TWA:SW 37 Rescue at Joshua Tree National Park

Our next stop was Joshua Tree National Park, where the Mojave and Colorado Deserts collide against a backdrop of the Little San Bernardino Mountains in southeast California.

Although it’s one of the newer parks and not well known, it encompasses over 1,200 square miles . . . an area slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island!

Joshua Tree National Park is named for the “Joshua Trees,” which according to undocumented legend was the name given by the Mormon settlers to these strange plants. As the story goes, the trees reminded the pioneers of the biblical Joshua, who lifted up his arms toward heaven for hours and hours, interceding to God so the Israelites could overcome their enemies and safely enter the Promised Land.

Although they grow to be as tall as some trees (nearly 50 feet) and are long-lived like trees (can live hundreds of years), Joshua trees are really a member of the Yucca family, Yucca brevifolia. They are most abundant in the Mojave Desert and thrive at elevations between 1,300 and 5,900 feet.

Joshua trees bloom in the spring, typically from late February to late April, and they were bursting with blooms while we were there. If you want to visit, I highly recommend April for maximum color and beauty!

Besides enjoying the Joshua trees, the park is famous for rock climbing, hiking, camping, and star gazing (since the night skies are usually clear and very dark).

We marveled at the unusual rock formations in the park, known as “inselbergs” (a loan word from German meaning “island mountains”).

They are composed from igneous rocks that have been weathered over ions of time and are now beautifully sculpted into soft contours and smooth boulders, often stacked in whimsical towers that seem to pop right out of the desert floor!

Alan and I took a drive along the main road through the park on a cool, sunshiny day and saw many hikers climbing the rocks.

We enjoy hiking—and used to scramble up rocks like mountain goats—but it occurred to us that at our age it would be pretty easy to slip and fall, so we mostly kept on level paths and resisted joining in the fun of rock climbing.

But, really, doesn’t this look tempting? Alan probably could have done just fine, but he makes wise decisions that keep us out of lots of trouble I’d likely get myself into!

As we traveled, I couldn’t help scanning the distant hills to see if I could find climbers, and they were there, mostly looking smaller than ants on anthills!

About halfway through our adventure, we heard a helicopter overhead.

Helicopters make so much noise I usually hear them before I see them! This one seemed to roar out of nowhere and suddenly passed right overhead.

Police were already on the scene and stopped the traffic just in front of us to make space for the helicopter to land.

Before long, a second helicopter came to to the site. We could tell we were not going to be going anywhere for a while, so we started looking around, trying to figure out what was going on and praying for whoever needed an airlift from “Mercy Air.”

After a while, I decided to take a walk along the road. I was delighted to see that what had seemed like barren earth as we sped by really hosted a number of tiny but beautiful flowering plants.

Talk about blooming with grace and blooming where you’re planted!

The things I miss when I’m looking off into the distance at all that’s impressive and famous while failing to admire the humble beauty right at my feet!

My dad (after he retired and got smarter about life) often used to say, “Don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers!”

That day we did. So many times it takes trouble to make us slow down, doesn’t it?

As a flower lover, I was thrilled to discover all the tiny treasures and signs of new life. Life and beauty abound even in parched places. God is so merciful!

After about a half an hour, we saw one of the helicopters lower a rescue worker with a stretcher, load someone on and take them back up to the safety of the craft. Within seconds, they roared away, doubtless to a hospital emergency room.

I never heard what happened, but I thought about how we humans can lift our hands to heaven, just like Joshua, and ask for help. I thought about how we humans are spiritually in need of rescue. We are never going to be able to climb to heaven on our own and will just get injured if we try. We can die trying or accept help from Jesus, who knows the way and explained, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). I am eternally grateful that our merciful God sent Jesus down from heaven to rescue me . . . and “whosoever will.” Have you asked Jesus to rescue you?

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! . . . Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever; And rescued us from our enemies” (Psalm 136:1, 23-24 NKJV).

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:4-11, ESV).

TWA:SW 35 Antelope Canyon: In the Cleft of the Rock

“Whatever you do, don’t miss Antelope Canyon!” Randy advised.

He and Julie had been out West a few years earlier, and they thought Antelope Canyon in Arizona was possibly the highlight of their entire trip.

I’d never even heard of Antelope Canyon, but after their advice, I looked into it.

Antelope Canyon is just a couple of hours from the Grand Canyon’s south rim.

Antelope Canyon belongs to the Navajo Nation.

You can only visit if you make an advance reservation.

And reservations are very expensive.

No one is allowed to roam free.

However, the guides are very knowledgable and personable, so they’re worth their hire!

