How do you view the American Indian experience from past to present?

“Certain things capture your eye but pursue only that which captures your heart. “ (Choctaw Indian proverb)

The way I see it, it’s one side to read about the American Indian  experience throughout history by way of textbook facts about the various tribes existing in America. But it’s another matter to see up close the real Native American experience through through real life artifacts and other visual evidence of their actual living conditions from the past to now.  Simply put, as a past history teacher, my students memorized dates and event facts about Native Americans for mandatory testing purposes,  but in doing so they did not feel the real emotional story about the triumphs and tragedies of these people. Take for example the historic time in the early 19th century when the Choctaw were one of several civilized tribes to be forcibly removed by the U.S federal government from  their ancestral homeland in the southeastern lands of early America. In retrospect, why didn’t I adapt my curriculum to help students make personal connections to the hardships Indians faced in journeying thousands of miles on foot along the  famed “Trail of Tears” route to what would later become  the state of Oklahoma?

Take the Choctaw Indian nation in particular then as a teachable playback for this blog. For on our visit to the modernistic Choctaw Cultural Center in Durant, Oklahoma on day seven of our road trip, I of course took  academic interest in key historic events  concerning this Choctaw spanning several centuries of broken treaties, forced homeland movements and legal attempts to disband the Choctaw’s politically and socially as a united  nation. Yet it was quite revealing that I also found a distinct emotional connection to colorfully  designed artwork, symbolic emblems and banners along with some powerfully expressive  human and animal figures representative of Choctaw culture. See examples of these images in my photo set below.

Looking more to the present, it’s clear to me that the Choctaw nation recovered from those tragedies by reestablishing full territory rights and now remain strong and resilient as a fully functioning and united self government for its living residents today. Thus let history be retold in our education system with the positive Choctaw experience in mind to inspire more respect for our  Native American tribes. 

What’s your favorite road “off the beaten track?”

“Look for chances to take the less-traveled roads. There are no wrong turns.” — Susan Magsam

There are many fascinating towns scattered along the vanishing highway known as Route 66 in the American West. On day nine of our road trip, it was therefore an easy decision to choose Tucumcari, New Mexico, for a two-day stopover.

At first glance, there isn’t much to do in this quiet, almost ghost-town setting. Yet at the same time, Tucumcari feels very much alive—as if I’ve stepped into an authentic 1950s movie set. It’s a version of small-town America shaped by the years following World War II, where hometown diners, classic cars, and family-run motels still define the landscape.

So as I slowly cruised through town, several discoveries stood out. Eye-catching murals stretched across building walls, telling vivid stories of Route 66’s past and its rugged Western surroundings. A gigantic welcome sculpture commanded attention at the edge of town. There was also the full-size teepee at Tee Pee Curios, a giant sombrero jutting out from La Cita Restaurant, and an old Texaco station that felt frozen in time.

Even more striking were the vintage cars—an Edsel, a Buick, and a Chevy coupe—parked outside aging motels, as if waiting for travelers from another era to return and drive them around town.

I do wonder how long Tucumcari can preserve this time-warp atmosphere. But if you’re a cross-country traveler who appreciates places “off the beaten path”, this “Mother Road” town offers something rare—a breath of fresh, unhurried life far removed from the rise-and-grind routines back home.

How do you feel about letting wild animals roam free?

“Wilderness without wildlife is just scenery.” (Lois Crisler)

Sunday did not seem like the ideal time to visit the Grand Canyon as we didn’t feel up to fighting the heavy weekend crowds gazing over the South Rim that day. So it seemed like we were looking for something similar to do withrelaxing outdoor environs. Fortunately, Bearizona Wildlife Park turned out to be one of the most interesting  excursions so far of our road trip. For on this cool morning we found ourselves instead winding through a well designed safari adventure where the creatures—not the visitors—set the terms of the encounter. Of course I  was thinking tourist trap “ripoff” at the time with perhaps a few lazy animals laying around in the distance hoping to hide from the oppressive Arizona sun. Yet the well managed space with plenty of Ponderosa Pine tree cover and designated turnoffs for close viewing of bears, wolves, deer, elk and bison proved to be an inviting use of our time. 

