Today we drove from Lethbridge, AB to Kalispell, MT. On the way, we traveled from the vast wheat fields of southern Canada through Glacier National Park and into the Flathead valley. It was a wonderful drive. Richard

Today was the coolest for me. We drove from Great Falls, MT to Raymond, Alberta, Canada and got to tour the home that my Icelandic Grandfather, I. M. Johnson built. And we got to walk in the upstairs bedroom where my mother, Irene Johnson Marin was born along with her twin sister, Ivarene. The interior walls had been redone, the exterior had been stuccoed and a bathroom had been added. But the floors, windows and interior trim were original and we were standing on the exact location where events would soon affect my life. My mother, Irene, only lived 27 years and died when I was two. I have only three things of hers. So, getting to visit this house today was hugely important to me and has been on my wish list for years. This will be a cherished memory for me for the rest of my life.
I. M. Johnson changed his name when he immigrated to the United States from Iceland. He started life as Ingimunder Jónson. It became Ingimore Johnson and then after he moved to Raymond, AB he changed it to I.M. Johnson which he kept for the rest of his life. While in Canada, he served on the Raymond Town Council from 1906-08. I served on the Edmonds City Council from 2001 until 2008. So he and I served in public elected office 100 years apart. Pretty cool huh?
Soon after my mother was born, Grandpa Johnson's health got so bad they moved to San Diego, CA
Richard

Yesterday in Philipsburg, Montana we went to Gem Mountain to do some sapphire "mining".  We bought buckets of gravel, washed it, and then searched through the contents for sapphires.  It was a time consuming process and we had lots of fun doing it.  We found about 30 or so sapphires, most of them too small to have cut but we did find 2 that were a sufficient size that we are having them cut.  It was a wonderful adventure and we had a great afternoon doing it.  The weather was so pleasant, even getting slightly cool.  It's the first time we've felt cool during the day for about 4 months. Ann
Searching for precious gems was awesome and I can't wait for the two sapphires to come back from the cutters so that we can have them mounted in some really cool ring for Ann. Richard

"Hey, hey, hey Boo Boo. Let's take this picka nik basket back to the ranger." Yesterday we spent the day in Yellowstone National Park and had a swell time. That is Ann watching Old Faithful erupt. We camped in our tent and took this gorgeous photo of the scenery this morning. Look beyond the old guy making no attempt to smile and shivering in the foreground. It was indeed cold at 7,000 feet. -Richard

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