They also keep you safe, which isn’t something you’d think you need, but you do!

On the surface above the canyon, everything looks dry as a bone.

You’d never guess there are wondrous caves underneath!

How does it happen?

Antelope Canyon is one of several very unique “slot” canyons.

There are holes or “slots” on the floor of the desert where light can filter down inside.

This allows the most astounding play of colors and shading.

This is all well and good, unless there’s a torrential downpour, which does occur on rare occasions.

Because the desert floor is mostly sandstone here, the water can’t penetrate.

So, it runs downhill looking for a crack or crevice and picking up sand and debris along the way.

(The passageway is at the bottom center of this photo.)

The result is a flash flood of water swirling through tiny passageways.

Over time, the raging waters carve out intricate passageways.

The grit and sand caught in the flood actually serve to smooth and polish the surfaces of the rocks until they look like exquisite pieces of pottery!

There are two tours available.

The Upper Canyon has a mostly level pathway with more beams of light shining directly into the canyon.

The Lower Canyon is a more difficult hike, requiring climbing up and down 5 flights of “stairs” (ladders).

In some places the passageways are very narrow with no level footing. (Note pathway here in middle.)

However, Lower Antelope Canyon is over twice as long and in some places 120″ deep, so there are many more opportunities for spectacular views!

(In the middle is the pathway with shoe prints. It’s hard to stay oriented!)

Also, if you just go by the names, the Navajo People call Upper Canyon Tsé bighánílíní, “the place where water runs through rocks.” 

They call the Lower Canyon Hazdistazí, or “spiral rock arches.”

Alan and I chose the Lower Canyon, and we were overwhelmed by the subterranean beauty—unlike anything we’d ever seen above ground on Earth!

Beginning our descent into Lower Antelope Canyon

(All the photos on this blog are from our trip in 2022 to Lower Antelope Canyon.)

(Note the uneven surfaces!)

So, what’s with all the rainbow colors underground?

Land forms above the area of Antelope Canyon

I don’t have a definitive answer for that question.

In this unfiltered photo (which I took above ground), you can see most of the rainbow colors are present within the mineral composition of the rocks.

I think much of the effect is from brilliant sunlight casting light and shadows on the rocks.

This is basically the same photo, but in this one I used the “enhance” option (on my i-photo, free-with-computer program). This intensifies the colors, but it doesn’t actually change them.

In this image, I opened up the light setting (on my same, no-upgrade app), which allows us to see more texture with a slightly less intense color experience.

In this photo, I’ve enhanced both the amount of light and the color intensity. BUT, I didn’t change the colors. They were already there!

Here’s a photo taken from outside (note the grass that can grow here). The camera picked up the walls of the cave (which whited out the deep blue sky), so the colors aren’t so intense, but they’re still there.

I’m convinced that most of the variation in color comes directly from the intensity of the light shining on each surface.

With bright sunlight shining directly on the surface, most of this particular area is very similar in color.

From deep inside the cave looking up, the light makes some areas a brilliant yellow but lower folds in the rock are pink and even checkered with maroon and green at the bottom.

We may not often examine people the way we do rocks, but each person is like a sandstone sculpture!

The colors are all there, but they change in brilliance depending on the dance between Sonshine and shadows in our lives.

We are carved by countless flash floods coursing through the corridors of our hearts.

We are smoothed by the very grit that drives us crazy!

We’re tossed and turned until sometimes we can’t tell up from down!

My son Jonathan says God takes all our dreams and turns them upside down to make a tossed salad!

But, I’m okay with that! The Bible says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

I trust Jesus to use all the storms and pain to cleanse and smooth me so I’m “a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21, ESV).

Why do I trust Him? Because He has always been faithful and kind to me. What King David wrote in the Psalms is still true today: “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works” (Psalm 145:9).

Finally, I want to discuss our need for shelter and safety.

About twenty-five years ago, an international tour group was caught by a flash flood.

Although there wasn’t much rain at Antelope Canyon, there had been a thunderstorm seven miles slightly uphill.

Eleven tourists were trapped and drowned in a raging flash flood.

Since that time, more security measures have been added.

The tour agency is extremely careful to cancel tours if there’s any possibility of a flash flood.

But, as with most of life’s adventures, there are always risks.

We can try to play it safe, but Jesus warned us, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35).

If you haven’t already, will you please give your life to Jesus and see what He does?

There’s a whole world of spiritual beauty you’ll never find if you try to “play it safe.”

Please, please take good advice, study the Bible, and explore the depths of God’s love!

I promise you’ll be okay, even if He turns your world upside down! I can promise with confidence, because Jesus promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5.)

