With this news, we've decided to head out today and hope to be in Minneapolis by Wednesday evening. We are looking forward to driving across the US, something we have not been able to do for years. I think it will be soothing to take in the landscape and let our minds experience some wide open spaces along the way. Having Tanner with us will be a great comfort and we look forward to the journey. We are very anxious to be with Doug's family and hold them close during this time.

So I'm up early, watching a new day break. Getting my iPad synced up with stuff to listen to. Sorting out some details before we depart. Our plan right now, weather permitting, is to head to Park City, Utah today. Continue on to Rapid City, SD tomorrow and head for Minneapolis on Wednesday. We're trying to avoid the tornadoes across Nebraska but then again, the Black Hills got snow yesterday. We'll just have to do the best we can as weather is not something we can control. Keep us in your prayers as we drive, but mostly, keep Jan and her family, and Doug along with his folks and siblings in them too. Thanks.