All adventures are not created equally! We had a temple trip scheduled to visit the Brigham City Temple for Friday July 26, 2019. The Harley went into the shop two weeks ago for a new front tire and to balance the wheels. Instead, it needs both tires, seems we hit something on our trip to Canada and sliced the sidewall of our new rear tire! It also needs a new drive belt and drive pulleys. So, parts had to be ordered and it's still in the shop! Though I feel the frustration of another trip to the shop this year, I also see tender mercies involved. The belt didn't break during one of our trips necessitating a rescue. The sidewall is ruined but the tire didn't go flat resulting in an accident or a rescue. It could have been worse. The vibration that sent us to the shop in the first place could have been ignored and resulted in more problems down the road. So, there is a feeling of gratitude tempering the inconvenience of lost ride time.

We thought we'd go the Brigham City Temple even though we couldn't ride and left the house in our cage at 3:30. We planned to have time for a quick burger at Maddox's Drive Inn in Perry, Utah on the way there. Both the drive in and the restaurant serve a great meal! But Friday traffic messed with our plans! Maps redirected our route off I-15 near Lagoon onto Highway 89 routing us around an issue on I-15. But, everyone else had the same idea and I doubt it saved us any time! Instead, we got there just in time to do initiatories and attend the last endowment session of the day. We'll go back another time for baptisms and confirmations. We did get to see the font, it's gorgeous, perhaps my favorite to date!

Some friends from Logan who also ride in the Temple Riders Association had come down so we were able to have some friendly conversation after the session before heading home. We got there about 10:30 and fell into bed exhausted. But glad for the experience! So many speak of something coming up to change their plans when they are trying to visit the temple. We were able to overcome the efforts of the Adversary today and enjoy some time in serving our deceased ancestors and worshiping in the temple. Tonight the veil was very thin for me and I enjoyed an exceptional time there. So often our questions and challenges find solutions as we are there. Today was no exception!

The temple, as is always the case, is beautiful, inside and out. It sits right on the main north and south road through town with easy access.  Definitely a trip with the effort!

There's only so much words can describe. They sometimes carry feelings but perhaps not my feelings rather your interpretation of my words causes your feelings. I wish I knew how to overcome this limitation in explaining here our feelings as we visit temples. The way to overcome the limitation is for your to be able to visit the temple too. But, I'll do my best to share my feelings with you in a way that you can feel what I'm feeling.

We were off with a group of friends called the Temple Riders Association on June 28th for Idaho Falls, Idaho and planned to visit the temple there. Stef and I have already been through that one but are never opposed to going again. But, Stef and I had a delay. I thought the Harley needed an oil change so I took it in to a repair shop two weeks earlier. Had them change the oil and check the brakes. They also put a new rear tire on it. But they called me a week ago and said it had an exhaust leak and needed a new rear header. We couldn't locate the one it had so we replaced both headers with the Vance and Hines models. Then, they found out the day before we were set to leave that the original mufflers were not standard sized slip-ons so we had to get new mufflers too! Friday morning as they were installing them they learned the original mount for the front header had been modified so they had to run and pick up a new mount too! We didn't make the departure time and later met the group in Idaho Falls but we missed the temple visit today. Oh well, it's not the only temple scheduled for the trip. The new headers and mufflers sure sound good!

Saturday we rode to New Meadows, Idaho. We went the scenic route through Sun Valley and down, avoiding I-84 entirely. The views were amazing! The creative hand of Deity on full display! Mountains, wild flowers, trees, birds, and wildlife roaming free. Riding the Banks Lowman Road, two narrow lanes of black top through amazing country the bike got louder, and then louder. But with no shoulder we had nowhere to go but down the mountain. Pulling over at a gas station closed for the day we filled up and noticed the slip-on muffler on the right side had slipped on off! Fortunately, the muffler clamp was still there so we reattached it. Then, finding the other muffler less than tight we snuged it up too and were off again for lodging in New Meadows. Nice clean basic room in a fun little town. Dinner was at the Intersection Bar and Grille. Boy can they do great things to meat! Loved it! Enjoy it too if you get a chance!

