Here are the moments which truly left me with my heart in my throat...
12. PRAIRIE DOG TOWN. It's always great to see something you've never seen before, but what made this really special is that I was able to call my niece while I was watching the prairie dogs to tell her what I was seeing.
11. TWO SUMMITS and OTHER SNOW CAPPED PEAKS. I don't like driving in the mountains, but their beauty is enchanting. I will always remember driving white-knuckled to the top of the two highest points in my trip at Sherman's Summit in Wyoming and at Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevadas. At other times, just the sight of distant snow capped mountains (in JUNE!) was amazing!
10. PRAYER at the ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY TOWER. This beautiful place is perfect for talking to God.
9. TEMPLE SQUARE in SALT LAKE CITY. This is such a clean, pretty city. No matter what you believe about the Mormon faith, it is astounding what they have built in the place they consider their "Zion" on Earth.
8. SEEING NEW YORK CITY FOR THE FIRST TIME. I remember driving into Liberty State Park in New Jersey and taking my first looks at the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. The view through the "Empty Sky" 9/11 Memorial at the new Freedom Tower was also unforgettable.
7. RIDING A SAN FRANCISCO CABLE CAR. What an experience!
6. FATHER FLANIGAN'S BOYS TOWN. Driving and walking through this beautifully kept town with its history and purpose reminded me of all that is good in America.
5. ALL THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY SITES. To follow the Lincoln Highway (as best I could) was the most memorable vacation I have ever had. Just being a part of the LH is so important to many communities; so much so that it truly becomes a drive down "Main Street USA."
4. GETTYSBURG. I was so thrilled to visit the sites of Pickett's Charge and the battle at Little Round Top. I had heard so much about the Battle of Gettysburg, and it made me feel closer to history to see the places where the tide of the war turned toward its ultimate outcome.
3. FLIGHT 93 and OKLAHOMA CITY MEMORIALS. I was choked up beyond words at both places. The senseless deaths of innocent people make one value his own life more; it also reminds us about the forces in this world who would destroy what our ancestors worked and died for in America.
2. PRESIDENTIAL GRAVESITES. If you count Jefferson Davis, I stood by the graves of ten Presidents on this trip. By far, the most touching for me were Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln. My personal admiration for Reagan made visiting his grave, with its breathtaking view of the California hills, a special solemn moment. After all of the tributes I had seen to Lincoln during this trip, to finally stand at the place where his earthly remains rested and to sense the nation's awe and appreciation of this man was a special moment as well.
1. THE GRAND CANYON AND PAINTED DESERT. To examine God's handiwork in Arizona, one just has to step back and say, "Oh My!!!" These places are among the most beautiful things I have ever seen, and the amazement they inspire is a wonderful reminder of the goodness and constancy of our God. My greatest regret about the trip is that I did not visit Yosemite, where I'm sure more such wonders await. But there will be other vacations...
Thanks to all who followed this blog. I especially want to thank my family members and friends who sent me messages along the way. Also, I met several new friends through connections with the Lincoln Highway Association who spoke to me along the way and followed my travels. Thank you, one and all!!!
