Some have asked about what prompted this six-month road-trip. Well, in part it is a compilation of people and places I have wanted to visit for years. In the end, we have rolled many different visits into one trip. One such visit happened today in Lewiston, UT. It is a visit I have wanted to make for about 15 years. Here I am with Larry W. Dunn. He was my senior companion when we served as Branch Teachers in the Oak Harbor Branch in the early '60s. He was 19 and in the US Navy and I was 14. He set the best examples for me in how to have fun and enjoy life. He was someone I looked up to and respected. He was also the first person to let me drive a car. (I was 15) He had such confidence in me that he stopped near Marysville, WA, got out, went around and got in the passenger side and said, "you're driving." He then promptly fell asleep while I drove his 1955 Mercury Montclair home to Oak Harbor, WA. That was a major confidence builder and I shall forever thank him for his trust in me. We had an exceptional visit today that met my every expectation for this long awaited visit. Richard

We spent Sunday night with my brother Thomas Thunell and his wife Heather in Draper, Utah.  It was so wonderful to visit with them (top picture- Tom, Heather, Ann, Richard)
On Monday we visited with my college roommate Charleen Crawford and her husband Richard in Brigham City, UT.  Charleen and I were roommates for 4 years at BYU and we were in the same major, Homemaking Education.  It was so fun to catch up with what has happened since we saw each other many years ago. (middle picture Richard, Ann, Charleen, Richard C.  When we drove through Brigham City we saw the Brigham City Temple, now under construction.  It is very beautiful.
Then we visited with Elaine and Roger Newswander in Providence, UT.  Elaine was my roommate at BYU for 3 years.  We had  a delightful visit and so enjoyed being together again. -Ann

We are still in Wyoming following the Mormon Trail (Driving Route, which is quite close to the actual trail in many places).  Split Rock is a landmark for travelers on the trail and they could see it for quite a distance in both directions.  The next picture is pretty much the general scenery we have seen in Wyoming and it is also a landmark on the Mormon Trail where ice would stay frozen under the ground into June and July.  We camped  in the campground at the Willie Handcart Site. Also camping there was a couple from Germany we met, Volker and Petra, who were on a 20 month bicycle trip from Anchorage, AK to Argentina.  Wow!  We really enjoyed talking to them.

We took a gravel road for about 14 miles (scary at times) toward South Pass.  We passed Carissa Mine, a gold mine in South Pass City which was prosperous for a time and experienced several boom and bust cycles.  We loved the city sign for South Pass City.  We finally found South Pass and were able to walk out to the marker of the Mormon Trail, California, Oregon and Pony Express Trails (one marker with a trail marked on each of 4 sides).  It was so humbling and amazing to walk on the very trail that the Pioneers and especially important to me, that my great, great, great Grandfather Brigham Young had been on. - Ann

Of all of the pioneer trail sites we have visited in the past week, the one we stood on today with South Pass in the background is one of two that we could be 100% certain that we were standing on the actual exact spot where those events actually took place. The other one was Emigrants Gap. All of the others were all in the general vicinity and worthwhile, or course; but at those two sites we were standing on the actual spots where pioneers stood. It was awesome. Richard 

Flashback to Chicago, IL:  Here is a picture of our relatives we stayed with in the Village of Winnetka, IL--Richard's sister Sheila Duran (center) and our brother-in-law Rick to the right of Sheila.  While we were there we were also able to see Danica Elliott, our niece (Sheila & Rick's daughter) and her daughter Idra (on Grandma's lap)  Her husband Aaron (left of Danica) joined them later after we had been there.  At the far right is our nephew Brayden Duran who we were also able to visit with while we were in Winnetka.  We had such a wonderful time with them and they gave us great ideas of what to see and in Chicago. - Ann

After my father, George Marin, had recovered from Polio in September 1947, our little family consisting of Dad, our mother, Irene, my one-year old brother, John, and me a two-year old traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to visit my Grandparents. On the way back to San Diego we stopped at a motel in Rawlins, WY and on the night of September 7, 1947 my mother died of a seizure. I have narrowed the possible motels to these three. The next photo is of the former hospital where she was declared dead and the final photo is of the train station doors that her body passed through on the way to the train to be shipped to San Diego.
I can only imagine how hard it must have been for my father to continue that drive with a one-year old and a two-year old and no longer a wife. Richard

Yesterday, we drove to Martin's Cove in Wyoming. On the way we stopped at Ayers Natural Bridge and Ann climbed it too. Good for her. Then we drove to Emigrant Gap way out of the way. This is where the California, Oregon, Mormon trails and Pony Express routes went over a hill and a whole new vista opened up to them - a major milestone. We camped near Martin's Cove. We saw an incredible sunset, a marvelous sky full of stars that I haven't seen since I was 14 years old on Guam. We heard coyote and saw owls. Then there was an incredible sunrise too.
Up until now, I have resisted Trek. But today, Ann and I took a loaded handcart on a five mile hike that included Martin's Cove and a walk through the Sweetwater River. We walked right past the statues of the young men who carried the perishing pioneers across the Sweetwater. It was very moving. In the end we were exhausted and now have an even greater appreciation of those whose faith was so, so strong. Richard

Today we drove from Rapid City, SD to Fort Laramie, WY and then to Douglas WY. On the trip we experienced a serious Dirt Devil that really buffeted the car. We also struck up a conversation with a total stranger in a grocery story in Lusk, WY and found that he had worked for several years near Martha Lake - about 10 miles from our house.