Getting Off the Path

Well, it's been a few days since our last post. Last time we met, Jonathon and I had just arrived in Billings, Montana after a rough ride over a few extremely tall mountains. Of course, the adventures don't end there.

After Billings, we headed over to Rapid City, South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore. Mount Rushmore was a neat experience, but wasn't nearly as exciting as Devil's Tower, Wyoming. If you ever want to see one of nature's wonders, I highly recommend this one. It is simply awe-inspiring. The way this solid piece of stone rises from the relatively flat landscape around makes it seem like some ancient tribute to Native American gods. Indeed, many local tribes hold Devil's Tower to a higher place in their culture.

After D.T. and Rushmore, we made our way up to the town of Crosby, N.D. to see our friends Kyt, Nick and Blaze. Crosby is about 3 miles from the Canadian border and is possibly one of the most remote places I have visited. It was a bit isolated, but the people were great and of course, Kyt, Nick and Blaze showed us tremendous hospitality.

Mind you, getting there was a little rougher than the actual stay. Please heed these words. GPS's don't always know best. In fact, sometimes they think that a road exists where it just doesn't. Such was the case on our way out to their home.

Thinking we would save time, we tried a shortcut given to us by the GPS rather than follow Kyt's directions. The shortcut took us down a pea-gravel road. I wasn't thrilled considering I drive a Ford Mustang, but I went with it. Eventually, the gravel gave way to ruts... and the ruts gave way to grass... and the grass... well, it just gave way until our poor little car was stuck in the middle of some unsuspecting farmer's field.

Jonathon pushed and I revved (and I have to admit, emitted a primal scream) and we got the car unstuck. It wasn't the most fun I've had, but it made for a great analogy.

When you don't follow directions, sometimes you get stuck. But sometimes not following directions and taking a chance is the best way to learn. I don't regret getting stuck. It's a fun memory, and I will most likely not follow directions again. The thing is, we did get where we were going. It took us a bit longer, but when we got there, we had something to laugh about. And isn't that the point?