Life: Through the Lens

There are so many things to teach our children. The landfills we pass along the road and the trash we picked up as we explored various ecosystems on our trip have reminded us once again that our environment needs preservation. The cactus at a beautiful southern Arizona mission had plastic garbage bags stuck to the spines. One park area had paper cups and pop cans littering the parking lot, and they could be seen periodically along the road way as we drove one of the roads through the park. When park services include trash receptacles , and most people arrive by automobile and could at least take their trash with them, this unnecessary littering of the environment becomes even more appalling . If we show our children the world they live with and teach them to look at it as a precious possession, one we need to care for and nurture, then our land and its resources will be preserved for future generations to love and appreciate and care for. Walk softly; "Take only pictures, leave ...

Traveling by car may be tiring, and a bit grueling at times, but it's one of the best ways to see the country. Our discussion on this topic usually comes back to whether flying over the land in a small aircraft is better than driving, as far as seeing the vastness of the country, as well as the topographical differences, but we can't come up with a firm decision. It depends.... For instance, from the air you can see the sand dunes of the south west, and see they extend quite a ways, but you can't always see what is happening to the lands. You also can't see some of the humorous, and sad, aspects of road travel when in an airplane overhead. One such example is signage. And you definitely can't meet the people, and sample the cultures of the various geographic and cultural areas of the country. So, in my opinion, road trips "win."