Here we are in Nebraska!

So, we've made the long trip from Collegedale to Lincoln. And the biggest thing I've discovered is that Lewis & Clark are huge out this way. We stopped at the St. Louis Arch this morning (Sunday), and the museum below the arch has much to say about westward expansion in general, and Lewis & Clark in particular. And the bookstore is full of books and videos about those two. Later this week, we're going to a museum celebrating the tour of the Corps of Discovery. Should be fun.

But the best thing about the trip was meeting up with my parents in St. Louis. They had been out there for the last weekend of the General Conference session, and hadn't left yet. They had been planning to take off early on Sunday morning, but my Dad decided that they had time, so they stuck around and we were able to meet up with them at the Arch. My sister and her husband were also there, but my parents didn't tell them my wife and I were coming. So they were quite surprised. We hadn't seen them since our wedding, so it was good to catch up.

The Arch itself is quite magnificent, and well worth the trip. We took the time to see the documentary film about the design and construction of the Arch before we went up to the observation deck. The story is most amazing. I think it gave us a greater appreciation for the Arch when we finally did go up it. My wife said it was the most suspense-filled movie she had seen in quite some time.

So after the Arch, we piled back in the van, and rode the rest of the way to Lincoln. We have a room in the Ortner Center on the campus of Union College. Apparently it used to be the old men's residence, but they've done some fixing up and possibly adding-on, and it's now the campus Welcome and Conference center. And I must say, they've done a wonderful job. The room is very nice, and we're just around the corner from the meeting area and the eating area. So we're in pretty good shape for this conference, I think.

OK, more thoughts and pictures as the 2005 ASDAL Annual Conference continues!