I spent about two weeks crossing the country with my boy and now it was time to head in a different direction leaving him to his next adventure of A school for the Coast Guard. It was a trip of a life time and one that I treasure.  While we didn't explore San Francisco nor did we end up golfing on our last day it was relaxing.  I have been beyond blessed by this time and realize that it is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. 


 

The roar of the surf pounded the rocks as I stood at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.  Just ten days ago I had my feet in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the north east corner of the United States. Now I was here smelling the salty air mixing with the dry dust of the earth.  The ocean stretching out making boats that were large close up look like tiny specks and all but hiding them with waves.  The unrelenting noise drowned out the calling of the sea birds until we were just above them looking down.  I felt small and insignificant yet so alive as I always do next to the ocean. I wanted to say, we did it.  We crossed the US but this is no great feat anymore as people cross by car, train, bus or airplane every day.  And yet it still felt like we had accomplished something. So though this is done daily, for me it was a bucket list accomplishment.  One that I hope I can repeat with my other children and my husband. 












 

Our cross country trip lead us right past the Bonneville Salt Flats, sight of the US speed record for cars.  We pulled over at the rest area along with other travelers along I-80 from Salt Lake City to Wendover.  The smoke from the forest fires in California had drifted over the mountains creating a soft smudge of the horizon. The sun baked the salt into a a crust creating hexagonal cracks along the salt floor but from a distant is looks smooth yet almost alien since vegetation can't grow in this landscape.  Arid, dessert, and flat.  We walked out onto the crusted surface and took photos with everyone else but there was more to do here than just take photos.  A few miles west on the interstate is the turn off for the Bonneville Salt Flats racing course.  We gassed up and drove right onto the flats.  Getting out of the car, I watched as he raced away reaching speeds I didn't even want to think about.  Breaking hard and whipping around to face another direction. Living where we do, the kids didn't have a lot of experience with driving in the snow.  And still there is about a week of icy roads and snow each year.  I always felt it was important to know what to do if they were driving and started to feel like they were slipping out of control.  So their dad would take them to spin brodies and learn how to correct without over correcting.  Then on their own they would go drifting.  Well that "practice" was evident out on the salt flats.  Hmmm.  They learned that lesson well. 








 

We had left Louisville in the morning and planned to stop at the arch for sightseeing and a ride to the top.  Just across the mighty Mississippi our travel plans came to a halt.  For an hour we waited within view of the famous arch with is actually named the Gateway Arch.  It was designed as a tribute to the Louisiana Purchase as well as the starting point for the Americans who would start off on the wagon trails west.   We sat in our car looking at the arch for a while until finally I decided to grab my camera for an impromptu photoshoot from a location that normally I would not have the opportunity to shoot from.  Thinking Job still had his juggling squares we searched the car until we realized that he had left them in Maine!  Out came the socks and the shoot began.  An hour later the traffic issue had been resolved enough for the traffic to start trickling onward across the river and we were able to make our way to the arch.  As we left the highway we entered what I thought was a bit sketchy and then came the Mural Mile and the parking area along the banks of the river.  Walking past the many corvettes with their hoods up we walked up the hill to the base of the arch.  Then across the green park to the underground visitor center.  Unfortunately we had not made reservations and so the tickets for the elevator to the top had been sold out for the day.  We were able to tour the museum which delved into the history of the westward expansion.  As to be expected there was also a section detailing the different ideas they had considered for the monument and how the arch won over the other ideas.  













 

 The Clubhouse Fun Center is exactly that a fun center.  We pulled into a parking lot wondering if we were in the right place.  However once on the other side of the fence we knew we were in the right place. We received our clubs and started the course.  However, there was a summer group of about 50 middle schoolers who were not well chaperoned since many of the chaperones were high schoolers and didn't seem to care. The staff were high schoolers as well and didn't care either. My camera was hit once when the group in front of us decided to use their clubs as bats instead.  Then they almost hit my head with the golf club.  Other kids were climbing all over the landscape features.  I was disappointed because I felt like I was becoming a cranky old woman. We putted our way under bridges and through tunnels but the course didn't really have any crazy obstacles.  The front 18 was crowded because of the kids but the back 18 were calm.  The back 18 also had hills and so the obstacles were more difficult.  The grounds were pretty and the greens were well taken care of despite the lack of respect from both the customers and crew. Because of that I had to give a satisfaction of 2 out 5.