FINAL THOUGHTS:

America is beautiful!  I have been to many places but travelled by plane for the most part.  Driving these thousands of miles by auto and exploring small towns, large cities, Indian Reservations, abandoned communities and a mix of every culture, I realize how fortunate we are to live in the most beautiful places on the face of the earth.  I will treasure all the differences forever.

Friends are the greatest gift ever.  While I loved the beauty of the lands, the true joy came with the friends I had the chance to see and the new people I met on the way.  I wish I could have seen so many more friends but my trip would have taken many months had I attempted to reach others.  Our family members, friends new and old, business associates, and neighbors and church members from the past were the real gift of this trip.

Last week, you will recall I was in Russell for my birthday and celebrated the full circle back to where it all began.  But I also spent the afternoon and evening with my sister Sylvia, her husband Stan, and their oldest son Chris.  It was very special and none of us had any idea that a few days later Stan would die.  It was a shock but I will treasure that last time we all spent together.  Our memories with Stan will remain with us forever.  In a couple of days I will return to Russell for Stan's service.  I wish it could be repeat of last week.

We live in a time of great change.  In 1966 when Judy and I went to Ouray, we had no AC in the car, no navigation system, no adaptive cruise control, no sirius radio, no cell phones, no Kindles or MACS.  Today we take all of those for granted and they have made our lives much simpler.  But when I visited the winery in Paso Robles and asked about the reasons the vineyards are grown out of limestone on the steep hills, I was told it was to build stronger vines with riches fruit for better wine.  Perhaps we need to have a little stress in our lives too and make us stronger and sweeter to those around us.

While this journey is over, I was constantly reminded of the incredible opportunities in life that lay ahead of us.  I am thankful for the past we have all shared but excited for the future that opens up new possibilities we can't even imagine.

Thanks to all of you who contributed to this journey.  You are so appreciated.

Shalom, Denny

After I left Ouray, I was like the old horse that got anxious as it returned to the barn.  I had been very cautious with my driving and drove the limit with cruise at all times.....except 1.  As I drove out of town and headed up the hill, I saw a trooper siting on the side of the road.  I paid no attention but suddenly saw the red lights in the rear view mirror.  I wondered why he was stopping me and was shocked as he approached to learn I was doing 38 MPH in a 25 MPH zone!!!  The trooper looked young enough to be my grandson and when he spotted the urn seat belted in the seat next to me, he became very polite!  He almost apologized and said he would give me a warning ticket, returned to his car, and came back with his trooper ID card but not warning!  I was very appreciative and watched my up hill speed to the top of the pass.

I stopped in Durango and thought I might stay but the itch to get home was too great and there were too many tourists in all the "junk souvenir" shops so I drove on to Cortez to spend the night.  When I checked in I asked the front desk lady what was exciting and worth doing in Cortez.  She asked if I had stayed in Cortez before and I indicated it was my first time.  Her response:  "already knew that or you wouldn't be asking that question; there is NOTHING going on here!"  Actually, that wasn't quite right.  I discovered a new winery, Guy Drew, and enjoyed a tasting with others from VA and IL.

But then it was heading back to Scottsdale.  It has been an incredible journey but the best part is always the same.  Better at home than any other place.

After leaving Denver, I headed to a very favorite spot that we first discovered in our first year in Denver; Ouray, CO.  Known as Little Switzerland, it is an incredible community at the bottom of a box canyon.  I stayed at the Wiesbaden Motel, a very modest motel but sitting atop the hot mineral springs.  My room had no air condtioner but a fan in the window and when open at this altitude, it was very cool during the night.  But when you got up the floor was warm from the hot springs.  After checking in, I went down to the caves and it was fun but frightening at the same time.  The first room was large and warm but as I continued to the next room, the doors got smaller, the rooms lower, and the temperature much warmer.  As I sat there sweating in the 104 degree heat, I was sensitive of what would happen if a person suddenly became light headed!  After my 30 minutes I headed to the heated pool where other guests were enjoying the beauty and warmth.

I spent the evening walking the Main Street, discovering a great Italian Restaurant, meeting other visitors from around the country and absorbing the most beautiful setting.  It was good to recall our first vacation that was at this special place.