Just as He has done for every person who repents from their sins and asks Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, He does just that!

He makes a way for us.

He is the Good Shepherd, who leads us all the way and protects us on our journey.

We can share Paul’s confidence “that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

And that—at the end of our pilgrimage—“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

And all the way, He hides our souls in the cleft of “the Rock”—which is Himself (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Psalm 61:1-4 (NKJV)—

Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

TWA:SW 34 Trying to Get to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—a true treasure!

It encompasses an area of almost 2,000 square miles.

4.73 million visitors came last year (2023) to take in the majesty of this world wonder!

It’s ranked as the #2 most visited national park in America in recent years.

The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long.

At its widest point, it is 18 miles across from rim to rim.

The Colorado River runs through the bottom of the canyon,

and at its deepest point, the Grand Canyon is over a mile below the rim: 6,093 feet deep!

Alan and I visited on our recent Travels with Allie adventures, and we had a fabulous time hiking along the Southern Rim Trail.

We had a couple of gorgeous days with perfect weather, and all the photos (except those from the Colorado River taken on my son’s trip, which will be obvious to you) were from that visit.

But, just for the record, this visit was my fourth trip. I went as a child with my parents. I went after graduating from college. I went with Alan and our children when they were little. And this time, we went as a retired couple.

Every time we went, I wanted to hike down to the bottom, or ride on a donkey down, or go white-water rafting . . .

but on every trip, time, or money, or child care, or allergies and motion sickness for Alan, or aging issues, made it impossible to fulfill my dream of getting to the bottom of the canyon.

I think it would take a week or a month or a lifetime to really know this vast canyon well.

After 60+ years of wanting to experience more, I’ve made peace with the great privileges and pleasures I have been able to enjoy over the years!

My son Jonathan was able to go on a study trip while white-water rafting.

He shared awesome photos and wonderful stories of all he learned on that trip.

What a blessing to have my children get to experience some of the awesome things I always wished to do but didn’t!

For sure, one of main reasons I blog is wanting to share with others what I’ve been able to do that some others may not.

But, I can only share what I know.

Or, what I’ve studied and seen from afar!

In a thousand lives—maybe a million lifetimes—we could never learn all there is to learn or understand all there is to understand!

I have to make peace with the limitations of my life.

My spiritual mom taught me this verse to help me find contentment despite all the mysteries I cannot fathom:

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

Isn’t that comforting?

God illuminates many things for us—although at different times and seasons in our lives.

Over time, we learn a vast amount about life, and we can share those experiences with our children and other loved ones.

However, we never learn it all, and we never “get” it all.

Our lives end before we’ve solved all the mysteries.

Still, the Lord provides all the clarity we need to understand his laws,

and all the power (through faith in Christ’s redeeming work in us) to obey them.

Isn’t that enough?

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

TWA:SW 31 Saguaro National Park: Rainbows in the Sonora Desert

I wasn’t expecting anything special on our visit to Saguaro National Park, but it turned out to be a spectacular day drenched with sunshine, downpours, incredible clouds, and rainbows. Who would imagine that one of the only days it rained on our trip would be in the desert? I took hundreds of photos, culled them down to my favorite 100, and then cut them in half again . . . but still way too many for a blog post. However, I thought if I kept my mouth shut and just let you scroll, you could see the best I have to offer in a few minutes. Our tour started and ended in Tucson, Arizona. We spent some time at visitor centers, gawked our way around a six-mile gravel road—the “Hahokam Loop,” which had fabulous views, and then (after most of the rain was over) took a short hike up Signal Hill before heading back to Tucson. I tried to keep the photos in chronological order; the rains truly did come and go, and it could be clear out one side of our RV and stormy out the other! If you hover over any photo with your pointer, it should tell you a bit more information, but otherwise, please just scroll and enjoy the beauty of this special day God gave us.

(Yes, the roads take people in and out of the park a couple of times)

All the rain and beauty made me think about how much we need both sunshine and showers in our lives to keep us blooming.

Isaiah 35: 4-7—

Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come . . . and save you.”

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
⁶ Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.
⁷ The parched ground shall become a pool,
And the thirsty land springs of water . . .

TWA:SW (28): White Sands National Park—Whiter Than Snow!

What do you think? This reminded me of my grandchildren sledding down a snowy hill in Michigan this past winter.

This photo makes me think of all the times we’ve had to drive on slippery winter roads!

However, all these scenes aren’t of snowy countrysides!

They were taken on a pleasant, sunny day on our visit to White Sands National Park in New Mexico!

