Many Paths, One Journey - Part 1

 

In the 10 years we have been RVing, we have traveled many different paths. Some were planned and delivered according to our expectations. Others were not chosen and offered much more than we could have ever anticipated. In this series, I will share some of the pictures I have taken of some of the paths that have been part of our journey.

 

This was a breathtaking stroll through an aspen grove in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado in 2023. The path was like a golden carpet, and the breeze danced with the golden leaves as they gracefully descended from above. It was a place of pure magic that held me in awe, spellbound, and reluctant to depart.

 

This road is part of that same journey through the San Juans. The incredible vistas surrounded me in delight as we moved from joy to joy. We have been on this road many times over the years, and each time, no matter the season, it fills my soul.

 

 

Believe it or not, this is a path through the White Sands of New Mexico. The vast landscape is one big trail that is constantly shifting with the wind. The gypsum sands are kept damp from beneath through water that drains into the area from the surrounding mountains. As the sand dries on the surface, it blows into these gorgeous dunes. To walk this path is to rediscover the incredible artistry of the universe.

 

 

This is a temporary trail that we made in that universe. It was gone within minutes and offered the universe’s response to our time among the dunes. In the midst of the constantly shifting sands, the dunes will survive. Our footprints will not. The constancy of change reminds me to walk lightly and with great respect for the paths before me.

 

 

This is an ancient pathway along a cliff dwelling in Bears Ears National Monument. A rancher camp built in the 1800s was at one end of this overhang. At the other end was a space that had been the home of Native People for thousands of years. In between was a seep of water. Bare feet, moccasins, sandals, boots, and hiking shoes have been walking this path for millennia. children’s laughter and ancient voices echoed all around us. It was more than a privilege to be here. It was an honor to be able to connect with people who called this place home.

 

This is a lava tube in Idaho that is filled with ice. We were there in late Summer 2023. The average temperature in the cave was under 40 F, but the coldest air settled and froze the ponds beneath our pathway. Several storyboards explained the science behind these icy hollows formed by volcanic magma. None of that science stole the wonder the cool air and icy surroundings brought to my soul. A true miracle withstands the assaults brought by science.

 

This path led us through Longhorn Caverns in Central Texas. The cave is the result of wind and water finding its way through seams of rock. It was a darkened space filled with the gentle breeze and the occasional rush of groundwater for tens of thousands of years. After humans stumbled onto it, they brought light into this sanctuary. The human soul found beauty in a space that had been the retreat for bats, crickets, and other creatures of the eternal darkness. As grateful as I am that we could walk this path, I wonder how much we have changed life for those who have lived here far longer than we had been on the continent. I wonder if they yearn for a return to their darkness.

 

 

This is a path through Chaco Canyon in Western New Mexico. It is the site of a pre-European city built 1,000 years ago. The ancients abandoned it when they discovered that large cities did not support their way of life. We walked this path most recently in 2023. We walked a similar path in 2024 in Cahokia, outside of St. Louis, where the native people of the Midwest came to the same conclusion and abandoned their huge mounds for the same reason. The land demands a humility of spirit to allow life to flourish for millennia instead of the slash-and-burn lifestyles of the moderns. My soul tells me that our footprints will be blown away in the winds of time, and the native people may reclaim their lands. 

 

 

This path leads through the hills and valleys of Dinosaur Monument National Monument in Colorado and Utah. This is a path through the hills surrounding the huge excavation where hundreds of prehistoric fossilized bones are preserved,.  It was warm, and I was not excited about making that walk. But, as always, Marlene wanted to "get some steps in."  Along the way, we saw ancient, fossilized shells of invertebrates in the rocks along the hillside. We saw the rocks that held impressions of a prehistoric thunderstorm on a muddy embankment. Despite the desolation of the place, that path led me to a time when this place brimmed with life and was home to magical creatures that challenged my imagination. Some paths are all about time travel, reminding us that the universe did not begin when Homo Sapiens first appeared alongside a stream in Ethiopia. 

 

 

Among the paths we have followed, the most enjoyable have often involved companions. Here is a long-time friend, Doug, who along, with his spouse Marcy (no pictured) joined us along a trail in the Bighorn Mountains. It was a path they had walked many times and shared with us. The countryside was beautiful, but I must admit, being with such congenial folks made that path a special treat for us. Sometimes, it is the company that makes the journey worthwhile.

 

This trail encircles a very old prayer circle on top of a mountain in the Bighorns. D.C. and Austin are nothing compared to the power I felt in this place. I saw countless offerings of tobacco and small goods tied to the posts and left at important points in the circle. The circle is formed by faith expressed as prayers, hopes, and dreams. People come here from all over the world because of the power that infuses the soul along the path. It has been here for thousands of years and still draws the faithful and skeptical alike to experience its magic. Most who come as seekers leave empowered and renewed. I am grateful that there are paths that lead me beyond my waspish, 21^st-century mindset and help me know that the universe is far more interesting than I have ever imagined.

 

The final image for this first edition on paths comes from The Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Some paths exist to help us see more of the horizon. The human spirit yearns for more. When I stumble upon a broad vista, I am not satisfied. I want more! Fortunately, some paths have been created to allow us to see beyond our limited senses and the limitations of daily life. Marlene and I want more and will walk as far as possible to feed that soul's desire.

 

What makes a path worth following? It must feed our soul. We cannot always know what a path has to offer, nor are we always aware of our soul's hunger. But we are inevitably fed by stepping out on the path, following where it leads, and listening to the voices along the way.

 

We will continue to seek the “something more” that awaits us. There are so many paths and so few years left to walk them. I hope you join us on our journey.

 

Travel well, my friends!

Bob

 

The ground beneath is foreign yet firm, 

each step unfolding like secrets revealed. 

Hesitation slows our pace, but 

every stride unveils sights unseen.

 

A burst of colors meets anxious eyes, 

lush greens, sky's expanse, the ocean’s roar— 

these are gifts wrapped in uncertainty, 

generous beauty we almost missed.

 

As we travel on, resistance fades, 

and joy seeps through, subtle, yet profound. 

We laugh at our fear, that cagey ghost, 

and bask in new wonders without constraint.

 

Paths diverging, converging, continue, 

each a promise of stories untold. 

We learn reluctance is just a veil, 

behind which opportunity blooms bright.

 

Walking onward, heart lightened by discovery, 

we find the journey itself is joy. 

Sometimes it’s reluctance, stark and quiet, 

that leads to the richest of destinations.