Big Sky

The 4,000 miles we put on our Jeep on our recent road trip took us through Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, northern Idaho, Washington, Oregon and all the way to Pacific City, Oregon. (Thank you to my sister Leonice for driving those miles between Portland and the coast.)

Then we made our way back through Oregon, southern Idaho, a bit of Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota and back to Minnesota. That is nine different states and lots of new scenery for us, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Of those states, the only one I had never been in was Montana. I was really looking forward to seeing Big Sky Country and I wasn’t disappointed. (Other than the apparent omission of a “welcome” sign as we arrived from North Dakota on I-94.)

Our favorite stops in Montana were Bozeman and Missoula, where we spent a night downtown and also enjoyed the nearby Clark Fork River. It is fun and interesting to explore new places and get a feel for a community. We liked the feel of Missoula. It was one of our favorite stays of the entire trip.

Here’s a picture of downtown Missoula and the river:

We saw “Big Sky” country throughout our travels. I was proud of myself for focusing more on watching and experiencing than other things like reading and writing (though they got some time too). We miss so much when we aren’t paying attention or when we multi-task.

I didn’t want to miss the awe and splendor of nature and wide open spaces. I didn’t want to miss the history and the work of tens of thousands of years of glaciation and rivers carving their way. It was both humbling and relaxing. And full of deep gratitude for eyes that can see, ears that can hear, skin that can feel cool ocean air. Amazing grace.