Journal Entries

Where the first week of our road trip was full of what I like - mountains (western ones, the 10,000 feet ones!), open space, and few buildings & people - the next week of our trip was very urban!

After leaving New England, we needed to get to South Carolina, so a stop in Washington DC was the half way point. None of us had ever been (I think hubby when he was a small child maybe), so it was nice to see.

We saw the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, which I thought was really cool. We visited landmarks all around that area. Pictured is the World War II Memorial, which offers a view of Washington Monument (which was closed to going inside we were disappointed to find out).

Our kids haven't been to Boston before, and we took a day during our Rhode Island family visit to ferry over there and walk the Freedom Trail and eat dinner at a yummy brewery. It was timely for our son who just graduated 8th grade and had studied American history this last year - he got to see places he'd studied about, and hear ranger talks on details of events. I am not a huge history buff myself, but I always enjoy time in Boston! Plus, we had a day of clear blue skies and not- too- hot weather!

Our time in Badlands, though short, was incredible. It is so different there from anywhere else I've seen. The Sioux called this area Bad Land because it was so difficult to navigate. I am grateful for the opportunity to have driven through and done some hiking to see the rock up close and also catch vistas like this one. The rock decays very quickly here, each year looking quite different, we learned in the visitor's center.

Our 9th grader has wanted to see Mt. Rushmore National Memorial since he was a young boy. Located in Black Hills of South Dakota, they are 60 feet high granite faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. It was interesting to see, to walk around the bottom and up the stairs that take you up closer. Also fascinating was the museum telling the history of how the idea was conceived and the details of how they actually built it and continually maintain it. Black Hills are beautiful, hope to return to that area some day. We hit this stop coming from northern Idaho, through Billings, Montana, and on into South Dakota. Next stop: Badlands - my fave!

Hiking to Kootenai Falls, largest undammed falls in Montana, enjoyed the hike across this swinging bridge. Located on Highway 2 near Idaho.

I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. Genesis 9:13

Driving through Highway 95 in Northern Idaho

We took off from central California for a 10 hour drive to Boise, Idaho. This picture was from a quick roadside stop for snacks and a stretch, and I liked the gate. We were basically in the middle of nowhere (we had been for a few hours already!) and stopped in time to catch the sunset in the Nevada high desert. We live in hot, humid, Thailand, so we love the early June cool weather we were blessed with in California and Idaho!

I am from California, we have 10,000 foot (3000 meter) mountains, volcanic in nature. I lived for my first 41 years of life 2 hours from Yosemite National Park and many other wilderness areas, marked by evergreen trees with needles and snowy winters.

Thailand's landscape and weather is a huge contrast for me. I love it! God is so creative! Here, in this part of Thailand (Bangkok/central Thailand) you have coconut palms, banana trees, many other tropical fruits like Durian, Lychee, Mango and much more!), geckos and beautiful birds, monitor lizards and cobras, and lots of thunder and lightning storms. There are three seasons here, which we have now lived through all of them. There is hot, hotter, and hottest! Actually they are called Hot Season (March-April), Rainy Season (my favorite, May/June-October), and Cool Season (but it's not really that cool! November-February).

My husband as we pedaled along one of Bangkok's many raised cement paths. Rainy season in this area lasts from May/June to the end of October, and we were pounded as soon as we stepped off the ferry. But the weather is warm, so it felt great.

Waited out the worst of it in a bike cafe, and had a nice little section of mud to ride in the botanical garden, but mostly it was a paved day of riding.