But, maybe I should back up just a little! After a couple of weeks exploring Texas, we made it across the border into New Mexico.

Our first stop was Carlsbad Caverns, and from there it’s only a several-hour drive to reach White Sands National Park.

However, in those few hours, the scenery changed dramatically! Instead of wilderness and scrublands, we began to see evergreens and ranches.

There had been a fierce wind all day and a storm during the evening after we left Carlsbad. Overnight, the temperature dropped precipitously (and unexpectedly) to below freezing. Alan accidentally left on the water heater, which we took as a gift from God, since it kept our pipes from freezing! 🙂

Cloudcroft, New Mexico, elevation 8,676 feet

Our trip to White Sands took us over a snowy mountain pass . . .

and through a mountain tunnel.

Elevation makes such a difference! Before long, we were back to arid wilderness again,

with painfully dry river beds and lifeless grasses.

There were a few signs of life, but we had to look long and hard to find them!

White Sands National Park is one of America’s newest parks (2019), but it’s unique and unforgettably beautiful!

The park covers 227 square miles and is part of the largest gypsum dunefield on Earth.

The reason “white sands” looks like pristine snow is that it’s not really sand in the usual sense.

It’s an immense deposit of gypsum crystals.

This dunefield is about 30 feet deep, and some of the dunes are 60 feet high.

Scientists estimate this vast area of resource weighs over 4 billion tons!

Gypsum is used for construction, agriculture, art, food products, medicines, and cosmetics, (etc).

You can buy a pound on Amazon for about $10 . . . (2000 pounds times $10 times 4,000,000,000+ . . . Does that mean the net worth of this park is 80 trillion+ dollars?? We could get out of our national debt . . .). 🙂

So far, the U.S. government has designated this national treasure as a national park to be protected and enjoyed by all!

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are coming from all over the world to enjoy it!

We took time for a picnic lunch and a little hike.

Totally exhilarating!

If you go, be sure to have water and good protection from sun, wind, and possibly cold!

And, of course, gear for sledding if you’ve got room to pack such!

I’ve been thinking: There is something bigger than our national debt and there’s something worth even more than 80+ trillion dollars. Do you know what?

It is we, the 8+ billion people in the world who’ve sinned and strayed away from God.

We owe Him a debt that’s impossible to pay through good works or trying to be perfect.

By some miracle of grace I’ll never comprehend, God loves every one of us in this world so much that He sent his perfect, beloved Son, Jesus, to die so that we could be redeemed from our debt of sin, not “with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

All we have to do is come to him in repentance and faith, for “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” Isaiah 1:18).

“Jesus Christ . . . is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6).

Have You Had an Encounter with the Ark?

Grace and I had been trying to get together at the Ark Encounter ever since they moved to Kentucky two years ago, and we decided it was do or die (well, or not get there anytime soon, since they are moving out of the country for awhile).

We’d both heard a lot of positive things about this park, but it was much greater in scope than I’d imagined.

I mean, not just the fact that they’ve built an ark the size of Noah’s Ark, but the park is complex and has lots to see and experience in addition to the ark.

If I’d actually taken time to read all the materials available on the ark and throughout the park, it would be more than a day’s adventure (so I took a lot of photos for future reading reference), but just trying to take in some of everything took us all day. There’s a zoo, a playground, several places to eat, a petting zoo, a carousel, a virtual reality ride, live performances, beautiful gardens, and the centerpiece—a life-sized ark!

Ararat Ridge Zoo

Ever seen one of these before? Our family has been to many zoos around the world, but we’d never seen one before! It’s a Binturong, and a fairly fierce looking one, at that! (Yes, he’s very much alive and was wandering around eyeing us up.)

Bintuorongs, also known as “bearcats,” are from Southeast Asia and can rotate their ankles 180° so they can climb down trees head first! “Females can ‘pause’ their pregnancies if conditions are unfavorable (a process known as embryonic diapause) and then resume development once circumstances improve.” God has gifted us with an amazingly diverse world of creatures! I couldn’t help but wonder if those on the ark experienced embryonic diapause (either naturally or supernaturally) due to the cramped conditions on the ark.

Here is a zebra, a zorse, and in the background a horse. Not only does the zoo introduce us to some strange animals, it teaches us about what might have been meant by the biblical term “kind” of animals—those that can interbreed and produce offspring, or what we call “species” today. (Note: The offspring of some of the above animals are not fertile.)

Family Playground

At the Ark Encounter, even adults can enjoy most all the amenities (if you can fit)! There’s a unique child’s zipline/swing ride in addition to many colorful climbing, swirling, and swinging rides . . . all immaculately clean and pleasant. (There’s also an adult-sized zip-line in another area.)

