Pastor Mark's Motorcycle Trip Out West

Rumor has it that I was away on vacation last week...on a motorcycle, no less!  Yup, it’s true.  Fred Ellenberger and I teamed up for a 7-day, 2,500-mile round trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota and Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.  It was another glorious adventure...complete with warm temps, lots of bugs on our windshields, and frequent stops for fuel and ice cream (Fred’s insistence).  Best of all, no rain!  We stayed with friends who live 30 minutes west of Rapid City, up in the beautiful, pine-scented regions.

I’ve decided to share a few photos to give you a better sense of our travels.  The first photo is at Wall Drug in Wall, S.D.  Fred and I have made this trip out west many times, and he always insists on stopping at Wall Drug (it’s the 5-cents coffee and luscious ice cream).  While I do not share his eternal enthusiasm for Wall Drug (poster child for Tourist Trap), he always seems to win this discussion!                         
                                               (click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Our second day of riding took us two hours northwest of the Black Hills to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.  Along the way, we made a noon stop for chocolate malts (my insistence this time).  These hand-crafted malts were made by 12-year-old Carson, whose mother ran the establishment.  Best malts ever!  The more I look at it, Devil’s Tower kind of resembles a super-sized 800-foot-tall malt...yummy!

The next day, we rode south of the Black Hills to Hill City and Keystone, where we discovered root beer floats and hot fudge sundaes (imagine our surprise).  With full bellies, we made our way past Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park (awesome motorcycle roads). 

I’ll skip to the end of our trip and share a photo of our Sunday morning meal at Perkins in Albert Lea, MN, with my dad, Clair.  I was able to celebrate Father’s Day with him a week early!

In summary, I discovered anew how invigorating it is to travel.  Such journeys with good friends truly refresh the soul!  I am grateful for this time to be away, and I am grateful for my return to you, my dear friends at St. Mark.  May these summer months fill you with joy for each new day.

Walking this journey of faith with you,

Pastor Mark