Bittersweet and relief - I have mixed feelings about our trip ending. Eric is more of a traveling gypsy than me. I was tired of living out of a car and tent and not having access to faucets and showers. We've been in Sandy, Oregon outside of Portland for a week now. My brother, Greg, and sister-in-law, Anja, rented a house in Sandy and invited us to stay with them until we can get back on our feet. It is so nice sleeping on a mattress and having a warm home with family in it!! We are always blessed whereever we go. Hopefully, we can make it back East by the holidays, if not shortly after the New Year. We are excited to be near our families again. We plan on settling in Asheville, North Carolina.
On September 18, we left Southern California and enjoyed Joshua Tree National Park. Heading north, we skirted Phoenix, Arizona and headed north. Agua Fria National Monument was right off the highway and a great free place to camp with some cool petroglyphs. Arriving in Oak Creek just outside of Sedona, our heads swiveled around in the car at all the red rock. Eric was amazed at the exact hues of the rock and how that hue was complimentary of the evergreens dominating the area. Then we splurged for a hotel room! Slide Rock State Park was a cool place for a splash in the creek. We went out to dinner at the Oak Creek Brewery in Sedona and visited the Church of the Red Rock the next morning.
Moving further north, Flagstaff was a cool town. We walked all over admiring the historic blocks. Old Crow Medicine Show was playing at the Orpheum two nights away. We devised a plan to camp outside of town to wait for the show, but decided the money is better spent to continue traveling. Off we went to the Grand Canyon...
South Kaibab Trail was some hot steep going. It was neat to camp at Bright Angel Campground and visit Phantom Ranch. Our second night in the Grand Canyon was at the Indian Gardens Campground, and then we hiked Bright Angel Trail up to the rim. About a mile from the rim, I had left my cell phone on and got a call from my Dad. He wished us a happy 1st anniversary for the next day, September 26th. He had just picked up tickets for a UT football game that weekend, and was excited. Eric and I drove east towards the Navajo Nation when my cell phone rang again. It was my parents' neighbour and our good friends, Kerry and Holly. They told me they thought my Dad had a heart attack.
As of today, my Dad is recovering beautifully. It's been two weeks since we were in shock and panic on a dark road in Arizona. Dad is going to travel across the country in a U-Haul with my brother Greg so he can complete his move to Oregon. Greg is really looking forward to this time spent with his father. And I can't wait to see Dad again. (I can't wait to see Momma too!)
Eric and I spent our 1st anniversary in Springdale, Utah near Zion National Park. We stayed at a nice hotel and had a great romantic dinner compliments of Momma Laurinda, Eric's Ma, and my Dad. After hiking a few trails in Zion, we explored Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks. We buzzed Salt Lake City and Boise, Idaho, on our way back to Oregon. Our car chugged along the Columbia River and to the home of Greg and Anja.
Which brings us to the present and my last post about our 2009 Travels. We've been applying to jobs like crazy this past week - all four of us! Eric and I found a great group of people to fellowship while we are here - Calvary Gresham. A few folks at Calvary invited us to go bowling, and made us feel right at home. I miss Mom and Dad in Tennessee, and Laurinda, Rob, Phil, Lexi, and Gabe in Cincinnati. Our time with family is precious, but it also is important for Eric and I to finally have a physical place to call home that is our own. So I am excited to get to Asheville and live with Eric alone.
Thank you so much for keeping up with me, for thinking about me enough to visit this website, and even keeping in touch with me. Traveling across the country was such a blessing in so many ways. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do something I've longed to do since high school. At times, it was hard and I didn't appreciate it. And other times, I was soaring absorbing all the different environments. Eric and I have lots of funny stories to remember and interesting moments. There's not much else to say right now except, God bless you.
