Crusin' America

Hello All!
We are well on our way and the 27 foot RV we rented from Cruise America has traveled from LA to Vegas to the Hoover Dam to a little town called Williams, about an hour from the Grand Canyon. So far Katrina and I have taken a stint at driving (but Nicole bravely was the first to hook up all the hook ups at our first camp site- even that hose that no one likes to talk about) and she has her turn tomorrow!

The driving has been mostly smooth- there was that moment I mixed up the gas and the brake- in a parking lot just starting out! But after that initial hiccup, I am proud to tell you I handled the RV with grace and style- even driving down the Vegas strip and parking at the Mirage without running over Penn or Teller or into the fountain at the Bellaggio.

And then there was the Hoover Dam. Sigh. So, since Sept 11, 2001 Homeland Security has been inspecting all vehicles before they drive over the dam. We passed inspection (he found that our camp chairs and s'mores fixins were not a threat to national security). But as we were leaving the inspection station a little truck started backing up- and backed into us. It could have been worse- I threw the thing in reverse and stepped on the gas! Luckily no one was behind us. Luckily no damage was done. So, once my heart started beating again- we hit the road.

The world out here looks different than anywhere I've lived before. It is beautiful in it's starkness. I have had the hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth" in my head. "Lord of all to you we raise, this our hymn of thanks and praise."

So is our story. There is a lot more to tell. I will post more pictures. We'll be trying to blog regularly. There are many more adventures to be had. But for tonight, my friend and roommate Julia used to end her road trip reflections by naming places where she encountered God. It is a good idea- so I'm stealing it! :)

So far:
-Missed the light and water show at the Bellaggio in Vegas but noticed an even more
spectacular light show in the sky in the rearview mirror today as the sun set behind us.
-kindness of strangers in Vegas and in RV parks
-the night sky in Arizona and laughs while cooking s'mores on a grill
-the joy of carrying good friends and family with us- on facebook- on an iphone I can carry in
my pocket

Peace- Kristi