Off to church Sunday morning in Riggins. Great little branch there stuffed to gills with visitors today. Their small chapel opens side rooms on both sides to accommodate overflow. Filled to capacity!  Wonderful meeting!

Then off to Missoula, Montana. Beautiful ride, again today. Those Big Sky views can be amazing and they certainly were today. As we remember that today is the Sabbath and we worship in song, word, and prayer He who's scenery this is our hearts are touched. Tonight as we pulled into the hotel Stef mentioned we had picked up a rattle on the road today. I tightened the heat shields on the new exhaust system and found the air cleaner was quite loose too. I also found a cracked breather hose on the air cleaner. And the air cleaner was very dirty to boot.

Monday we stopped at the Harley dealer in Missoula. They didn't have the high flow air cleaner I wanted but I picked up the breather hose to install later. Kalispell, Montana has the air cleaner I want and we'll be there in a few days so I"ll wait.

Off to Coeur D'alene, Idaho. Nice ride, shorter than the last couple but we'll make up for that tomorrow! No less scenic but more freeway. That's just not as fun as twisting, winding canyon roads!

Left Coeur D'alene, Idaho the next morning for a visit to the Spokane, Washington Temple. It's only about a half hour ride and hardly adds any time other than that to the ride to our hotel tonight. Loved visiting that temple as we do all of them. The baptismal area was stuffed to capacity even though it had only been open for a few minutes this morning when we arrived, as the only TRA members to visit the font that day. It took us nearly two hours just there! Loved the initatories and endowment sessions too.

The temple is found in a beautiful setting among tall trees just south of town. Adjacent to the temple is a chapel. After our temple worship we came out to a young family from Texas throwing a frisbee in the parking lot. They explained that the dad, maybe 30 years old or so, grew up near there before moving to Texas. His dad used to ride a motorcycle all the time, even to church and was the bishop of the ward meeting in the chapel next door! Small world with so much in common!

Then off to Canada! Google got us lost on the way and we did a couple of miles on dirt roads before turning around to get re-routed! We rolled into our hotel after 10 pm and the office was closed. But they left a lock box on our door with the key in it. So we paid in the morning after spending the night! We woke to discover the amazing views at the Radium Chalet in Radium Hot Springs. Our favorite hotel of the trip!

Wednesday we set out for Calgary. First we planned to visit Lake Louise but the crowds had the road so plugged up Stef and I turned around. We thought we'd have lunch in Banff but the crowds had all the parking so tied up we ate at a gas station on the way to Calgary. Then off to the temple. We got there just before it opened for the afternoon. While we were putting on a skirt over Stef's jeans, and white shirt and tie over my long sleeved white tee shirt we had a couple of people come up and engage us in conversation. One had suffered a stroke and walked and spoke with some difficulty. He had also recently lost his wife. His Harley was still parked in his garage and I don't think he can ride it, at least not yet. But he loves it! The other was a maintenance worker at the temple admiring the bike. Dressed and ready we went in. They were just opening and we were the first into the baptismal font area. Another family quickly joined us and baptisms and confirmations were performed. We then participated in inatatories and an endowment session as is our habit.

Thursday we're off to the Cardston Temple. From the outside it looks a bit like the Kennewick Temple at least enough to remind us of our previous visit there. Inside it is amazing! The detail and craftsmanship are off the charts! The one unusual thing is that to get to the font from the main entrance we went through the locker rooms and then met in the font area to access the font locker rooms. But every room was more beautiful than the last until we reached the Celestial Room and it's amazing beauty!

Back home in the good ole USA! What a scenic ride this is every day and today was no exception. From the rolling farmland around Cardston to the mountains of Montana, everywhere we look we see the Artist's Hand.

