During our cross country drive, the longest day of travel, by far, was the day we drove from Cedar City, Utah to Denver, Colorado. We woke up refreshed and ready to take on the day, knowing that this day would bring the most beautiful scenery in our drive. The sun was out, the temperature was perfect, and our first stop was coffee.
Now, I admit: I am a coffee snob. I am not happy with the normal drive through, gas station drip coffee. Our goal in life is to never drink bad coffee, so on our cross country adventure, the first thing we did in each new city was to find the best place.
In Cedar City, Utah, the place was a drive up shack called perks!
There were several things we loved about this place. For one, the ladies who were working there were extremely nice! In fact, everyone in Cedar City was extremely nice – and surprisingly, not wearing masks. Come to find out, the coronavirus in this somewhat rural part of the state had not made a big impact. Sure, there were social distancing signs on the doors of businesses, no large crowds allowed, and suggestions to wash your hands frequently, but no masks in sight.
Frankly, it was a breath a fresh air, in comparison to the restrictions we had been experiencing in LA.
The other thing we loved about perks! was that the delicious cappuccinos were not overpriced. We were so used to paying $5-6 for our cappuccinos, but in Utah, it was half that! So…score!
Now that we were caffeinated, it was time to hit the highway. OH, and the gas was super cheap too!! Less than $2 a gallon. Way less. We definitely weren’t in California anymore.
As we made our way East, we took in the majesty of the mountains and the desert landscape. There were so many things to see! We stopped off at the Salt Wash Basin Rest Area to take in all of God’s handiwork. I said a prayer over the land and asked for God’s continues protection on our trip, thanking Him for the beauty He made for us.
As we crossed into Colorado, we were greeted by little pockets of rain and grey skies. We made a desperate stop for gas in Lima, CO, where a kind man noticed the chain between our trailer and car was a little loose and hanging quite low. Before we knew what was happening, he was on the ground, tightening it up. Given our California plates, he knew we weren’t locals, but it didn’t matter. He was very kind in helping us.
It reminded us of our 2004 cross country trip, when we pulled off the icy road into a rest area in Kansas, to find that the chain that connected our trailer to the car was completely detached, only holding together from the electrical wires. It was February, and it was freezing. Suddenly, a man appeared out of nowhere to help reconnect the trailer to the car. When my husband came back to car to grab some money to thank him, he was gone. To this day, we believe that man was an angel, sent by God to protect us on our journey.
God often sends us help in our most dire circumstances. When we allow the help from strangers and don’t try to do things all by ourselves, we see God in all His glory. He loves us so much and only wants us to reach out to Him, calling for Him and urging us to see Him at work.
Through the help of a stranger, we experienced His love. Through all the beauty of the world He created, we see His love.
We took some extra time at sunset to take in more of His majesty. Somewhere in Colorado, we again pulled off the road, right along the Colorado River. The colors in the sky, the dance of light on the water, the mountains and trees, and the fresh, cool air reminded me once again of His love and care for us.
This untouched, unfiltered photo does not do the scene justice, but it is close!
As we continued on our journey, temperatures dropped, the sun set and it was completely dark and very foggy as we drove through the ski towns in the snowy Rocky Mountains. Yes, there was snow in May! Thankfully, we made it to our downtown Denver hotel around midnight, knowing that more adventure would come in the days to come.