Judy and I spent over 30 years in Denver and were fortunate to meet incredible people in our journey.  They number in the hundreds if not thousands and I simply could not have spent time with all of them without moving back to Denver full time.  One of those persons we knew well was Dale who is friend and former business associate at Colorado National Bank and Rocky Mountain Bankcard.  We experienced incredible opportunity joining the bank about the same time  credit cards were ready to explode in the country.  Nearly 30 years of development of credit, debit, Plus ATM with hundreds of banks in the Rocky Mountain region and with Visa Internationally.  Those years were very exciting and involved hundreds of incredible associates in the business.  Dale was the senior guy I reported to during those years.  Can you imagine anyone putting up with me for nearly 30 years?????

After I had retired for the first time, I had an opportunity to join Nordstrom Federal Savings Bank.  I again enjoyed the association with hundreds of professional persons in Denver, Scottsdale, Seattle, and Orange County.  Janine is one of those persons I had a chance to see with her husband Joe on this recent trip.  

The church has always been important to us and King of Glory in Arvada was our church home for years.  There was a very special couple that became the "local" grandparents to David and Pam and very special friends to us.  Herman died a few years ago but Bernice (95 years young) is still a member there and lives in the same home alone near the church.  We should all do as well as Bernice who is still very sharp (puts me to shame), is physically healthy, inquisitive, and caring to all around her.  We enjoyed the service and saw many members who we knew, even though we have been gone for more than 20 years from Denver.  It was a wonderful time seeing and visiting briefly with all of them before I left for the next leg of the journey.

You probably noticed I have been absent a couple of days from posting.  This trip has provided me with some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen but I now know the most important part of my trip....and life....are the times with family and friends.    The last few days have been spent with friends across KS.  I stopped in Sharon Springs KS where Eva's Mom and family live and had a chance to see her, Dowell, Lisa, Etta, and Inga.  Nothing better than settling in around the large table and sharing food and drink with great friends.

Then it was on to Denver and spend time with David, Jenn, Rachel, and Will.  I am also very lucky to have parents of my daughter in law that are friends also.  Rather unusual but sure is wonderful.  You will note that some of the pictures do not contain Rachel.  She is now finishing her Sophomore year in high school and has her first real job as a bagger at Safeway.  Amazing how fast time goes.  We enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner at the Briarwood (one of my very favorite restaurants) and time with Randy and Mike at Simm's.  David, Rachel, Will and I also got in 9 holes of golf on Saturday so I time was filled with wonderful family time.  I am so proud of them all and what they are doing.

Well, it is now June 6 and I find myself in Russell.  Not planned that way but really good because it is my birthday and I return to where it all started!!  You probably all think of June 6 as D Day and it is but you probably are confused on how that designated was created.  It was during an incredible time in WWII BUT you probably didn't realize it was my third birthday and decided it would be appropriate to name after me!  Denny Dale Dumler........can't have a name like that and not have a national holiday established in honor of my third birthday!!!!

My sister Sylvia and her husband Stan still live in Russell so we celebrated my birthday together.  Their son Chris and his family live in a small community north of Hays and he was able to join us.  It made for a special celebration with our favorite dinners from the one good restaurant in town.

I am so happy it worked out to be my birthday when I arrived but wish i had been a couple of weeks later to experience the harvest season that is the celebration time of the year in areas like Russell.  I plan to be back for my high school reunion in September!

If you have ever been to Salina, KS, you probably know about Cozy Inn!  One of those places with the slider sized hamburgers (half hamburger and half onion) on grease soaked buns with small bags of chips and soft drinks.  Cozy has been there for many years (think 1930s) and is still the same six stool counter with the "strong onion smell" rolling off the grill.  The smell is so strong you can probably smell it now as I write this note!  Can't do Salina without a stop at the Cozy!

The other picture is from St. John's Military School where David attended and graduated.  It was one of those times in life that were difficult but incredibly successful and remembered with fond memories.  It was the only time in our marriage that we both cried together after we left David off for that first day as a freshman in high school!  But it was replaced for both of us with the incredible success David experienced in his high school years there and prepared for a future that has been the best for him and all of us!!

I have enjoyed traveling thru small towns and discovering little museums and points of interest.  When I got to Concordia KS, I saw a sign for a museum for the Orphan trains in this country.  I had no idea what it was about so stopped and learned some incredible facts I had never known.  Between 1854 and 1920 more than 250,000 orphan children from New York were sent on trains across America to be adopted or simply taken by individuals and families.  These children were the result of parents who died or abandoned by families who could no longer care for them.  They were children of immigrants who got to New York, could not find work, and who lived in poverty in tenaments not meant for fit for humans.  I was told that in the 1850s New York was approximately the size Wichita is today and had 10,000 families PER WEEK coming to New York.  Amazing.

