8368 miles... Diverge from the path & final note

I am home now, safe and road tired but home.
On my way down Highway 84 toward Portland I stopped in Biggs and drove across the bridge to visit the replica of Stonehenge, it holds significance because I would take Margie there and write our names on the stone wall then go back years later and look for them, it became a tradition.
I wanted to see if they were still there after all these years but with weather and time I did not find them, that is alright because the memory will never die.
With this journey I wrote our names, everywhere across the country maybe not in pen but our names are there none the less.

I am asked if this was healing for me if I am at peace I'm not sure what to say, I know I did this for both of us but that does not change the fact that she wasn't here to enjoy it but I know she watched and smiled so where ever she is my love is with her.

I did not see all I wanted to see nor go where I wanted to go but I did what I said I would and that was important, so now that I am home and the wheels are no longer turning, tears are dried and a new future calls me forward I will close this chapter and put away the book but not the memory.
I hope that maybe anyone who reads this finds some peace as well or just realizes that each good moment you have with those you love is more important than the bad ones, it's your choice what you want to remember.
Margie would often say, "Love is all around you, real love can not be tainted, cannot be used cannot be faked real love is eternal, fight for it and it will fight for you".
I hope all of you fight for love...

7512 miles... my last hotel

Because I did not get much sleep last night I decided to stop for the night to be safe.
I am at the Yellowstone Best Western in Livingston Montana, I will rest up here and be on my way home tomorrow.

Here are few tidbits about my travels you may not have known.

I drove the entire way in sandals, my feet get very uncomfortable in shoes while driving so I stayed in my sandals the whole way.

I drove nearly 300 to 400 miles a day to stay on schedule.

I drove the speed limit the entire time, had no reason to exceed it and when people pushed me I moved over and let them get the ticket.

I stayed in 14 motels between Pismo beach and Livingston Montana.

I won't go into how much coffee I drank. :)

7159 miles...this is not the beginning of the end, it is the end of the beginning...

Staying at Best Western this time in Gillette Wyoming.
A shout out to Best Western Hotels for making my stays easier.

I left Sturgis SD this morning after having a nice breakfast at the Mexican restaurant next door to the hotel, my intention was to travel to Devils Tower Wyoming but I wanted to be there at sunset to take pictures so I decided to play tourist for the rest of the day until I left.

The day before I had bought a couple of shirts at Walmart in Rapid City and having not tried them on I discovered when I got to my room that even though they said large they were junior large and it was a joke watching me try to put them on. (sorry no video of that)
I took them back and decided while I was in town I would go see a movie.

When Margie and I traveled we would go see a movie in different cities so that we could see what the theater was like, we both liked movies and had similar taste also since I had been a projectionist for 15 years I always enjoyed seeing how other theaters operated.
I decided on The Planet of the Apes movie because I have heard great reviews so carrying the jar that I have carried across the country I bought a ticket and we sat down to watch the show together.

I really recommend this movie to everyone the performances of the CG character were amazing and his ability to convey the emotions really touched you, I have to say there was a point in the movie where I could not believe I was watching a CG character and really felt for Caesar, I gave this movie 4 stars and I would see it again, I know Margie loved it.

After leaving the theater I decided to have some lunch before heading out so I chose a Denny's in town, once again a shout out to Denny's for having wireless and great menu items.

I have told many people about my journey and the response is the same they all think what I am doing is a great honor to my wife and some of them have chosen to follow my blog so while sitting there updating information on my Facebook page I talked to a waitress about my journey, she wished me well and bowed in I assume a Buddha fashion I thanked her and left a nice tip.

After leaving I got some gas and washed the car because driving 75 miles an hour through SD you get allot of bugs, once I was clean and had a new bag of ice to keep my tea and water cold I set out toward Devil's Tower Wyoming.

I still remember sitting at the drive inn theater in Madras Oregon opening night 1977 when Close Encounters of the Third Kind first premiered, I was transfixed by the movie but what struck me the most was seeing Devil's Tower for the first time, it wasn't because of the movie it was something about the mountain and I said then I would go there one day, and now I did.

It took a couple of hours to get there and I enjoyed the scenery. I feel close to the land here I don't know why but the massive rock structures and flat top hills are home to me.
When I came over the first rise after leaving the highway I stopped and took my first picture, when I got out of the car and saw it for the first time the feeling I had all those years ago came back and I was once again struck by the awe of it.

I arrived at the entrance and paid my 10.00 fee, I asked if the park closed and the ranger said no only the visitor center closed and you could stay up there for as long as you want, this is true because allot of people stay up there over night and campers are everywhere, I am glad I came on a weekday.
I drove up the 3 mile road and parked below the massive monument, my intention was to take Margie's ashes up to the base and find a place for them so I grabbed my camera, water bottle and her container then started up the path.
There were people from many countries and I heard many dialects.
I wanted to find a place where I felt she needed to be and away from the crowd so I walked up the path and around a corner where I found this spot that over looked the valley, she would have the mountain at her back and a beautiful view in front I knew this was meant to be her home.

The area is sacred ground and you can find prayer signs and offerings tied to limbs of tree's she will love it here, so after I poured her ashes between rocks facing the valley I sat down and said my final goodbye. I know I could not leave with out putting something in the jar from this place so I walked around and asked her what she wanted and she pointed me to the pine cones so I picked two of them off the forest floor and placed them in the jar for the journey home.

