On Our Way!

Today was the day for which we had waited and prepared: Time to take Alan to Yellowstone to work for the summer. I guess that we could have put him on a plane or bus and sent him on his way, but the thing about your kids is that they will always be your kids, so I felt the need to take my baby boy to Yellowstone myself. And since my former statement is true even if your kid is nearly 50, MY mother did not want her baby daughter driving back from Yellowstone by herself, so she came along for the ride.

We got up bright and early, and Alan was ready to get on the road. Here he is with just his bags, in front of Dee Dee’s Ford Focus (talk about a tight fit!):

Since I could get lost inside of a paper bag, my family encouraged me to buy one of those navigating gizmos, and I let “Tom Tom” plan the route for me. Imagine my surprise when Tom Tom plotted a route that took me through Kansas! I had never been to Kansas, and from all of the stories I’ve heard through the years, I was expecting desolation or something close to it. It’s beautiful! While it’s true that a lot of the land is flat, there are lot of trees and other features:


And the sky is the bluest blue:


I saw a sign along the way that advertised a quilting shop in Hays, Kansas – maybe we should stop there:


We were all intrigued by the wind farm:



We ended up stopping in Hays for the night (maybe the quilt shop tomorrow?), and it looks like we may see a little rain.


The good thing about a Ford Focus is that although it might be a little small, the gas mileage is amazing! It also zips down the road with ease. I was pleased at the progress that we made on our first day – about 540 miles. That’s not too bad for two old women who have to stop regularly to stretch their legs. But I must say that I am not liking that old familiar longing that is creeping back in. As we travelled through miles and miles of beautiful, uncluttered scenery, I realized once again that I am not a city girl. It was okay when I was bringing up children, and I’m glad for the opportunities that living in the city gave to them. But that part of my life is over, and I don’t like the clutter that cities bring.

“But what about shopping?” I’ve been asked by many city girls.

As long as there is QVC, and a whole army of guys (in those cute little brown shorts) who are willing to bring boxes to my door, I’m good! Those blue skies and vacant miles might be worth it.
I just hope I hate Wyoming, or I might not ever want to go home.