Erik and I have tent camped several times as we traveled across the western U.S. which has been a real treat for both of us. We had a good family friend who was retired from the military and an avid outdoorsman who introduced us to hiking and camping. I am indebted to him in getting us started and taking Erik along with his two sons on several nice trips. From there we started slowly and it just grew from there. Since Erik went to the University of Portland we made the trip across the country and hit several of the National Parks and other sites along the way. We are so blessed to live in the United States and to be able to hop in your truck and take off to see some of the incredible beauty this country has to offer. In this photo, Erik and I had driven south from Oregon into California and stopped for a night in the Joshua Tree National Park. Often the best “scenery” can be found at night where you experience an utter lack of background noise and light pollution found in the big cities. The stars this night were incredible and the sky looked round like a planetarium. Really amazing. Give thanks for the simple things we are blessed with in this great country.