America the Beautiful

I recently returned home from a week long trip to central Oregon.  During my time in Sunriver and an overnight trip to Portland, I was reminded of the beauty and geographic diversity of the United States.  It's been quite a while since I've been out West.  Sure I visited San Francisco a few years ago, but it's been several years since I've gotten out into the open countryside.  I've always liked to take drives to explore places I live or am visiting.  Relatively early in my life I was introduced to the concept by my parents as we took all of our family vacations by car.  We drove to save money but an added bonus was an appreciation for driving across this massive nation of ours to see some pretty amazing natural wonders.  Driving through the high desert of central Oregon, seeing the majestic beauty of the Cascade Mountains and getting an aerial perspective of the sprawling Great Salt Lake prior to a layover in Salt Lake City really makes me want to renew my exploration of the United States and all of it's natural beauty.  I love America and hope that I never take for granted how lucky I am to have been born here.

Happy 234th birthday America!  I love you and wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

Mt. Hood

Warm Springs Reservation

Benham Falls

Great Salt Lake