Leaving Denver we drove through Central City and through the mountains to Rocky Mountain National Park. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to camp at the park as planned and there were a lot of places closed off, but what we were able to see was jaw-dropping!
This was my favorite part of the whole trip. I’m a mountain girl always have been. While I love the soothing sounds of the ocean I don’t like the heat and I especially hate the sand. In the mountains, there are cool breezes, fresh mountain streams, and views that cannot be described adequately.
From RMNP, we drove north into Casper, Wyoming on our way to Yellowstone National Park. I’ve been to this park several times, but my brother-in-law was really looking forward to it. While it’s a beautiful park it’s not one of my favorites. Much too crowded for me. You spend more time stuck in traffic than you do anything else. Still, everyone should experience it at least once in their lives.
First, we drove through the Grand Tetons National Park, one I had never been too before. The dramatic river bed following the base of mountains that are nothing short of majestic. Yellowstone was more accessible than any of the other parks and it was crowded. I was surprised at the size of the crowds and of course very few masks.
There’s a black and white picture of Old Faithful that hangs in my bedroom and it’s always fascinated by my grandson. I recorded the geyser for him and he loved it. I can’t wait to show him in person one day. I think traveling might become more exciting for me again if I were to see it through their little eyes instead of the jaded ones I used.
I see the people and it makes me sad. To all of those who have lost their lives, all of those who spent time in the hospital and to all of those heroes who took care of them it’s a slap in the face. Look, I hate wearing a mask and I don’t wear it often unless I’m going to be in close contact with other people. Those times were few and far between, but it’s such a little thing.
From Yellowstone, we continued west and stayed in Idaho Falls. What a beautiful city. We visited Twin Falls and the views were just gorgeous. I sat on a rock and just let it fill my heart. The roaring sound of the falls, the beautiful flowering plants, and the emerald color of the water soothes my soul.
I began to feel those hollow spaces start to feel. There’s something so healing about nature. Renewal and rebirth wash away the scars of the past. Like the forest that burns in the summer. You see the scars and ugliness and feel hopeless until spring returns and you see the new growth, the bright greens and you feel hope that it will be even better than before.
A tearing down before the building back up and that’s what this trip has come to mean to me. A tearing down of the old, the ugly, the scars. The echoes of the past that have continued to darken the future. Today, I see and feel new growth. I feel it in my heart. Will, I finally be able to let go of the dark, the ugliness of the past, and trust in the new growth that I’m experiencing?
It’s like being in a dark room for a very long time. My eyes need time to adjust to the light. Right now it’s blinding with the little black spots floating around bumping into the green, but hopefully, soon I will be able to look and see only the new, the shiny, the bright.
My wish for you is that if you’ve been in the dark, that you’re eyes are given the opportunity to adjust to the bright. That when your vision clears you will look in the mirror and see the beauty that is you. Until next time!
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What a heart-filled post, Rena! I love how you share your heart with us.
I agree with you regarding those who don’t wear a mask. Having come through the other side of Covid-19, it is a slap in the face.
Your photos are spectacular. Your hubby is a brave man (picture on the edge).
XXX