Custer, SD

It’s pretty amazing how technology has changed the way we travel compared to when I started my career. When I first started traveling we had to use maps and Cell phones were reserved for Senior Management.

This week after boarding the plane I was able to watch our route as we were flying. I watched the new US President Obama make his first speech (live from 30,000 feet). I was able to select my own movie and watch it. When I was bored with that I was able to pull out my iTouch containing so much music it would take me a week to listen to each song.

I enjoy watching the flight path and each trip I make sure to keep track of the route. This week on the way to Portland we took a more northern route than usual. The route took us from Atlanta over Nashville, St. Louis, Omaha, Custer (SD), Yellowstone, Montana, the Idaho Panhandle on to Portland.

The one city that stands out is Custer, SD. This is the town where my father was born. It’s in the Black Hills of South Dakota very close to Mount Rushmore. My grandparents and several uncles are buried there.

I remember my last trip to South Dakota was with my father to attend my grandmother’s funeral. He took me and showed me things he did as a child. We went to the edge of the badlands and around the mountains. I didn’t know it at the time but it would be my last trip to South Dakota with my father.

My mom has mentioned that she would like to go on vacation there again someday. I hope in the next few years we can make that happen.

I was such a fortunate child and my father was a great man. I’m sure there are many people out there who think their father is great. And there are many more that did not have a father or did not have a great one. I was very blessed to have my dad, he was a man I respected and I will write more about him in my future blogs. He passed away 12 years ago this spring. He would be so amazed to see the technology we take for granted now.