We left home on Sunday afternoon following church, and with just a touch of trepidation, set out for Cheyenne, Wyoming. I say trepidation because the last time we travelled through Cheyenne, we had a harrowing experience we’ll never forget. Here’s a journal entry that describes that memory:

     "As we climbed a mountain pass outside of Cheyenne, we encountered a brief snow squall. The snow, the air temperature, and the speed we were traveling at, all combined to create a "perfect storm" event. Almost instantly, the road surface glazed over, and we found ourselves traveling fifty miles an hour on sheet ice. Dottie was driving at the time, and we both tensed as we recognized the danger we were in. The road was glistening, and we could feel the tires of our car losing traction. While th was taking place, I noticed a Jeep Cherokee coming up quickly behind us and was alarmed to see the back of it sliding from side to side in short arcs. As it passed us, time shifted into slow motion. While Dottie fought to maintain control of our car, I watched the driver of the Cherokee frantically wrenching his steering wheel from side to side as he fought to regain control of his. His actions were too late to do anything but delay the inevitable. The pendulum swinging of the car’s back end soon reached a point of no return, and fifteen feet in front of us, it went into a full spin.We braced ourselves, knowing there was nothing we could do but hope we could somehow avoid the impending wreck.

     The jeep completed two full 360s, but, incredibly, remained entirely in its own lane. As its spinning slowed, the car began to slide toward us, and Dottie, knowing that a collision was only seconds away, voiced her feelings of impending doom by saying, "I don't want to be here!” Miraculously, she kept us in the clear. While the Cherokee slid toward us, Dottie slowly eased our car toward the shoulder of the highway while simultaneously accelerating as much as she dared. She handled it perfectly. The jeep crossed into our lane just as we cleared its path. One second earlier, and our trip would have been over. We exited the freeway, pulled into a gas station, and offered a prayer of gratitude. It was a very close call, indeed."

     Our original plan upon leaving home today was to drive just as far as one tank of gas would allow. In our early planning we had originally set Rawlins, Wyoming as our first stop but then later changed it to Cheyenne to break our driving up into more equal segments. We forgot to include the longer distance to Cheyenne into our calculations so our goal of using one tank of gas was no longer viable. We do our best to avoid shopping on the Sabbath day, and it was disappointing to realize we were going to have to refuel and break that commitment.

     Travelling across the high plains of Wyoming is always a bit tenuous. The weather constantly changes, the wind always howls, and long stretches of open road and rugged landscapes are the norm. It’s stark yet beautiful country to drive through, and this drive was no exception.

     Midway through the afternoon, we noticed our gas consumption seemed to be unusually low. Our GPS indicated we had enough fuel to make it to Cheyenne, and this didn’t seem possible. It was then that we started paying attention to the wind that had been buffeting us throughout our drive and realized we had a 40 mph tailwind giving us a boost. We arrived in Cheyenne with two tenths of a gallon of fuel in our tank and grateful for a tender mercy that enabled us to complete our first day of travel without having to refuel.

     Our stay in Cheyenne was short, and we set off the next day for Lee’s Summit, Missouri. As we left Wyoming and entered Nebraska, the landscape gradually changed from rugged mountains and snow to rolling plains. Great flocks of geese and other migrating birds would spontaneously take flight from ponds and lakes scattered along the freeway; and the low, humming noise of our car was frequently interrupted by our loud cries of delight as we marvelled at the sight of hundreds of birds rising, diving, soaring, honking, and squawking all around us. It was a stunning experience repeated many times over.

     We arrived in Lee’s Summit early in the evening and were thankful to get out of the car, stretch our legs a bit, and then enjoy a wonderful meal and visit with Steve’s sister and her husband. We sadly said good-bye early the next morning with a promise that we would look forward to a much longer visit on our return trip in 18 months. We then settled in for a peaceful drive through the fog draped farm country and small towns of Missouri as we made our way to our next destination of Chicago, Illinois.      

     We entered the heavy traffic and hustle and bustle of the “Windy City" at mid-afternoon and were thankful to safely navigate the craziness of Chicago's toll roads and freeways and arrive at Steve’s twin sister’s home without incident. We enjoyed another great meal and a visit with family and friends, and then, as with our family in Lee’s Summit, we commited to staying longer on our return trip. We said a sad good-bye and then returned to our hotel to prepare for the next day’s drive to Kirtland, Ohio.

     Our drive to Kirtland and then to Palmyra was largely uneventful save for the changing geography around us and the increasing excitement within us as we neared our final destination. All told, we travelled 2000 miles and experienced spectacular scenery, near perfect weather, great visits with family members and friends, and time to enjoy it all together as a couple. We are thankful to have arrived safely and now to be among such great new friends in New York.