We routed around the Going-to-the-Sun Road because of the low clouds and probable foul weather up on top. Coming through the gorgeous canyon on the south side of Glacier National Park into Kalispell the Harley was getting louder, again. But with no where to pull over we pressed on to the hotel. We found the header pipe disconnected from the head and missing the nuts to reattach it. But, we planned to visit the Harley dealer in the morning for a new air cleaner anyway so just one more detail.

At the Harley dealer we got the new air cleaner installed and the header reattached. Then the mechanic came out holding the oil filter in his hand. Turns out our oil filter was falling off loose! New one of those installed due to damage to the O-ring and off we went.

Headed for the final stop of our adventure in Dillon. As we approached a small rise in the road there was a police officer parked with his over-head lights flashing. We slowed thinking there might be an accident over the hill. The road as we approached was perfectly dry. Over the hill was 5 inches of accumulated hailstones on the roadway! Had we not slowed disaster would have stuck. Thanks for being there for us officer! We rode for a mile or two in hail and hailstones thick on the roadway and slick but we road safely only hollering "ouch" a few times as they hit my arms and bare fingers!

A few miles down the road we ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere and were rescued by a stranger and his daughters! Thanks brother!

Safely into Dillon we learned that the group who left ahead of us and took another route avoided the hail but had a crash. One member was taken via life flight to the hospital where he would be diagnosed with broken ribs, a bruised lung, several bruises and road rash, and a concussion. But on that same corner there have apparently been multiple accidents and fatalities. Grateful for Terry's ongoing recovery and that it was no worse than it was.

The last day of our trip we stopped in Rexburg for a great lunch with my friend Aaron and his father-in-law. Great way to end a wonderful ride with dear friends.

Home exhausted and glad to be home again. But love the memory of this great ride with the TRA! We saw, again, repeatedly, the hand of God in our lives and are so grateful for it!

This trip started after church a couple of Sundays ago. We left home and drove to our dear cousins' home near Boise, Idaho. After spending the night with them, they got up to work, poor folks! We got on the Harley and rode to The Dalles, Oregon. What a beautiful ride. Oregon was greener than usual because of the wet winter we just experienced. After a night at The Dalles, we rode on in to visit the Portland Temple. It's a beauty to be sure! But even more beautiful than the outside is the woodwork in the ordinance room which about took my breath away! To be certain, the craftsmanship in every temple is unexcelled. But the woodwork and detail of the Portland Temple Ordinance Room about floored me! Loved it beyond words!

We spent the night in Portland and then rode to Kennewick, Washington. The Columbia River Gorge is always beautiful but this spring it is spectacular.  Loved it both directions! Wish we would have had some time to wet a fishing line or two!  We attended the Columbia River Temple in Kennewick. It's one of the "smaller" temples but it sure is a beauty!

But we weren't quite done yet! Off to Seattle to spend a night or two. Crossing the mountains was a bit chilly and the wind was blowing to beat the band before we got to the mountains but safely over the top we went and down the other side. What a beautiful ride this was too. After the first night we rode up to Vancouver, Canada to visit the temple there. Another of the "small" temples with big beauty!

But, even that much was just not enough so we rode back to Seattle. The next morning we attended the Seattle temple. What a setting in all those trees, up on that hill! No words!

After our time in the temple we were back on the Harley to Kennewick. Then on Sunday to my cousins' house near Boise, again. A little golf on Monday and headed home Tuesday in time for a granddaughter's dance concert Tuesday night. What a beautiful time we had on this trip. Something like 1625 miles on the Harley.

