the people along the trail...

Road trips equal new places visited and new adventures. But a big part of the whole experience is the people we meet along the way…some intentionally and some accidentally.

I have cousins scattered hither and yon across North America...some four dozen first cousins, actually (and cousins are a good thing...as I mentioned yesterday).  Several happened to live along the route of the road trip we just completed.

Cousin Janice grew up in California…

...but moved with her husband and children to to lovely spot in northern Idaho a few years ago. We have met up every so often over the years…and it was good to stop by and check up on her.

Cousin Verleen grew up in Sakatchewan…and our paths only crossed several times when we were kids. Verleen now lives with her husband in Littleton, Colorado…and since our RV was on a route right past her front door we decided to stop by and become reacquainted.

What a good decision that was! Besides sharing family ties (our mother’s were sisters)…we discovered other shared interests.

Then there were two blogging friends that I met for the first time. Knitting Mania recently moved to Philipsburg, Montana from California…which lay right along the scenic route of our travel plan. I had planned to contact her once we knew when we’d be arriving in town…but did not realize I would have no internet access those first few days on the road. With no phone number, no address and no way of contacting her…I showed up at the Wild Rose (where she works part time)…just as she was opening the shop for the day.

What a fun, surprise meeting we had! Oh…and I even brought home a souvenir from her shop.

In Salt Lake City I met Jill…

...who graciously opened her home to us…invited us for dinner. I toured the newly renovated home that I had seen in the before and after stages on Jill’s blog. The guys hit it off just fine as well…and we had a fun evening together.

Then there were all those people that we met by accident.

I was photographing wild flowers beside the road in Estes Park when a couple walked by and stopped to chat. It turns out…he once taught at Ravencrest Bible School nearby and was returning for ‘old times sake’. A lovely couple…now pastoring a church in Reno, Nevada.

On the cog train to Pike’s Peak we shared seats with a couple from Greece…and also shared a few laughs.

At the Flying W  Ranch chuckwagon supper in Colorado Springs we sat at a table with a couple from Italy...another from Rhode Island and a family from Texas. They helped make the experience what it was.

Then there was Herb who sold us a postcard in Taos, New Mexico….but had no stamps for sale. But wait a minute. He had a stamp in his wallet and just gave it to us.

In Salt Lake City we had a nice visit with some fellow Canadian RV’ers. Funny…though we share the same 'home and native land'  we did not share the same mother tongue and had to search for the right words on occasion.

All that to say…it’s the people along the way that help make it a memorable journey!

Once I’m somewhat organized…I’ll take you to some of our favorite spots along the way.

Enjoy your day!