The End of the Road?

The next day was also pretty much just a driving day as we headed toward our next destination: Bryce Canyon National Park. Since we arrived at our campground at dinnertime, we decided to wait until the next day to see the Park. We began that day with a promised finally fulfilled. Since the beginning of the trip, all Maria wanted to do was go horseback riding. Since we hadn't done it yet (and since the stables we found near Bryce were very reasonably priced), we all went for a half hour ride. Horseback riding? Check.
As all of the national parks have been, Bryce Canyon was just spectacular. Incredible hoodoos (tall, thin rock formations), arches and cliffs, all in vivid reds and oranges. We spent the day driving around and enjoying the views from the various lookouts. OK, let's be honest. Vicky and I enjoyed driving around and enjoying the views from the various lookouts. The kids enjoyed the first one and whined and complained the rest of the day. Since it was our 16th wedding anniversary, we weren't about to let them spoil the day. We just bored them all the more with "Sixteen years ago today, I was heading for the church. Sixteen years ago right now, we were taking pictures." Etc, etc. Between their boredom with the stops at viewpoints and their boredom with the "Sixteen years ago..." stories, I'm sure they were tempted to jump off the last few viewpoints.
We wanted to enjoy a special dinner to celebrate, but the remote road that connects Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks didn't offer many options. When we saw the "Buffalo Bistro" we were intrigued and stopped. It turns out there was much to be intrigued by. The menu included items like rattlesnake sausage and rocky mountain oysters. Vicky and I split the ribs while the kids split a steak. What she didn't know when she ordered them was that the ribs were either buffalo or boar. Though she couldn't get herself to try the buffalo, I found both very tasty.
We left there, planning on making a quick drive through Zion so we could get to Arizona a little earlier and get on with the business of figuring out where we're moving to next month. We got within a few miles of Zion and found out that construction on a tunnel meant our trailer couldn't make it. We were OK with that since we were only going to see it on a drive-through. It was then that the GPS sinned for the second straight day. I hit the detour button and stupidly followed its directions onto Sand Canyon Road. It looked like a shorter trip than following the highway detour and since the sun was already setting, a short cut sounded good. And for the first 20 miles of the 28 mile trip it was good. But when Sand Canyon Road hit the Arizona State Line, I had a bone to pick with the Arizona Department of Transportation. Right next to the sign that read "Arizona State Line" was another, very unwelcoming sign: "Pavement Ends Here." There it was, just a day's drive from the end our our trip. Literally, it was the end of the road. Not wanting to backtrack 20 miles, we kept going, bumping and shaking our way for the next 8. It reminded all of us of the road to the orphanage in Mexico, complete with fence posts made out of tree branches. After about 45 bumpy minutes, a quick refuel stop and a few hours on I-15, we made it to about an hour north of Las Vegas.
The next day, the last day of our three month journey was going to be just another day of driving, getting us from southern Nevada to southern Arizona. When I saw that our route took us within a few miles of Hoover Dam, I thought it'd be nice to stop and see something interesting. But after waiting for a half hour in traffic due to construction near the dam and not getting much closer to it, we decided it wasn't worth it. Turning south we made our way to Yuma by about 9:00. 85 days, 3038 miles, six states, two countries, but countless memories.
We intended the trip to be much more than a journey of distance, and I can say it certainly has been. Though every day brought the difficulties of the five of us living in about 80 square feet of space and the three kids sharing one row in the car, it also brought us much happiness. No, the road doesn't end here. Just a very special chapter of our story. A story that now includes memories of some of the most beautiful places on the planet, and most especially many new and renewed friendships.
So the journey continues. At this moment, we don't know where life will lead us next, but then again we left on this trip with nothing but a vague notion of where we'd go. The trip taught each of us, and all of us together, many things. One of the most valuable for me has been learning once again that in life you never really know where you're headed, even if you think you do. And while that might not be a comfortable thought for many of us, I learned once again that one of life's greatest joys is the experience of discovering what each new day will bring. We've enjoyed so many unanticipated joys on this trip that as I look forward to a road that leads to a place we can't yet see, I look forward with more anticipation of what this next leg of the journey will bring.
Because, no, we're not there yet.