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, 21st-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.
