Willa Cather once wrote, “There was nothing but land: not a country at all, but the material out of which countries are made.” She was echoing the myth of the American West: the Anglo-European version of American history. In previous posts, I have reflected on the extremely difficult conditions in which Americans explored, settled, and…

We passed through a variety of ecosystems during our road trip, discovering the vastness and tremendous beauty, but also the industriousness and adaptability of the people who live and work there. As we drove along I-80 through the rolling hills of Iowa, I noticed the contours of the fields. The crops grew on terraces that…

On our way west, Bernard and I made the trek to see Mount Rushmore—it figures prominently on lists of places to visit on the northern route of a cross-country trip. It is located in the Black Hills, a site sacred to the Lakota Sioux and many other Indian nations. I’ve always wanted to see it.…

Two nights ago, we were surrounded by a severe thunder and lightning storm. For almost two hours, huge bolts of lightening lit up the sky around us. We saw livestock in the fields, and one horse was just standing there in the pelting rain. Then it started to hail. We pulled over to the side…

Some of us got up early to see the sunrise in Yellowstone. I was chasing the light. In 1872, the US Geological Service sent the Hayden Expedition to Yellowstone to map the area, collect information about the flora and fauna, mineral deposits, etc. Thomas Moran was one of 3 artists and photographers who accompanied the…

My friends warned us before we left for our road trip that Google Maps often underestimated total driving times when traveling in the west. I knew that places were far apart, but my understanding of far changed dramatically. Wyoming is immense. One of the best things that happened to us was getting lost on the…

We stopped to visit the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota on our way to the Badlands. It appears on all the lists of interesting places to stop; it is billed as the world’s only corn palace. Two local women told me the building was on the National Register of Historic Places. The exterior of…

On the first leg of our journey, we picnicked along the banks of the Erie Canal in the village of Webster, NY. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, and there were many people walking, biking, dog-walking, or just sitting on a bench and enjoying the beautiful day. It’s easy to forget what a huge engineering…

One of my dreams has always been to go on a cross-country road trip. There is so much of the United States I have never seen. I am ready for this adventure! I found a poem by Joy Sullivan, entitled, “Instructions for Traveling West,” that somehow expresses all my hopes and aspirations. “First, you must…