The Harley has been parked and the snow has been flying this winter, and continued to fly at home this past week. We had trailered to St George and then rode to Boulder City, Nevada (in a pretty good rain storm). Some of our friends rode all the way from northern Utah to St George and it was snowing when we passed over Beaver pass! Hardy souls to be sure! Last Friday we rode from Boulder City to Tucson, Arizona. Then Saturday Grandma M and I rode back to Phoenix to visit the temple. Traffic was a disaster so we barely made the 2:00 endowment session. Loved being in the house of the Lord, again. And enjoyed getting there on the Harley! Being there with my wife reminds me of the eternal nature of the family and the feelings of the temple help to soften my heart and bring me closer to my family.

Leaving the temple we rode for about a hour to meet some friends for dinner, still in greater Phoenix.

Then back to Tucson for the night!

Sunday after church we rode over to sit in parking lot and watch the Thunderbirds perform at the local airbase. Love watching their amazing precision flying!

Tuesday we visited the Tucson Temple. Wonderful building in a beautiful setting. Temple keys are the same in all the temples. The ordinances and covenants made are all the same. But, each building is unique. Tucson is more unique appearing than most.

We left there and visited the Gilbert Temple too. What a beauty sitting in the middle of a crazy busy city!

"We love thy house of God"!

https://youtu.be/c-9IKOgc_uA

I found this article in the March 2018 Ensign. I hope it helps you understand better the whys of the temples.

The Blessings of Temples in My Life
By Elder Helmut D. Wondra
Area Seventy

My love for the temple goes back to my childhood when I knew it only from pictures and stories. Every time my parents came back from a visit to the Bern Temple in Switzerland, they always seemed happier and brighter than before--and they always brought back delicious Swiss chocolate. This way I gained a very positive connection to the house of the Lord at a very young age.
At the age of 13, I had the opportunity to see and enter a temple for the first time. Even just by looking at the exterior I was moved by the sanctity and purity of the temple. In the temple itself, I felt close to heaven. These feelings have only become deeper and clearer over the years.
Above the doors of the temple is written: “Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord.”
The Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the Lord of the temple. These holy houses are consecrated to Him and our Heavenly Father. Temples are sanctified by the presence of the Holy Ghost. Christ is the source of the power and the light emanating from the temple. All symbols and covenants, all ordinances of the temple, point to Him and His great Atonement and help us to become more like Him.

Our everyday life is often characterized by noise and turmoil. To leave it behind from time to time, to come to the house of the Lord and to open ourselves to an environment of peace and holiness brings peace to our soul.

In this pure environment it is easier for us to find answers to our deepest questions and concerns. In his first message as President of the Church, Russell M. Nelson promised the following:
“The ordinances of the temple and the covenants you make there are key to strengthening your life, your marriage and family, and your ability to resist the attacks of the adversary. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.”
The fulfillment of the great promises of the temple depends on how faithfully we keep the covenants of the temple and how much we actually consecrate ourselves to the Lord and His work.
We do not have to be perfect to go to the temple and to receive the wonderful blessings that await us there. But we should strive for the necessary worthiness and bring the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. For me, this means that I have to develop a malleable, soft heart--a heart that aligns with my Father in Heaven. A contrite spirit means to me that I adopt an honest attitude, that I am aware of my imperfections, and that I need the help of the Lord to return to my Father in Heaven.
The Lord has promised:

“Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.”

The greatest blessing I experienced in the house of the Lord was that I was able to lay the foundation of an eternal family together with my beloved wife. Because of the covenants of the temple and the sealing authority that is exercised there, we have the promise that our marriage will last for time and for all eternity, if we remain faithful to the covenants. We have the promise that, together with our loved ones, we may live forever in the presence of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.
The fulfillment of this promise is worth every sacrifice.
Let us be a people that comes to the temple as often as possible to be sanctified and cleansed, to receive revelation and power from on high, to serve our ancestors and, through the covenants of the gospel and the grace of Christ, to receive all the blessings our Heavenly Father has in store for us.

Listen carefully as this educated woman (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Watson_Nelson) testifies of her husband's calling as a prophet, seer, and revelator, Christ's chosen at this time to lead us:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTlS3BitHgo#action=share