Turning Flyover Country into Drive-Over Country

This summer I decided to do something different.  First of all, I decided to escape the Arizona heat and spend most of my time in Vancouver, where I still have a condo by the water. My plan is to commute to Scottsdale as necessary while enjoying as much open air and ocean breeze as possible.

I also decided that it would be great to kick off this plan with a road trip. I travel a lot, for business and for pleasure, but almost exclusively by air. I have criss-crossed the U.S. countless times, but a lot of what I have seen has been from 30,000 feet. This time, I was going to get up close and personal, take some time, and travel at ground level from Scottsdale to Vancouver.

That is how Shelli and I ended up hitting the road with Kenya and his brother Winston (my son Rezwan’s dog) to see some of the wonders of our country. (Some would say that the real wonder was that in seven days Shelli and I only argued twice—both times when she felt I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the road.)

We drove through desert highways surrounded by awe-inspiring vastness until we reached the coast, where we stayed at the dog-friendly Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay. It’s a setting that is simply breathtaking. Even the dogs were impressed.

From there, we headed North, where we experienced awe of another kind when we drove through the majestic redwoods. This is exactly the kind of thing you can’t appreciate by flying over it. You have to be on the ground, looking up.

Further along in Oregon we stopped at the Hallmark Resort where we were treated to sunset sights on the beach –and happy-looking dogs—like this:

And now we’re in Vancouver, where I look out on this view...

And take the dogs on walks and on the “water taxi” ferry across the way to Granville Island...

And looking back on this last week, I realize again how lucky I am –how lucky we all are. I know this isn’t Thanksgiving, but I am feeling so thankful. As a citizen of both the U.S and Canada, I got to celebrate twice last week. Even though I was in the U.S. on Canada Day (July 1) and in Canada on July 4, it somehow seemed fitting, because my heart is in both places. I love both these countries. I love what they stand for. I love what they have meant to me over the years—the opportunities they have provided me, the home I have made here. And I am especially thankful that I have had this opportunity to get out of the clouds for awhile and spend some quality time in my adopted homes with my feet on the ground.