In Thinking Back

I would like to share some thoughts in looking back at our trip. This was our first trip out west and the first extensive driving trip. We both immensely enjoyed the experience.

We have seen and experienced a great deal taking this trip. It is very apparent that we have traveled a very thin line through fifteen states and saw an insignificant percentage of the people. A trip like this, therefore, is solely for the satisfaction of seeing new sights and meeting new people. Although a satisfying adventure, it is also discouraging to realize how little of the U.S, and the world, one can hope to see in an entire lifetime. I think of how various presidential candidates have gotten a great deal of satisfaction out of meeting so many people. This trip gave us a small glimpse of that and also a realization of how many others they weren’t exposed to. It made me wonder if they realized that they’re probably seeing the same people at each of the many stops. Casts aspersions on thinking that you know what the country’s thinking.

This trip was during a political campaign season. We saw quite a few political ads. The overwhelmingly common thread in all of the states was the negative ad. Some time ago a policy was instituted attaching a statement of approval at the end of an ad. I had high hopes that the “I approve…” statement would pressure the candidates into describing what they hoped to accomplish. Apparently there is no shame.

We saw gasoline prices ranging from $1.95 to $2.79. I couldn’t see a pattern. Didn’t seem to be related to small or large towns or close to or far from an interstate. We missed out on the low one but did get a tank full of the high one.

This trip reminded me that this country is strong because of the freedom it provides and the diversity of the people. The freedom to drive across state lines unchallenged, to move wherever we like, to attempt to find opportunities of our liking, etc. We have a more diverse population than anyplace else on Earth. Think of the possible extremes: a self-sufficient farmer in Wyoming, a homeless person in a large city, etc. Providing governance for all us requires compromise and an end to the “scorched earth” policy on every issue that we’ve seen predominate over the past many years.

Of all of the wonderful sites I’ve seen, I never tire of the thrill of cresting a hill and seeing a massive basin unfold before my eyes. Sometimes containing a teeming city, sometimes an expanse of desert or prairie.

As much as I love the sight of all of the wonders I’ve seen, I would still like to live at the seashore and visit the others.

Kingston

This morning we drove to Kingston, Tennessee. We’ve seen all stages of Fall on this trip. Sometimes going forward, often backwards. Today we saw Fall in full color. The wooded hills of the Smokies was splendid.

We visited for a short time with Dennis at Morrison Hill Christian Church. Afterwards, we drove to Farragut, met Cindy and had lunch at the Mellow Mushroom. We had Greek Salad and Calzones and talked about the trip and got caught up with what they’ve been doing lately. A good time.

The car headed north and the good weather of early in the day gave way to rain and it rained most of the way home. This has been a wonderful trip and we are both grateful for having flawless weather until the last day and no accidents.

We’ll be spending the night at home.

The Clinton Presidential Library

Our first rainy day. We are so grateful that we had no weather problems before now. It started raining shortly after we left Elk City and came down wall-to-wall all day. The sad part is that it removed the dirt from our Kaibob forest drive.

Our only stop today was at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. This was an easy one to find. It was well marked and the drive through Little Rock was pleasant. We liked the town with the river running through it and light traffic.

We were greeted as soon as we entered. The greeter explained what we were about to see and then directed us to security. Being old folks, they let both of us in for only ten dollars. We went the extra three dollars for the audio tour apparatus—I recommend it. Before going upstairs, President Clinton’s limo is on display in a mocked up street seen.

At the next level we were again greeted and advised to start the tour with an introductory movie. It was good. Narrated by President Clinton, it quickly covers his early life, meeting Hillary, politics in Arkansas and then the presidency. He tells of the dreams he had for the country at the beginning of his presidency and then goes on to describe the highlights. Quite good and a lot packed into just twelve minutes.

The walls of the outside of the theater are covered with photos from both campaigns. As always, it’s surprising to see how young everyone looks. The photos were well selected to capture the emotions at the high and low points.

There are mock-ups of both the Cabinet Room and the Oval Office. We were able to sit at the Cabinet Room table with an interactive terminal at each seat. The terminal provides a guided tour through his critical decisions and how they were made. The Oval office can only be viewed from the doorways but is impressive and sobering.

Also on this level are a row of panels in the center of a hall presenting video and pictorial summaries of each year of his presidency. Behind these panels are letter written to and by the President. My favorite was from one of my heroes, Mother Theresa. The outside walls surrounding the panels are lined with topical achievements: Science, Health, etc.

We moved up to the top level and saw various exhibits. One contained memorabilia from throughout his life. These were gifts, like a bike from Lance Armstrong, and personal items like his saxophones. There is also an exhibit of his current ongoing work. This level also includes a changing exhibit. The current one is of western film stars and events. These brought back many memories.

It was an enjoyable experience. I hope to visit other presidential libraries.

We then moved on and were rained out of our Memphis agenda. With rain and predicted rain, we decided not to wait. We’re spending the night in Cookeville, Tennessee.