The park is open 9 am-8pm (today; check before you go). I imagined we’d stay for 3-4 hours, but there was so much to see that we stayed until the park closed. Therefore, we had to take several breaks so the kids could enjoy some extra running while the grandparents sat in the shade resting up while admiring their energy!

There are picnic tables at various locations if you bring your own food as well as cafes with reasonably priced snacks (and abundant food at “Emzara’s Buffet” for about $15 per person and less for kids).

Petting Zoo

The petting zoo is another prize for for those of us who love to love up animals as well as watch them.

Ah, and a free carousel. Although the park has over a million visitors annually, the lines were refreshingly short the day we visited, like 5 minutes for a 3-minute ride instead of 90 minutes for a 3-minute ride. (A word of warning: For whatever reason, children under 40″ tall have to ride in a seat rather than on top of one of the animals, which made no sense to our two-year-old and broke her heart. With a parent, it seems perfectly safe, so I’m not sure why they have this rule. But . . . it’s their park . . .)

For the VR generation, there is also an immersive “Flood of Reality” experience for adventurers who would like to imagine their way through the events of Noah’s life.

At the Answers Center Auditorium, I was really glad we took time to see a dramatic presentation of the lives of Peter and Georgi Vins called Hold Fast, where “live and computer-generated characters interact against a spectacular, 70- foot LED backdrop.” This true father/son story of standing for Christ despite persecution and imprisonment captivated everyone’s attention but was portrayed so tactfully that none of our kids seemed traumatized. Hopefully, we were all inspired to stand fast as well.

The Ark

The centerpiece of the Ark Encounter is a life-sized reproduction of what Noah’s Ark might have looked like. It’s 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high.

There are four levels, and I think there could easily have been room for quadruple the number of cages. Doing casual research, it looks like over 28,000 species of animals (birds, reptiles, and mammals) have been identified. They could fit.

The creators go to great lengths to explain that they are attempting to be as close to realistic as possible, but beyond the dimensions of the ark, very little is explained in the Bible, so they’ve used artistic license to fill in some details.

The builders of this ark have put their imaginations together to think through how it might be possible to have kept a pair of each “kind” of animal alive on the ark for a little over a year.

I found the whole study fascinating and appreciated all the research and study that’s gone into this project.

Frankly, I have utter faith in the scriptural account so haven’t tried to prove its feasibility. My theory is that God brought the animals to Noah’s family, and He may have put them all to sleep during the ride. I have no clue, but whatever happened, God definitely worked supernaturally to provide for them.

Nothing is impossible with God, right? He is a God of miracles: “Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee” (Jeremiah 32:17).

While I have total confidence in God’s ability to carry out His plans, I also have great admiration for those who spend their lives defending the credibility of the scriptures and thinking through how what happened could have happened.

In their studies, the team went back to consider even the animals that are now extinct!

I’m not big into dinosaurs, but they are almost universally fascinating to children, and the cages on board held not only animals we’re familiar with, but a lot of fierce creatures from the past.

But, not toooo scary!

I also appreciated the inspirational messages extant throughout the ship. The Ark Encounter is clearly intended to encourage people in living out lives of faith and fruitfulness.

You can’t miss the messages: We are one human race, all descended from one source (God), all sharing one blood (human). There is no reason for racial discrimination. “There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11).

God’s Word is to be trusted and is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

We may not understand everything written in the Bible, but we can trust the spiritual truths. God exists. He is good. He loves us. He is worthy of our worship and trust. Through Christ, He provides for everything we need to make it safely through the storms of this life and arrive safely to heaven.

Even if we can’t understand all the details, we can rest in the spiritual truths. There is safety in Jesus. He is the Messiah. He is our rock, our fortress, our high tower, and our ark of hope! He invites us all to come aboard and rest in His salvation, even if it doesn’t all make sense to us! “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31, ESV).

I’m aboard, saved by the blood of Jesus and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise ( 1 Peter 1:18-20; Ephesians 1:13). If you’ve not encountered THE Ark yet, will you come aboard today?

Someday, Jesus will go up to the chalkboard and explain everything, but in the meantime, I pray that you either are resting in Him or will give Him your heart today.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” ( Proverbs 3:5-6, RSV).

The 2023 Holland Tulip Festival—Very Special!

Last week my brothers visited.

One is from Manhattan Island (New York City) and the other from Rossmore (near the Bay Area of San Francisco, California).

We spent last Friday (with Alan too of course!) previewing the Holland Tulip Festival.

