(The next few days, I will be posting from the road as my son and I drive back from Iowa to Oregon. Tonight we are in Billings, Montana) 

Twice today, I chose giving my time rather than making time.

As my son and I make our way across the United States, we are faced with driving a over two thousand miles. Therefore, leaving the hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota this morning, I naturally wanted to make good time. Which meant an innocent question from my son posed a great dilemma.

“Can we go to the Badlands, Dad?”

The Badlands were 100 miles out of our way. The wrong way.

After a little reflection, I realized that making good time was not the important part of this trip. Spending time with my son was.

So we drove to the Badlands, and it was great. We saw wild turkeys, large herds of buffalo, and amazing geologic formations all in one of of the great treasures our country has to offer, our national parks and monuments. It was three hours I thought I would never have again.

And yet I got the same opportunity several hours later. As we passed the signs for Devil’s Tower National Monument, my son asked me “I know it’s out of the way, but can we go to Devil’s Tower, Dad?”

Devil’s Tower is 50 miles out of the way. We really needed to make time. We already stopped once and had a great time. Isn’t that enough?

No. A chance to visit two national parks in one day with my son is doubly good.  And Devil’s Tower was worth the trip. The entire projection is made of phonolite, a mixture of feldspar and magma jutting columnar almost a thousand feet in the cool Wyoming air. Prairie dogs and Ponderosa Pines dotted the beautiful landscape. We hiked the trail below as climbers scaled the peak above.

Giving time or making time. What do you choose?

By the way, we still got six hours of driving in today.