This trip was full of surprises and this was one of them. We were simply driving along, looking at the twisted coast then bam! There they were… seals just relaxing on the beach. Take a look.

I must admit that we didn’t have “grand” expectations of seeing a gigantic crack in the earth’s crust… but we certainly were moved by how big God is. The canyon is soooooo wide (seven to ten miles from rim to rim) that it is difficult to take it all in at once. It is so deep (nearly one mile) that it is hard to discern that size of trees and rocks.

The visibility was cloudy the day we were there because there was a fire on the northern rim blowing smoke our way. Still we could see peaks 130 miles away!

We had some great family fun. It was cool, it was hot. It was terrifying and it was awe inspiring. Check out the pictures.

The trip had a lot of interesting ups and downs. At this point we were at one of those “ups”… over 7000 feet above sea level.

So what is the continental divide? I had no idea either till I did some research. Check this site out.

Ok. So we are driving out of Dallas and i’m minding my own business when I look to the south (we’re heading west) and what do I see… an artwork installation that i never thought i’d ever see in living color. Cadillac Ranch! As I drove by, I spoke to Laura and thinking out loud at the same time saying to myself “I am never driving this way again, I have got to turn around and go back”. Mind you, the kids were dozing in the car and Laura was so kind as to play along and with my delirium. I couldn’t believe what was happening… a dream was about to come true.

So what is so special about “Cadillac Ranch”? Well, first of all, as a kid studying art, the first time i laid eyes on this installation i clearly remember saying, “Man! i’d be so cool to see that for real!”. Secondly, how often do you get to see 10 Cadillacs stuffed into the ground, in the middle of a field? Is it art? Is it great? It really doesn’t matter to me. All I know is that God, in His infinite love for me, made one of my (silly) dreams come true that day… and i enjoyed every minute of it.

Want to know more about Cadillac Ranch? Click here.

Click for map location

Here are some cool pictures.

Hey folks! The trip might be over but the posting ain’t dead yet. We’ve got tons of pictures to sift through and post.

Here are pictures we took when crossing the state lines. Mind you, to take these pictures you have to risk life and limb as most of these signs are placed very close to the interstate with speeding traffic nearly ripping the door off the car when you get out. But it was funny to hear the truckers honk their horn as they drove by and saw us clowning around near the sign.

You know, one thought that occurred to me in attempting to make this memory moment, is that states are missing a wonderful marketing opportunity. If at the entry point of every state you had some incredible, sculptural signage specifically designed for a photo opp, I bet a lot of families would love to show off that picture (thus plugging the state – that’s the marketing side). For example, check out our California picture… BORING! Such a gorgeous state and the sign is small and uninviting. Now, how about if that sign was stuck on top of a killer wave with a surfboard in it so families could stand inside and take a picture? Get the picture?

Anyway, i guess i had too much time to think along the way:) Enjoy.

Things that make you go hmmmm…

We had such HUGE expectations to see the entire Golden Gate bridge. Well turns out they had “fog” issues while we where there. Oh well, we tried.

Hey check these images out. These were shot driving from Anaheim through Las Cruces, New Mexico to San Antonio.

Here are some images of San Francisco and PCH. Enjoy:)

Ok. This leg of the trip has been desert, followed by another desert, followed by, you guessed it… another desert! I never knew we had so much scorched, wide open, burnt space in the United States! Take a look at this video but keep you eye on the horizon. Notice how it changes. From low and wide open to rocky and mountainous. Take a look.

Up to this point we have been blessed with unbelievable weather. I was starting to believe that the only people that sweat live in Miami. Can you think what it would be like to live with 0% humidity… we did for 8 straight days and loved every minute of it.

Day 9 is another story. Can you imagine 0% humidity and 110 degree weather? Well to give you an idea of what that feels like, get your 1800 watt hair blow dryer, point it at your face and turn it on at it’s highest heat setting. Now just leave it there… for as long as you live! It is outrageously hot dude! OMG! No wonder everything out here is dust! It all gets baked to a crisp… day or night! Crazy!

In the video we start at Huntington Beach (awesome!) and work our way west. After we pass Anaheim it is desert, desert and more desert. Check it out.

Hold on to your eyeballs because this was a wicked ride. Starting in SF we dared to cross the Golden (it’s really red) Gate (there are no gates… in neither end) Bridge (at least they got that part of the name right) which always seemed to linger in this massive fog that never went away. It looked like one of those creepy zombie movies… even in the day time. At night the creepy fog would literally roll into the city and obscure the entire landscape. Leaving SF we decided to go to Anaheim via the coast. We experienced an immense variety of scenery. From beautiful rapids between mountains to shear cliffs that dropped straight into the ocean. To the exquisite homes (and golf course) of Pebble Beach to “seaside” farm lands and vineyards. Oh! How about seals sunning themselves on the beach? So what did I come away with in this leg of our journey? That our Lord has a purpose for everything and everyone. Every tree, rock and lake is exactly where He intended it to be… and for us to enjoy. Sadly, we so often drive by and miss the tree whose branches are reaching up to the sky as if worshiping it’s very creator. We dismiss the fact that that giant funky boulder balancing itself on 6 other funky boulders is not an alien thing… It’s a God thing. He put them there for us to stand amazed at His creation.

This video goes out to our pastor and dear friend, Pedro. That through the work that Jesus has done through him, has taught us, shown us and inspired us to “live life to the full”.

Well we got around today. From freezing Fisherman’s Wharf to the Exploratorium Science Museum to… the Mac store. Ahhh, something for everyone:)

Here are some of the pictures we took along the way today. Click on the image below to see the slideshow.

For serious animal hunters only. No animal was hurt during the making of this video.

This has been the most beautiful part of the road trip so far. So far we have gone from desert to stony mountain tops… today we went from large expanses of rolling dry grass valleys all the way up (over 5000 feet above sea level) to the giant Sequoia tree forest then back down to the giant buildings and bridges of San Francisco.

When watching the video, keep your eyes on the landscape and how many times it changes. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful country.

Yesterday we decided to take a detour and go see the Hoover Dam then continue north towards Visalia, California where we will stay for the night. Today we will go further north into the Sequia National Forest then onto San Francisco.