This Society is now headquartered in Concordia and serves to connect those persons and their offspring with their families from which they were separated.

After spending a couple of days in Omaha with friends, I headed out for my next stop.  At this time, I have travelled close to 4000 miles from AZ to CA to OR to WA to ID to MT to SD to NE and now to KS.  No big deal but what is shocking is the first moisture I encountered was in Concordia, KS.  Anyone who has ever been in the NW in May will be as shocked as I encountered no rain or snow over that distance.  Now on the other hand, when you get to the Midwest, the bugs on the windshield replace any moisture and requires periodic stops to simply be able to see out!

In South NE, I saw the little white church that had been restored and was taken back to earlier years when many of the churches in this part of the country were similar.  In those days most of the residents of our communities attended one of the churches and families were all involved.  Over time that trend has been reduced and now the worshipping centers have taken on a totally different look.  The bottom picture is from a new church campus in Russell, KS.  If you aren't familiar with Russell, it is a small and shrinking town of less than 5000 people in the town.  I also noted in one small community in KS three different Lutheran Churches in a 3 mile stretch (3 flavors of vanilla ice cream).  Sad the  church facilities have grown while families attending have shrunk.

I wonder how we would all be judged in these churches if we were analyzed for the amount we spend on our own satisfaction vs. our outreach!  Might not come out as well as even some of the poorest administered non profits!

Too much reflection time on my hands as I drive along the journey.

******************NOTICE OF PROBLEM IN COMMENTS

I have had a number of you contact me about the posts and your attempt to comment on them.  I am not certain  but appears that you first have to register with blogspot.com and then your comments will be posted on the blog.  Otherwise, you can certainly leave notes and comments on my facebook.  I will always respond to messages I receive so if you don't hear from me you will know I did not receive your comments.  This is my first attempt at a blog so probably have a LOT to learn.  Thanks for your kind comments and insights.  They are all appreciated.

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When I first met Judy in 1959, I soon learned of her two best friends, Kathy and LaRue.  Both of them had married so I did not initially meet them and I also learned that the guys they married (Del & Don) had another friend Ed who Judy dated and was part of the trio!  So I felt a little bit out of it with them but over a period of years they have been open to welcoming me into the group and we have spent many fun times on activities ranging from cruises to reunions!  Kathy and LaRue did come to the memorial service  the end of March and have been a wonderful support to Judy and me over the years.  In the picture from left to right is Del and LaRue, Kathy, and back row her husband Don and me (in case you forgot who i am).  We had a wonderful visit and dinner together and enjoying a round of golf tomorrow (supposed to be high 90s in Omaha with humidity).  Thought I'd share that last part in case I don't survive the weather and golf game!

When the girls came to the memorial, I noted that each of them had known Judy longer than anyone else who were able to make the memorial.  They outdo my 58 years by at least 10 more!!!!

My trip continued to Fremont,NE where Judy and I met and married nearly 55 years ago.  It was a very mixed feeling because change occurs and the home Judy lived it had been torn down and replaced with a commercial expansion.  And the church where we were married (middle picture) has been sold to another non denominational church and the new larger one just doesn't match the memories from the one above.  I did go by Judy's Dad Bill and Arlene's home in west Omaha and was very pleased to see the current owners are keeping it very neat,

But like the rest of my journey, it is the poeple I have been able to see that makes the difference.  Judy's sister Joan and her husband Bud live in Fremont near Judy's child hood home.  I was lucky to find Jodie (daughter David's age) at their home so had a chance to catch up with them and Bill, Mike, and Dan and their families.  Jo is dealing with some health issues but still maintains a positive attitude.  Bud is full time caregiver and the kids are very frequently with them.  It was good to spend the time sharing old stories and new memories

Remember the days of the Burma Shave signs along every highway in America?  Well, like those signs I saw for hundreds of miles signs advertising Wall Drug in Wall SD.  The signs had tempting notes like 5Cent coffee or 5 cent ice cream cones.  Well, I couldn't avoid the temptation and stopped to check out the drug store. What I found shocked me.  More than 75,000 square feet (probably equal to half the total town footage) of every kind of western gift, clothing eatery, or about anything else you might want.  I learned the drug store got the start in 1931 when the owner bought the drug store near the edge of the Badlands and promoted traffic by posting signs on the roads offering "free" ice water.   This creative pharmacy graduate found the way to an incredible tourist oasis in the middle of SD.  Pretty amazing and worth several hours of browsing.  

