I-15, South

It's the morning of day four on our family road trip from Calgary (A "village," we understand from one of our new American acquaintances that "even has a restaurant." He knows this, he explained, because he once stayed "overnight there when he went to visit a friend's llama farm up North...in Montana.") to wherever-the-grass-is-green-and-the-air-is-warm (Southern Utah/Northern Nevada, we've happily learned).

The moment we set tire to asphalt on the I-15 we knew we'd done something right. It's a highway traversing magnificent distance and amusingly, breathtakingly what could possibly be around the next corner diversity. Mountains, prairie, scrub brush, desert, and enormous sky grace miles and miles (1200, so far ~ That's just over 2,000 kilometers!) of seamless two-lane road trip ease.

Some things we've experienced so far:

• An uncomfortable exchange rate.
• But cheap gas ~ it might make up the difference. Yay!
• The soothing beauty of Montana in a gently receding winter.
• Utah. Scrub brush and mountains for mile after fascinating mile.
• Three backseat voices politely acknowledging that "fascination" with "Mmmhm. Cool. Another bush ~ oooh! And there's a tree!" while hardly glancing up from the DS.
• A staggering number of Mormon churches piercing the sky of every town with their narrow, white-as-snow steeples.
• A visit (and unintentional tour) of the Mormon's Salt Lake City headquarters. We learned some things and Cory found inspiration for lyrics there. He titled his song, "Forgiven," a hope, a reality, that we all quit the state border feeling a little mindful of.
• A winding, overwhelmed by ancient intelligent design, glide through Monument Valley. Imagine the Rockies ~ only carved in layer upon layer of reddish-brown sediment; rounded and caved and nurtured into matchless glory by time and wind and water.
• A single threat to "...throw that DS right out the window if you don't look up and see how amazing this is right now!"
• The touch of ever-warming air on pale Canadian flesh. Green grass (it really is greener on this side of the fence). And trees. With leaves on them.

I so wish you were here. For the price of a few tanks of gas and some $5 Subway subs, you could be! The I-15, South. Grab a map and a pair of sunglasses and you're away.