After all was said and done, Rob nodded approvingly and grinned: “Nancy will be so jealous!”

(Nancy has been his beloved wife for the past 58 years and also loves flower gardens but didn’t feel like killing herself to make it because they’d just returned from Japan’s Cherry Blossom Festival.)

I give these details to say that my enthusiasm for the breathtaking beauty of Holland’s Windmill Gardens was corroborated by brothers who live in two of America’s premiere locations and have excellent taste. (That last bit about taste stands unproven, but wouldn’t you think visiting Michigan and their little sister says something about taste? 🙂 Okay, so at least it says something about love and loyalty!)

At any rate, if you’re thinking “Why bother?” when it comes to visiting Holland’s 2023 Tulip Festival, I would say, “Because it will thrill your soul!”

This year’s festival is May 6-14, but the flowers were superb when we visited May 5, so if you want to go in 2023, I’d say ASAP would be ideal!

Or, if you can’t make it this year, they’re predicting it will start on Saturday, May 4 in 2024, so maybe you could plan ahead and visit next year.

My brother Wolle, who grew up mostly in Michigan, said he’s always heard about the festival but never gone! (He just turned 80, so that’s a long time.)

The most spectacular thing about Windmill Island Gardens are the gorgeous flowers.

The 36-acre garden has over 100,000 tulips—that’s lots of looks for little leg work and easy for both elderly and youngerly.

Every path provides plenty of show stoppers to keep everyone wide-eyed with wonder.

In addition to the flowers, there are many other attractions, including “The Little Swan” windmill.

The gardens are also home to The Big Swan, “De Zwaan,” which is the oldest authentic Dutch windmill in America that’s still working.

The windmill is open to garden guests, and you can take a free, self-guided tour up five floors to see how the wheat is ground and turned into flour.

From the fourth floor, you can go out on a walkway that looks down from every side onto the flower beds below.

On one side of the park, there’s a carousel with brightly painted wooden horses to ride, and on the other side there’s a hand-crafted Amsterdam street organ where they host free demonstrations and traditional music every half hour.

If you like charming shops, you can buy all sorts of Dutch treats— both the edible and the classy souvenir varieties.

But, we really went to see all the delightful varieties of tulips.

For the past 94 years, Hollanders have been collecting tulips and expanding their gardens.

As of 2023, there are over six million tulips blooming throughout the city and area parks.

For those of you who could never visit, I hope you’ve enjoyed this “virtual tour.”

But, if you’re among those who could come, I hope my sharing inspires you to make it happen! (Yes, I asked the lady’s permission to take her dog’s photo.)

In case you’ve never heard, we’ve all been invited to join Jesus in the garden of life and drink from the fountain of life. To be born again by faith in Christ, not just visiting but abiding with Christ. There’s no entrance fee— Jesus paid it all for us! We can enter freely into His rest and have our souls thrilled by joy and peace as we explore the wonders of His love. We don’t have to wait a year, or even travel anywhere to experience rebirth, all we have to do is be willing and ask God to save us! God already said He’s willing and will welcome us: “The Lord . . . is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). This is not only very special, it’s the most special thing in the universe!

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come.
And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
(Revelation 22:17)

TWA: SW (15): San Antonio’s River Walk—Which Green Is Better?

Although the Alamo is probably the most visited site in Texas, the San Antonio River Walk is considered the “top-rated” site by both Trip Advisor and PlanetWare, and no matter who’s rating what, the River Walk makes it on to almost all the lists.

Did you hear that San Antonio’s River Walk celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day this past week by throwing 25 gallons of eco-friendly green dye into the San Antonio River?

Photo of San Antonio River on St. Patrick’s Day (—Green River Blog*)

Perhaps they’ve taken their inspiration from Illinois, where they’ve been dyeing the Chicago River green on Saint Patrick’s Day since 1962. I even read they’re trying to make the river look like “the Shamrock River in Ireland,” although I can’t find the location of the “Shamrock River” and wonder if it actually exists. If it’s a real river in Ireland and you know the location, will you let me know? Thanks! 🙂

We visited the San Antonio River Walk just a few days before St. Patrick’s Day, and it was absolutely lovely!

Built one level below automobile-traffic level, the River Walk is a pedestrian-only city park, which combined with five Spanish colonial missions and the Alamo has become a World Heritage Site.

The park includes several miles of walkways on both sides of the river with about twenty connecting bridges.

It meanders along the San Antonio River through the heart of what has become the city of San Antonio and is conveniently located across the street from the Alamo, so it’s the perfect way to spend time while waiting for your timed-entry ticket to visit to the Alamo!

