But the trip didn't stop because of that minor detail. In fact, it only got better. We'd quickly find out that the scenic views outweighed the time consuming nightly unpacking and then morning packing back up of the truck. By now we've developed quite the routine- we get to a campsite, Matt unloads the truck while I keep Henry wrangled, I either make dinner or we've already eaten, we hang til bedtime, we all climb in the bed of the truck and go to sleep...around midnight, when the sun is finally setting. Thank you time change and never setting sun. In the morning, we wake up, I start coffee and breakfast, Matt loads the truck up while Henry runs around, we eat and then head out for the day. We do all of this rain or shine, every time we camp, which has been for about 2-3 night stretches, and then we stay at a hotel for a night to shower and get a good night's sleep. We've gotten a little system down, and it seems to be working.
As I sit and ponder all the amazing sites and scenery we've seen in the last 2 weeks, I can't help but feel grateful. We could've flown like I petitioned to do early on, we could've taken the quick(er) route like Siri wanted us to do, but we chose to follow the road less traveled, longer traveled. And so far, I'm so glad we did. Sometimes things worth doing take more time and effort, but in the end they are just that-worth it. Here's a quick recap of our journey thus far-
CO Springs-we survived the drive up Pikes and hung while our brains screamed for oxygen. Fun, right?! We witnessed real, natural rock formation beauty at the Garden of the Gods, and we walked amongst magnificent aerial views at the Cheyenne Zoo where I'm not sure what was cooler-the animals or the views! Walking around each place, I can remember thinking- "gosh, what can top this beauty?"
Yellowstone National Park- we saw Old Faithful blow, the bubbling of the Artist Paint Pots, and the beautiful colors that nature so effortlessly provides at the Grand Prismatic Springs. We saw wildlife galore at Mammoth Springs and the drive to Two Towers- buffalo, elk, black bears, mtn goats, and a moose. And again I thought, "wow! This is beyond beautiful, but will anything top this?"
Glacier National Park- Mountain scenery larger than life. Some rough, some jagged, some smooth, and some snow topped. We hiked to St. Mary's and Virginia Falls where we witness water so clear and turquoise it'll make you touch it to ensure its real. And it is-real! Again I thought, "this is too beautiful to be true; what will ever top this?"
We crossed the border into Canada and I got sorta discouraged. The town was small, and didn't offer much, but the Rocky's greeted us from behind, encouraging us of what's to come.
Banff National Park, AB, Canada-
Johnston Falls- this nice little hike led us on a catwalk, along a tall mountain, over a creek, and to a few waterfalls. The main fall boasts turquoise/teal water that is clear enough to see the bottom! Our first taste of that iconic glacial water. And you can walk into a cave to see the fall up close. The walk and the falls were so beautiful and I wondered, "what can top this?"
Moraine Lake- hello you beautiful wonder of the world. How water can be that turquoise blue with mountains THAT tall standing tall and proud behind is beyond my imagination. Or my wildest dreams. I stood there atop the Rockpile we scaled in half the normal time in anticipation of the view up higher, and thought, "I've seen beauty, so much, but what now will top this? Surely nothing."
Lake Louise- a quick pit stop to the iconic boat dock at Lake Louise had me feeling all the pretty water and mountain-scape feels. It was breathtakingly gorgeous. If there was less people, less canoes, and a cup of coffee in my hand, I'm certain it would've been perfection. Right then, right there. And in that pondering moment I thought, "beauty this amazing is too good to be true; surely I've seen all the beauty the world has to offer..."
And then Peyto Lake happened.
This was a half thought stop. We didn't plan it, and Lord knows we really needed to keep driving since Henry was grouchy as all get out, but a quick stop soon turned into an unexpected adventure. The designated tourist overlook is crowded with people and oh so hard to get a good look at the magnificent unreal looking neon blue water. I'd heard there was a secret trail for a private viewing, but it proved a little harder than first thought to find. But boy does persistence pay off. We hiked that little path less traveled and in doing that, the world revealed to us beauty beyond belief, beyond comprehension. Peyto Lake. And I stood on that pile of boulders, high above that beautiful neon blue water and thought, "this. All this. This is what dreams are made of. This is true beauty."
Skirting the Rocky's. Magnificent. Towering. Commanding. Beauty on a totally different scale. They're incomparable. There's simply nothing like it.
And though I still wonder if anything will top any of this, or even come close, I have the satisfying feeling that I can no longer compare-beauty is beauty, and that's all there is to it. It must be felt in the moment, and remembered for a life time. But if I had to choose a favorite, Peyto would be it. :)
We've got a bit more time on the road until we reach our next home, but I feel full, satisfied, that if that's all we see, I'm ok with it. This trip has turned into the journey of a lifetime. One that we have the Army to thank for, and my incredibly (mostly) patient husband, who understands that all we need is time, and a whole lotta space to do it right.
The feeling of home follows us. We're teaching Henry that home is a 4 letter word, not 4 walls. We can find home and take it with us wherever we go.
