The Big Country

This land is your land, this land is my land,

from the California, to the New York Island.

From the Redwood forest to the gulf stream waters,

This land was made for you and me. 

Woody Guthrie

I have not written about this for quite a while. While in the working world, a company I worked with was located in the Midlands in the UK. One of the guys I chummed from that company told me he loved coming to America on either business, vacation or a "busman's holiday". Why? He loved this country. He loved the wide open spaces. He could drive and drive and drive and only see more beautiful country. One day he told me, "You Yanks don't realize how good you have it". As time has gone on, I understand just how right he was.

Two summers ago, we went out west to see the Teddy Roosevelt National Park, Devil's Tower and the Black Hills. It was awesome! This past summer we went into the heartland to see the eclipse. Awesome again! And this year we are in the lower Midwest, and we have seen the same thing as our previous trips. Miles and miles, and uncounted miles, of seeing beautiful open country. Often times, we are driving for hours without seeing large of medium sized cities. We have been on the interstates, the highways, and the byways. We have taken the road well traveled, as well as the road less traveled. 

Do we still fly on vacations? Sometimes. But I hate it. Boring and crowded. So, last year we went through the Flint Hills in Kansas on our way down to Florida. A must see, if you have not been there. We have traveled the same route that Zebulon Pike did on his way to discover the now famous Pike's Peak. We have been on some the same trails as Lewis and Clark rode. We have trod many trails where the mighty Sioux tribes did over a hundred years ago.

Why would someone not want to see this invaluable part of Americana? Time. In our hurry up, on demand world, we want to get from "Point A" to "Point B" in slightly over a nanosecond. Me? Now that I am retired, and have traveled (flown) to Washington DC alone over 200 times, I am all in, for see the clouds from the ground up. I love this country dearly and to drive for miles in our heartland, always rekindles my desire to help make this country even better. Our land is truly a gift from God, and sometimes due to our busy schedules, we fail see the forest through the trees.  

Tomorrow? More of the same, only different. We will leave this land of epic beauty in southern Missouri, and head towards Mississippi. The next day, on to the warmer climate of Florida. Is all this better than Minnesota? Not a bit - only different. When we come home, we will be glad to get there - regardless of how much snow awaits us. We will have had more experiences to learn from and share.

As we travel, I often times remember the song I learned as a young boy:

This land is your land, this land is my land,

from the California, to the New York Island.

From the Redwood forest to the gulf stream waters,

This land was made for you and me. 

Amen Woody Guthrie, amen to that. This land was made for you and me, along with the rest of us. Enjoy folks! It is one of our gifts from the Almighty.