We got our (free) tickets to the Alamo first thing in the morning, then spent a leisurely couple of hours basking in the warm sunshine and shady lanes lined with bald cypress and ancient oaks.

There are flowers galore.

There are fountains and cheerful birds.

Female grackle getting a drink at one of the fountains.

There are a few dramatic sculptures.

View of Market and Alamo Streets with the Casa Rio’s
brightly-colored umbrellas to the left

The Casa Rio was the first restaurant built on the water, back in 1946.

However, today the streets are lined with public restaurants, shops, and more interesting tourist attractions and museums than could be properly appreciated in a week!

If walking is an issue—no worries! You can take a 45-minute boat tour, although the historical information and stories provided by the tour guides make it fun and worthwhile even if you could run circles around the boat!

We only had one day, but it was a day happily divided between the river walk, the Alamo, and a delicious lunch at one of the many cafes (which I’ll discuss Saturday, with a recipe).

As I remember the river, it was a beautiful shade of bluish-green just naturally. (This photo was taken on a sunny day but without any additional dye in the water.)

It encouraged me to remember that natural is also beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful! It’s definitely greener to be less green, at any rate, wouldn’t you say?

“I want women to show their beauty by dressing in appropriate clothes that are modest and respectable. Their beauty will be shown by what they do, not by their hair styles or the gold jewelry, pearls, or expensive clothes they wear” (1 Timothy 2:9, “Names of God” Bible [NOG]).

(*Green River Blog photo: https://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/events/st-patricks-day-river-parade/)

TWA:SW (Travels with Allie Through the Southwest) #2. Gateway Arch National Park

We started our trip through the Southwest by visiting America’s “Gateway to the West,” an iconic steel arch gleaming in the morning sunshine on the westward side of the mighty Mississippi River. The arch deserves its name and fame.

Towering above St. Louis, it stands near the starting point of the 1804-6 Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the West as well as the monumental Eads Bridge (1874)— the first steel bridge to span the Mississippi River (and the oldest still standing).

Gateway Arch is the smallest national park but it hosts the world’s highest arch and the highest manmade monument in the Western Hemisphere. The arch is a stunning tribute to the brilliance of architectural designer, Finnish-American Eero Saarinen, and structural engineer, German-American Hannskari Bandel, working together just after the end of World War 2. To me, this also makes it an unspoken tribute to the collaborative peace efforts between former enemies in America and Europe.

Although commissioned in 1947, it wasn’t completed until 1965, and the park didn’t attain status as a national park until 2018—making it both the smallest and the third youngest of our parks!

Gateway Arch is 630-feet high and 630-feet wide with foundational legs 54-feet wide but narrowing to only 17-feet high at the apex.

We made reservations (highly recommended because they tend to sell out) for a trolley ride inside the arch up to the top. Tickets are $14 per person but well worth it for the ride, views, and informative posters.

The tram system is made with parts from train engines and ferris wheels. It reminded us of the London Eye (although nearly 1.5 times taller)—if you can imagine being on a gigantic ferris wheel with no views until you reach the top. As you rise to the top, you can’t see anything outside, but through the glass doors you can see the inside workings of the arch.

At the top there are 16 windows on each side of the arch with expansive views of the Mississippi River, Illinois, and downtown St. Louis, Missouri.

Not quite the unending romance intrinsic to the City of Lights, but it’s reminiscent of vast views from the Eiffel Tower.

It was a beautiful day in early spring, and we spent a memorable morning enjoying the park, but I will say, parking is an issue (particularly for us, driving an RV).

We ended up reserving a space at an RV park across the river in Illinois, although walking back and forth across the Mighty Mississippi turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip!

The pleasant grounds of Gateway Arch National Park are open 365 days a year.

Their lovely visitor center, cafe, and museum have pretty normal hours now that the worst Covid restrictions seem to be over.

The stately Old Courthouse, also within the park, was the site of the Dred Scott Case (later overturned). It was repurposed as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial many years ago but is currently closed for some $380 million in renovations which I believe will include some new galleries championing the causes of African Americans. Life, liberty, and justice for all people.

As a country, America has accomplished some great things over the past 234 years. She has also failed terribly in some ways. I’m thankful for corrections and progress but also prayerful for the many areas in which we are blind to our national sins and failures. Will you pray with me that we again become a nation of people who proclaim “In God we trust!” and do that which is right and good in His sight? May America truly be a gateway, not only to the West but to true freedom.

“Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people . . . He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:2,8).

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

TWA: NE (43) Best Kept Secret of P.E.I.—Greenwich Dunes Floating Bridges

We woke up to a sunrise that rivaled last night’s sunset in beauty.

