Our descent into father/daughter madness continues with me scouting the next location to take action. I got it, the old “throw the kid from the speeding train” trick. She must have figured out my dastardly plan and has strapped herself to her seat on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado. This photo was her laughing at me and gloating, “You didn’t expect that, did you? I’ve got you figured out, old man!”

Okay, enough of the drama (I can hear Caroline cackling back in Arizona, “Ha John, you never stop with the drama!”) and so I’ll get serious about this narrative.

We are having a great time out here, but I’m sure you already knew that by the smiles I’m capturing on Jessica’s face. I’ll need to keep those close to my heart as aging into adulthood, and whatever changes her career in the Navy will bring she risks those eyes of innocence becoming shaded by cynicism. Hopefully, the explorations into experiences will leave her with the idea that there are always possibilities that go beyond what you are leaving behind and that you are always leaving something behind.

One day, she’s a high school student in rural Texas; the next, she’s traveling in the mountains to an old mining town, but maybe tomorrow, she’s on that raft out there testing her mettle.

Here we are in Silverton, Colorado, for lunch. Our stopover will be short, and then we’ll be back on the train, returning to Durango.

We wander around the edge of town, away from the other tourists who are more interested in trinkets and souvenirs, which forces me to give credit to Jessica for sharing my enthusiasm for the spectacle of nature.

I have to admit that before embarking on this epic three-day journey, I was afraid it might be boring for my teenage daughter. I’m enchanted that she and I are getting along and laughing as much as we are.

With so much available daylight here in summer, we don’t waste any of it staying in place; we remain on the move. This stop for a photo was in Bluff, Utah, on our way south.

Perfect timing to reach our first sight of Monument Valley in the last moments of the setting sun.

I can’t get over that Jessica is not wearing the face of simply tolerating the whims of her father but seems to have eyes that exclaim that she’s having fun. Don’t worry; I do consider that she might just be a good actress and wants to avoid that side of her father she doesn’t really like.

We had to turn around down near Monument Valley to drive back up through the Valley of the Gods into Mexican Hat where we were staying tonight. When I booked this evening at the “Home of the Swingin’ Steak” I was already well aware of their vegetarian option as that’s what Caroline orders when we are here. The man on the grill is Clint, a legend!

As we sat roadside with the grill swinging back and forth, just as advertised, a dog emerged from the night, and instead of coming up begging for food, it flopped down in the dirt, rolled over, and showed us its belly, putting on a perfect show of total cuteness. A metaphor for a father and daughter known to quibble, just show each other some vulnerability, and you’ll understand how cute the other is.