Wild and Free

The first week of June, we went wild and free. Loreen and I drove the trailer to our house in Tucson, packed it with everything we needed for the summer, and lit out for California.

We spent the first night in the San Jacinto mountains. Cool. The next day, we celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary in Hemet – which is not exactly an international destination. However, our daughter Janae lives in Hemet, which makes it special. She joined us for dinner. Her husband Eric, who serves on the local police force, was off chasing thieves. He missed dinner, but we were able to see him on the weekend. (Janae is expecting our fourth grandchild in October.)

Leaving our family behind, we drove the length of California into Oregon and Washington, visiting pastors and their wives all the way. We had breakfast, lunch or dinner with sixteen pastors, twelve of them with their wives. What great times we had! We also had the privilege of attending four church services along the way.

We drove into Montana at the end of June to visit Glacier Park. A helicopter ride across the mountains was the highlight of our visit. It was expensive, but well worth the money. After Glacier, we dropped down into Idaho to see friends from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania who now operate a “working ranch” near Mackay.

Leaving Idaho, we continued driving east through Montana and North Dakota, which is more remote and beautiful than some people realize. The Midwestern plains end in Minnesota, and that’s where we found the headwaters of the Mississippi. We spent a full day at Itasca State Park.

Driving to Itasca, we found a sign along the road that pointed to the “Rice Free Lutheran Church.” Loreen wondered aloud what these Lutherans had against rice. I thought for a moment. Remembering that rice grew wild along the roads and lakes of northern Minnesota, I suggested that perhaps the word “Free” went with “Lutheran,” not with “Rice.” Naturally, I found other associations as well.

Growing wild carries the idea of unfettered freedom. In my experience, freedom without restriction is self destructive. This summer, Loreen and I cut loose from our place in Arizona and traveled the country. Others marveled at our plans and wished they, too, could be so free. Our freedom, however, is not without boundaries. We are hemmed in by all sorts of limitations and requirements.

Leaving Minnesota, we traveled through Wisconsin and Michigan, where we had lunch with another pastor and his wife. Then we dropped down into Indiana, and sought advice from an RV service center. We blew two rear tires on the trailer, the first in Montana and the second in Michigan. Both damaged the sides of the trailer, one quite severely. We have repairs to make after our long trip across the country. Being wild and free has lots of consequences.
My mother Edith still lives at Grace Village in Winona Lake, Indiana. She celebrated her 90th birthday last March. To our surprise, we learned that my brother Steve was visiting as well. Steve lives in Denver, Colorado. We had a great reunion with mom and Steve, as well as two sisters who live in the area. Winona Lake is home to many of our friends, and we saw as many as we could.

Leaving Indiana, we made it a point to drive through Columbus, Ohio for lunch with another pastor and his wife. Then we drove through the night to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Three grandchildren created the urgency, and we wanted to see them. Their parents are dear to us as well.

On Wednesday, we moved the trailer to the Thousand Trails RV Park near Hershey, Loreen’s home town. Except for a ten-day trip to the annual conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, Hershey will be our “home away from home” until we hit the road again on August 21st.

Wild and free. Well, sort of.