I made a point of trying to find interesting places to visit, eat, and stay.  When I got to Murdo SD, I decided it was time for lunch and I saw billboards advertising Star Cafe.  So I headed there and was pleasantly surprised with true down home cooking.  The special was a hot turkey sandwich (of course on white bread) with mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry and whole kernel corn!  And it was only $8.50.  What a deal and it was really very good!  On my way in to town, I saw an auto museum that had been there since 1954.  So of course, I stopped.  Only $11.50 and you could tour hundsreds of autos dating back to the early 1900s with a little "fake" town including the local bank.  Many of the cars appeared to have been there for many decades with flat tires, no restoration, and dust accumulated many inches thick over the years.  But i did see the 1951 Ford coupe.  My first car had also been a 1951 Ford Victoria hardtop that looked like this one from the front but not the same style as mine.  

The other picture above is from Mitchell SD.  Their big claim to fame is the corn palace so I headed there to check it out.  Well, I come from wheat country and can't imaging taking heads of corn to recorate the exterior of the main convention center every year.  Oh  yeah, and they did the same inside the building.  Guessing those cold winters with the strong winds cause people to pursue very unique activities.

Sometimes  you discover something you never knew existed.  That's what happened to me yesterday.  After visiting the Harley Davidson museum in Sturgis, I returned to Rapid City and in exploring the city discovered The Chapel in the Hills.  The chapel is an exact replica of the Borgund stave church in Norway that was built in 1150.  The chapel was dedicated in 1969 and was given by Arndt Dahl in memory of his Lutheran Pastor parents.  Mr Dahl also built and gifted the Arts Center in Rapid City.

The chapel served as home of the radio ministry of Lutheran Vespers.  The church is a special ministry of the South Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  I learned retired clergy are able to apply to serve for limited times during each year.

I learned that Mr. Dahl was a 60 year career banker in SD, having started his career in a small bank in SD in 1920.  He pursued this career after being unable to go to college due to the premature death of his Father.  I always appreciated people who succeed in spite of obstacles they encountered.

Like the Battle of Bighorn, we have learned of Mt Rushmore near Rapid City, SD.  Judy and her family had vacationed there from NE when Judy was in high school.  She loved the trip and would recall her fascination with the sculpture carved into the face of Mt Rushmore.  I was never excited about visiting the site but have now changed my mind.  It was amazing to see all the information on how this effort was completed.  Like most government efforts, the sculpture created by Gutzon Borglum that started in 1927 and completed in 1941 at costs far exceeding initial budgets, the gift to our country will live forever.  The primitive construction involved hundreds of workers who risked their lives as they dynamited and chiseled the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.

I had always wondered about the crushed rock below the sculpture and learned this was all from the blasts to create the sculpture.  It was also interesting to learn of the maintenance to insure the sculptures are now kept for generations to come.  I am happy Judy and I have now made one last visit to the spot she so loved.

As I traveled from Coeur D Alene toward Omaha, I have enjoyed some of the greatest scenery and some incredible history.  We all learned about the little Bighorn Battle with Lt Colonel George Custer but to visit the battlefield site was fascinating.  My sense of the battle is now changed and I came away with thoughts of conflicting cultures.  Sitting Bull was simply attempting to champion the traditional Lakota culture and stop the encroaching westward expansion.

George Custer was a very gifted military leader who as a graduate of the US Military Academy seemed to succeed in all his battles during the Civil War.  He suffered only one injury even as he had 11 horses shot out from under him.  He was assigned to accompany General Terry and the Dakota column in the summer camp of 1876.  His nickname of "Custer Luck" was not meant to be as he and his 262 men were killed by was was believed to be thousands of Lakota and Cheyene on June 25-26, 1876.

The picture above shows the places Custer and many of his soldiers were killed.  Others are scattered around the area in smaller groups.  This battleground is located near Crow Agency MT and was a beautiful valley now silent with the markers.