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4,321 miles - less than 800 of them on Interstate highways; 10 gas tank fill-ups - half in the trucker lane; 13 National Parks and Monuments; 14 different camp sites - 4 of which we were told we got the last site; 70 miles of hiking while being asked 100 times how many more hikes; 1 dent in the motor home; 0 meals in chain restaurants; 0 weight lost; a gazillion memories I swear I will never forget; 1 great family; and 1 incredible country to explore – Priceless!

In my last newsletter, we had just started our trip and had only visited the South and North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Teri, the kids, and I are continuing on our 3-week adventure touring the western U.S. in a rented motor home. I have never camped liked this before in my life let alone driven a mile in a vehicle this big! By the way if you missed the last newsletter - you can catch up on our adventures on the  Tuscano Newsletter page.

Everywhere we’ve gone we have met the nicest people. On one of our stops along the way to the North Rim, we spoke to Judy, a very friendly and helpful park ranger. Judy pointed us down the road with the sign that said, “Recommended for vehicles less than 30 feet” which had no turn around. When we were headed to Zion National Park we had to detour 200 miles because the entry into the park has a 13’1” overhead restriction that our 14’ motor home just would not cooperate with. No matter – we saw a lot more of the park and I got to hone my driving skills. It’s a good thing too. When we got to Zion, everyone assured us that we would be fine going back through the low overhead tunnel so that’s exactly what we did! Teri was on her knees in the middle of the motor home lining up the centerline and giving me directions. I don’t know if she had time to pray while she was down there but someone was definitely looking out for us.

In Bryce Canyon, we were absolutely blown away by the beauty of the place and the incredible colors in the canyon. A place like this requires me to redefine true beauty. While we were appreciating the amenities of our campground, we met Sam, a clerk in the little store. Sam travels all year going from park to park across the country. He even spent a summer up the road from us at Scottyland in Somerset County!

Next stop was Salt Lake (our one real ‘got lost’ experience). We stopped at the lake but I have never seen so many bugs. We kept going north to Crater of the Moon, Idaho where I had the best-baked potato of my life.

Next stop was Yellowstone National Park where we took a couple of days to rest and explore. We opted to skip Old Faithful and instead sought out a smaller geyser that spit mud, white water, blue water, and had rings of green, red and yellow. Grace and I also went fishing on Yellowstone Lake. I caught the first fish, but Grace caught the biggest. Not counting the one that got away, we landed about 18 beautiful big-lake trout and kept four for dinner – delicious!

We saw our first rodeo in Cody, WY, home of Buffalo Bill. It truly is an amazing sight to see and even though I am a Steelers fan by birth, rodeo really is a neat sport. We soaked in the world’s largest Hot Springs in Thermopolis, WY. We also drove through Big Horn National Forest, which is about half way between Yellowstone and Mt. Rushmore.

Along the way, we hit Devil’s Tower National Monument. I love the monuments that aren’t manmade the best! This rock formation is only about two acres at its base and shoots straight up over 1200 feet in the air. The next stop was the Crazy Horse Memorial whose byline is “Never forget your dreams”, which I think fits right in as the theme for our trip!

The next day we were off to see Mt. Rushmore, or “Mt. Mushmore” as Sam started to call it. We were treated to an evening program complete with laser lights and movies. The ranger gave an inspiring talk about the four men whose faces adorn this plateau. He spoke about Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt; and reminded us how diverse we are and that people make a nation, not governments. The men who were memorialized on that mountain did not want to be worshipped but instead sought to serve.

This week we head out through the Badlands of South Dakota, to the Rocky Mountain National Park, Arches National Park, and the Four Corners Monument. As we wind down our vacation, I am thinking more about the office and the economic challenges we have faced this year. I consider Tuscano fortunate because we have not taken the hit economically that some of our friends have – both in and out of the insurance industry. Sure – it has been an uphill climb; but the hills are where we build strength and endurance! If we never have tough times, how would we learn to rise to the challenge? If we never had a customer complain, how would we improve our customer service? If we never ran into a system issue or a glitch, how would we innovate?

I will wrap this up by leaving you two exciting announcements! We have just contracted with a national program manager to write Lawyers Professional Liability in PA, NC, and SC. This is a NEW facility and we are the only wholesaler appointed in PA. This preferred program is for firms with up to 25 lawyers, is written on admitted paper, and we feel it will be extremely competitive! If you write this class, or would like to, we would love to talk to you about this product. Give Tim Hoelle a call at ext. 171 or email him, tim@tuscano.com for more information.

We have also just been appointed to write with a well-known long haul trucking carrier. Stay tuned for the next newsletter to find out who – that’s when we will be up and running and quoting new business!

Thanks for allowing me to share my travels and musings with you. I would like to leave you with this thought from Woody Guthrie:

As I was walking a ribbon of highway
I saw above me an endless skyway
I saw below me a golden valley
This land was made for you and me