Goats at Island Hill Farm in PEI

If you’re an animal lover, Harvest Hosts is an especially pleasant way to travel . . . definitely provides that “down home on the farm” feel!

It’s also fun to find $20 worth of products to buy as a “thank you” for the hosts in lieu of paying more than $20 to stay at a commercial park!

St. Peters Harbour filled with mussel traps

And then, off on another adventure, this time to P.E.I. Provincial Park East,

Lots of bridges across water in P.E.I.

where we’d heard that there’s a fabulous hike via floating bridges out to the ocean.

I don’t know if tourist areas were shut down in Canada due to Covid issues or because it was autumn, but many plans turned out to be trickier to execute than we thought. Our GPS took us to the middle of nowhere when we tried to program “Greenwich Floating Bridges.”

Thankfully, we found a map that showed us how to get to the Greenwich Interpretive Center . . . but of course, it was closed. 😦

The debate was: Did we want the trail to the beach (east), or the trail to the dunes (west)?

As it turned out, we wanted the trail to the dunes and through the dunes and bog out to the beach.

We were happy to follow the yellow not-brick road to the west and use their parking lot, since it was still about a 1.5-hour round trip hike. (For directions, try this: https://www.hikingpei.ca/Trails/PEIPark/Greenwich.html )

It was also a perfect day to follow the yellow-striped boardwalk, which had no turn-offs once we started, so at that point we were home free (so to speak). I will say (if you’re actually going to go), you might want to bring bug spray. It was a very cool, breezy day when we went, but when I read reviews to prepare for this post, I noticed that insects can be a miserable problem, especially in the summer. (Just sayin’.)

For us, it was nothing short of spectacular, and the smooth, level boardwalk made walking a pleasure.

The boardwalks lead you across a series of floating bridges that meander through boggy areas and across Bowley Pond.

This area of P.E.I Provincial Park is not well known, and we had the place pretty much to ourselves, although I think it is a stunning trail and a truly unique experience . . .

one that will linger in my memory as long as I have a memory!! We heard about it from our friends, Dave and Char Powers, who had somehow discovered it. But, if you’re in the area, please don’t miss it! It’s awesome!!

There are helpful posters to help you identify and appreciate various birds, flowers, and ecological rarities.

One such rarity is the large, crescent-shaped dune at the right of this photo. Such dunes are known as “parabolic dunes” because of their half-bowl shape. Living so near to the dunes of Lake Michigan, I took it for granted, but it is uncommon.

A river of Reindeer Moss along the Greenwich Dunes Trail

On the other hand, I was totally captivated by a strange path of moss running through the woods and under the boardwalk.

Close up of Reindeer Moss

This was new and fascinating to me! What was it?? Or as my sons would say when they were little, “How’s it work??”

Explanation of “Grey Dunes”

They are called “Grey Dunes,” and there was a sign explaining “how they work:” “These dunes are far enough inland that sand accumulates and erodes more slowly. The less wind-blown environment allows plants unsuited to growth in shifting sands to survive. This stability allows large mats of lichens to grow, which in turn help to further stabilize the dune . . . Growing in dense mats on stable dune areas, reindeer moss is one of the most common lichens found in the dunes. Lichens are composed of a fungus and an alga in a symbiotic relationship. The alga gives the lichen the ability to capture energy from sunlight, while the fungus allows the lichen to decompose organic matter.” Apparently these moss/lichen combos like alpine tundra, which might be why we don’t have rivers of Reindeer moss in Michigan.

Anyway, the end of the boardwalk brings adventures to near the top of a dune overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Greenwich Beach.

Greenwich Beach, P.E.I.

The wind was sharp and sand stung our eyes.

I could imagine running along the shoreline and playing in the waves, but in the summer, not in October, so after a brief respite to drink in the seemingly endless miles of beauty, we returned back along the boardwalks and through the woods.

The fields were bursting with rose hips, asters, and carpets of wild flowers and fragile browning seed pods. It was another perfect day . . . or at least a perfectly happy day!

In this amazingly beautiful and wonderful world God has given us, it doesn’t seem possible to be perfect in every way. Maybe practically perfect in every way—enough to be perfectly happy, but not perfectly perfect. If it’s warm, there are bugs. If it’s cold, you can’t swim. If it’s warm and there are no bugs, you still have to be careful or you’ll get sunburned from staying outside too long! 🙂 But, isn’t it a glorious world? Thank you, Father! You have given us so much more than we can ever appreciate or understand, best of all, Jesus!!

“Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,
and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:8).