Day 176, July 20, Star Valley, WY

I’ve long known there’s a place called Star Valley which is rumored to be highly scenic. Well, we finally made it there. And the rumors are all true. Verdant agricultural country with rolling green hills backed by forested mountains, Star Valley was as lovely as billed and reminded Kasper of his years ranching in similar environs.

The temple was absolutely stunning. Upon entering the front doors, one encounters a magnificent stained glass rendition of the Savior back-lit to accentuate its multiple rich colors. Salvaged from destruction when a Presbyterian church was razed, this piece of stained glass art literally took my breath away. The rest of the interior of this small but newer temple was likewise stunning; rich and soothing paint, carpet and furniture tones, finely crafted wood work, impressive glitzy chandeliers, and another masterful stained glass piece in the celestial room completed the pleasing esthetic appeal. And then there are the people volunteering there…




It’s always such a pleasure to rub shoulders with fellow saints striving to be the best people they are capable of, and Star Valley was no different. A couple of weeks ago while backpacking in Grand Teton, we’d run into a lovely couple whom we chatted with for almost an hour, comparing stories of raising teenagers and navigating life. They mentioned elderly parents who volunteer at the temple, so we searched them out and spent a few minutes enjoying the time to get to know them and sharing testimonies. Always a lovely experience to be in the Lord’s house.



Good deeds: While cleaning out the trailer at the dump station upon exiting Yellowstone, we struck up a conversation with a family from France. They had shipped their camper van across the pond to Canada and were spending three months exploring the parks. They asked for advice about exploring sites and shared some of their adventures with us. They are brave to camp with a 5- and 3-year old, and upon parting ways, we gave them a goodie bag complete with protein bars and banana chips and gatorade. They seemed so  pleased. We hoped to show them that Americans can be thoughtful and kind.

 In case you were confused, here’s some useful guidance…we saw this all across Asia. 



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