We have gotten to the point of the trip where the cooler is mostly three quarters melted ice and a single IPA leftover from our stay in the Tetons. I am typing up these words from a Marriott lobby outside of St. Paul, MN. Upstairs the ladies are still snoozing (Corey and, excitedly, Henna too). There was little chance Corey and I were going to drive through Minnesota without dropping in our kid. Before then it was one last stop in Cowboy Country.

I believe in the restorative power of nature. For me, being “out there” means a calmer, gentler inner voice. I still very much care about the outside world. Just not as intensely. Now we head home, fortified for whatever comes next.

At Theodore Roosevelt National Park we drove a scenic loop while sweating 90+ sun. No smoke though. That came the next day. Besides spying bison we also took in the new presidential library. They did an amazing job on the place. Built to blend into the scenery, the museum features a prairie roof that you can walk on. Inside it details the often complicated but ultimately inspirational story of America’s 26th president. A true conservative, he created five national parks along with dozens and dozens of national monuments and national forests. The guy wasn’t perfect. Especially problematic was his complete disrespect for Native Americans and their culture. But he did a heck of a lot more good than harm.

Speaking of conservation warriors, Henna has been up to a lot of good since graduating college. She is presently advocating on behalf of Environment Minnesota for the Boundary Waters. It’s not great that the area is presently on fire. But it is part of the general cycle that ultimately fuels regrowth. Of much greater concern is the possible mining of low grade copper by a foreign country. This would cause irreparable harm. Henna this summer has worked incredibly hard to prevent this highly preventable disaster from occurring. We could not be more proud.

Environment Minnesota is an amazing group advocating on behalf of many wild and beautiful things. For more information or, better yet, to donate to this amazing group click here.