Know as well that at the conclusion of our three mile drive, included in our admission was nearby Fort Bearizona, where we leisurely embarked on a self guided walk along a winding path throughout the zoo portion of the park. A picnic lunch concluded this three hour relaxing experience which left our afternoon free for indulging in other sights near Williams, Arizona that day. The popular Grand Canyon would still be there for us to visit on Monday. But this unexpected day indulging in interesting viewings of wildlife felt right  for us then.

What’s the most peaceful place on earth you’ve ever visited?

“When your spirit cries for peace, come to a world of canyons deep in the old land.” (August Frug)

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is logically a destination that I could  bypass on our road trips . But I’ve learned never to discount the opportunity to return. So on this road trip visit , we decided to take our time more from previous visits and concentrate on walking away from the tourist masses along the famed Canyon Rim Trail . We’d thus embark on a four mile hike from our parking spot near Yavapai Point in a westerly direction to the National Park Visitor Center. From there,it  would be convenient to return back near our point of departure by way of shuttle bus option. Our objective that morning at this slower pace seemed right for finding some peaceful solitude along some inviting vista points of our own choosing. And amid such silence, some amazing sensations definitely happened. 

I might then best describe such pleasurable feelings along the rim on this occasion as the human world around me seeming to pause from motion. Conversations softened , footsteps muted and I felt the soft wind moving me along with steady intention. Then the vastness  of this of this canyon seemed observably strong as I noticed once again its deep layers of contrasting color and shadow in this vastness of space.

But what amazed me most on this occasion was how the canyon seemed to settle something deep inside my mind. For I  seemed reminded me to “let go “ of whatever uneasiness I felt about current life challenges and just concentrate on feeling thankful  moment by moment for the opportunity to experience  such beautiful stillness on this day. Gratitude then seems to be the greatest gift the Grand Canyon keeps giving me that for the first time I am so happy I fully noticed it. 

Where do you slow your life down best during a major city visit?

“ Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly” (Mae West)

My agenda in Los Angeles on our roadtrip was simple: ignore the glitzy tourist checklist and spend three days doing only what I genuinely enjoy. I wanted to feel again the unrushed rhythm inning by inning attending a live Los Angeles Dodgers game. I desired to hear once more the tranquil sound of waves gently lapping the Pacific shoreline at Redondo Beach. I yearned to browse a well known bookstore in Pasadena and let my curiosity find literary treasures at economical prices. I also hoped to avoid congested Los Angeles freeways as much as possible to notice interesting sites in neighborhoods along the way.

So my experiment to slow down my experience of this city seemingly in perpetual motion seem to work well during two leisurely sightseeing days First the Dodger game Wednesday night became a true test overcoming my habitual patience as I settled into a low scoring affair between the Cleveland Guardians and the hometown Dodgers. Although the Guardians surprisingly defeated the defending World Series champions, I felt contented to just sit, watch and wait for the next play to happen regardless of the outcome.

Meanwhile, as the Dodgers game definitely had slowed my mind, the Redondo Beach shoreline the next morning softened my normally ambitious will even further. For it seemed Ruth and I had found a perfect spot for a picnic lunch on a cliffside park overlooking the shoreline as the vast aqua expanse of the Pacific diverted my awareness of the busy traffic happening around us. Afterward we just ambled aimlessly along the boardwalk and throughout the famed Redondo pier without worrying about time or distance elapsed. 

A final piece of the puzzle to complete this unforced Los Angeles visit happened on late Thursday afternoon with an hourlong visit to Vroman’s bookstore. On this occasion slowing down for me enhanced opportunities to find something practical to buy. Thus I found myself feeling free to wander through each bookshelf without looking for a specific title in mind. No rush to buy. I’d just flip a few pages of titles that caught my eye and fortunately I found three bargain novel classics with just my curiosity leading the way.

Bustling Los Angeles will always represent a challenge to me from a tourist perspective. For there’s  really too many choices  of activities to do on a given day. But that was not the point of this particular visit. Three days in L.A. was not about how much I saw, but how I chose to move through it at a slower pace. I’ve earned this privilege to take my time in my retirement and I definitely plan on pursuing it to the max wherever I go in the future.