I decided to stay and take pictures at night I wanted to see the stars and being away from the city they would look like diamonds so I drove down the mountain to a view point and setup my camera, I also discovered if you go up there after the visitor center is closed the ranger is gone and there is no fee.
When the stars came out I was truly at home, they shined like diamonds the moon came out blanketing the land in a soft glow I stayed up there until 10 pm, I would have stayed longer but I was getting tired and needed to find a place for the night, I ended up in Gillette because the rates at hotels around the mountain were very high.
I had a rough night last night, it could be because of feeling the ending of the journey and did not get to sleep until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, fits of dreams and confusing images made for an uncomfortable stay but thanks to the last tenant who set the alarm clock for 7 am I got up in enough time to finish this and get some breakfast before checkout.

This entire journey has been most rewarding even with the little quirks and setbacks, I did not get to see all the places I wanted to or visit with all my friends but I have done what I came to do, I have kept my promise and she is resting now so it is time for me to go home.

Thank you to everyone who took this journey with me, I will have some final notes and upload all the rest of the videos I made on my trip when I get home...

6904 miles...

I'm a Sturgis South Dakota at the Best Western.

I toured Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument today, it's humbling to be in front of such impressive structures and to hear the story about how they came into being.

While at Mount Rushmore I walked the path to to view different parts of the mountain and take plenty of pictures of which I uploaded to photobucket last night.
It's impressive to think about what it took to build such a world renowned effigy to the great figures in our history.

I spread some of Margie's ashes in a place on the way out in a place that seemed appropriate because the rock structures.

After leaving Mount Rushmore I drove to the Crazy Horse monument and I have to say after hearing the story of the artist and seeing his work it is incredible and much more impressive than Mount Rushmore, I think of Rushmore as any less both of these incredible monuments have stories to tell but Crazy horse is stronger emotionally because of it's meaning and the fact that the artist is now gone and his family is continuing the work which is a testament in itself the spirit of commitment.

Before I left I spread some of Margie's ashes in the forest below the parking lot in the view of Crazy Horse.

Margie loved rocks one time in our travels we were up by Detroit dam and on an old back road we found we were enjoying the beautiful rock walls around us so I stopped to get better look, she got out of the car and while were standing there she noticed this rock on the side of the road and said it would look good in our yard so being the gentleman I am I went to pick it up of course all I saw was the top of it and when I tried to pull it out it was bigger than she thought it was, she was about to tell me don't worry about it but I was determined so I muscled it and was able to drag it out of the ground then I put it in the back of the Subaru I owned at the time and we drove out with our find, as we were cruising down the road she had a large smile on her face.
I got her many rocks on our travels but that one holds a fond memory and it still sits in front of our house today.

I am on my way to Devils Tower Wyoming, I am thinking of taking my time because I want to be there at sunset so I might do some tourist stops along the way.

My song for the end of this journey is by the Foo Fighters " Learning to Walk Again"

Now if you click on the link for pictures it will take you to the album.

Pictures here: http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a312/dark4une/Follow%20the%20Rose/

6650 miles and now some pictures

Ok here is a link to the pictures on my photo bucket, enjoy...
Copy and paste it into a browser window.

http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a312/dark4une/Follow%20the%20Rose/

Let me know if it does not work.

6650 miles...

Because of the tragedy in Muncie Indiana I did not add what had happened in my previous update so let me fill you in.

I am booked into the Super 8 Motel in Murdo SD.

While I was in Ohio I visited a friend Carman Johnson, we have been friends online for sometime now and I have helped her in many situations but she has an amazing spirit and a story to tell of which I have constantly bugged her to write. It is a story people need to hear about how faith can really work and belief in yourself no matter what the odds can bring you out of the darkest place in your life, I wish Carman nothing but the best and I will be the fly in her ear until she until she writes her book I want to see her succeed. :)

After I left Ohio I drove to New Castle Indiana to visit my friend Dana but she worked until 6:30 am the next morning so we planned on meeting for breakfast with her boyfriend Pete.
I drove to Muncie so that I could get a room. (I should have stayed in New Castle)
As I entered the city I saw the storm on the horizon and the lightning was very intense when I found the motel I the winds were blowing so hard I thought it would roll my car, I pulled into the Best Western and they were booked but she called another hotel for me and found a room so I landed there for the night and so did a local model helicopter team because they got rained out at the fair grounds, so short of them flying the things in the motel they built all their equipment in the lobby, this was a group of people from all over the world and they were noisy. :)

The next morning I went to meet Dana & Pete but because of her schedule and how late she worked she slept in and we did not get to catch up. I told her don't worry about it I don't think this will be the only time I am in this area.
Dana is a very good friend and her expertise in the field of dialysis was invaluable to me when my wife was diagnosed with kidney failure, I respect her very much.

After I left there I drove through Illinois and stayed in Williamsburg Iowa.
I have become kind of an expert on motels, not a qualification that gets me any real credit but it helps to understand the workings if there are travels in my future.

A final note, because of the unreliable internet I have had difficulty uploading picture to this blog so I created a photo bucket page to upload all my pictures and videos to and I will provide that link later tonight.

5590 miles... be careful what you wish for

Remember when I said I loved storms well I drove into one trying to find a room for the night in Muncie Indiana, if anyone watched the news it hit the Muncie State Fair when Sugar Land was going on stage and in a few minutes the winds blew the stage over with all the lights and everything on to the crowd, now they are saying we will have 60 mile an hour winds and 1/4 inch hail so I am locked in for the night here.