It’s too bad that God asked me to be a pastor rather than a travel writer. I mean, hey, I could have ministered all over the world as a travel writer, right? Just kidding. I love my calling as a pastor, but I DO love to travel, too. So in my “off” time, I am always planning my next trip. I study maps, research cities, calculate travel routes, distribute vacation days on a calendar, budget money weekly to the “Fun Fund,” and plot how I can make my current dream happen.

My most recent “dream come true” was a trip to the Wild Wild West in September. I invite you to relive the experience with me over the next few blog posts. Through words and pictures I’ll share with you the things that fascinated me most. And I’d like to hear about the things that fascinated you most, if you’ve been to the same places.

DAY 1- 9/22/12 (Huntsville, Alabama, to Denver, Colorado, to Bozeman, Montana)

Due to a flight schedule change by United Airlines, my husband Tim and I ended up with an eight-hour layover in Denver on our way from Huntsville to Bozeman. I decided not to waste a minute sitting in the airport. We took a van service called the Super Shuttle to downtown Denver, about an hour’s ride in traffic. We had them drop us off at the outdoor 16^th Street Pedestrian Mall. Very cool place! It was over a mile of shops, restaurants, street vendors, and performers. Oktoberfest was going on, too, which made it even more fun. We ate chicken crepes and banana with cream cheese crepes at a sidewalk café called “Crepes and Crepes.” Oh, I wish I had some now!

After a smooth flight from Denver to Bozeman, we caught up with our friends, Don and Ruth Owsley, who had arrived in the west earlier in the week from Cincinnati. We would be traveling together for the next six days via our rental SUV. T-o-o-e-x-c-i-t-e-d-t-o-s-l-e-e-p.

 DAY 2- 9/23/12 (Big Sky, Bozeman, and Livingston, Montana)

I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Big Sky, Montana, and I finally made it! It was every bit as beautiful as I had imagined it would be.

Lunch was a first for me… I ate a BISON burger at Ted’s Montana Grill in Bozeman, not to mention the biggest onion rings in the whole world.

We topped off the day by walking down Main Street in the old western town of Livingston. If you looked left, you saw a train. If you looked right, you saw a mountain.

Thank you for joining me on this first leg of my journey to the Wild Wild West. There’s so much more to come. Next stop—Yellowstone!