Day 7
245.6 miles traveled; 1,688.8 total trip miles…938 MILES TO GO!!!
We left Laramie, hoping the rain was finished for the day, and continued on. The closer we got to the mountains, the more excited we got.
We kept looking for the “Continental Divide” so we could stop and take pictures of us there, but surprisingly there were no scenic spots for us to stop. There wasn’t even a warning, just signs saying “Continental Divide 7000 ft” at a few points.
We did come across the exit for Rock Point (guess how it got it’s name) and I was able to pull over so we could take some pictures. Both of us were in awe at how beautiful all of the formations were. I loved all of the little (although I’m sure they weren’t little when you got up close) crevices or what looked like little holes or caves in the sides. Rob wanted to explore a bit, but we needed to do some more driving.
As we were driving we could see the black clouds of the newest/baddest storm system coming in. We saw lighting streak the sky a couple of times, we knew it was going to be a doozy.
We made it to Rocks Springs and into the Walmart before the storm actually hit. Sitting in the little vestibule area, watching the wind and rain whip around…we could barely see 5 feet outside the door. The power actually flickered a couple of times. We waiting out the worst of it there and then decided to head to the nearest truck stop for the night. Actually drove through a little of the flooding while trying to get out of the Walmart parking lot and back onto the road, but we’re on high ground now, so no worries there.
Originally stopped at a little truck stop called “Cruel Jacks”, but after sitting for a bit and watching the clouds clear up and the sky turn beautiful again, we decided to move on. Plus, we both just got a bad feeling from the place and agreed it was NOT a place we wanted to stay the night.
Which brings us to “Little America”. This place is a tourist trap for sure, but it’s nice and it has a much safer and cleaner area for us to stay tonight.
Driving through all of this beauty has really made us think. When someone brings up the Rocky Mountains, the image that immediately comes to mind is a beautiful mountain range with white cap tops, dark emerald green pines and other trees along the sides with green valleys and forests all around. One doesn’t think of some of the most beautiful rock formations that you would expect to see in the Grand Canyon, not in Wyoming. Just the immense size and how much history is imbedded inside of them has made us awestruck in wonder. We even felt like little kids when we actually drove THROUGH a mountain. It was so cool. But seriously, witnessing the artistry of the clouds as they drape over the mountain range as they slowly pass through, or a rainbow shining bright against a deep ocean blue sky after a severe thunderstorm, or just sitting in the evening and watching the light slowly fade in the sky and the colors change…you can’t help but be mesmerized by how great God. How much of an artist He is, how delicate His touch truly is. Cameras, brushes, pastels, pencils can all try to capture the beauty and wonder He creates…but in truth…nothing will compare to the awe and wonder I know we have seen so far on this journey. I know we are both anxious to see what else He has in store for us.
Just some food for thought. We love and miss you all. From our hearts to yours…
Dispatches from the Willamette Valley 