Day 5 brought the Davies Herd to a place that played a major role in both Sam and Zed’s story: the United States Air Force Academy.
The drive to Colorado Springs was a trip down memory lane in more ways than one.
As we made our way from Manhattan, Kansas, to the Air Force Academy, we found ourselves traveling many of the same roads we drove 14 years ago on our honeymoon, only this time in reverse. What was once a road trip for two had become a road trip for six.
If you’re curious about that adventure, you can follow along with our 2012 honeymoon travels here.
The miles gave us plenty of time to share stories with the kids about the places we passed. We pointed out limestone fence posts that still dot the Kansas landscape, talked about how barbed wire has evolved over the years, and revisited one of our favorite roadside oddities, the famous “fish in a fish.”
Somewhere between the stories, the scenery, and the miles, we found ourselves weaving the kids into our own history. Places that were once part of our story as newlyweds have become part of our family’s story too.
Of course, no Davies Herd road trip would be complete without a little excitement.
As we neared Colorado Springs, the van began showing signs of transmission trouble. Warning lights appeared, performance dropped, and the conversation quickly shifted from honeymoon memories and Academy stories to troubleshooting and contingency plans.
Thankfully, the van cooperated long enough to get us where we needed to go.
By the time we arrived at USAFA, the visit felt less like a stop on the journey and more like a return to where so much of our journey began.
One of Sam’s friends from JBAB is currently serving as an instructor at USAFA and graciously gave us a behind-the-gate tour of the cadet area. The kids got to see where cadets live, attend classes, train, and spend most of their four years.
It was another reminder that the military truly is a family business. Nearly every stop on this move has included reconnecting with people from previous assignments, and this one was no different. If you’ve been in long enough, you eventually realize you have family everywhere. Some are related by blood, others by shared experiences, deployments, PCS moves, and years spent serving together. Either way, they become part of your story.
Of particular interest was Mitchell Hall, the cadet dining facility. At first glance, it looks like a college cafeteria.
In reality, it’s a masterpiece of organization and logistics.
More than 4,000 cadets can move through, eat a meal, and clear out in roughly 20 minutes. Watching the operation unfold is a reminder that even something as simple as lunch requires incredible planning, coordination, and precision when you’re feeding an entire wing of future officers.
For Ana, the visit carried a little extra significance.
At the moment, she is the Davies kid most interested in attending the Academy someday. Walking through the cadet area gave her an opportunity to see beyond the brochures and websites and experience what life at USAFA actually looks like.
The visit also gave us plenty of opportunities to point and say, “That’s where…” followed by stories the kids have heard at least three times already.
After the tour, Zed took the van to the Ford dealership while Sam and the kids explored a little more of the Academy. The timing worked out perfectly because a hockey camp was taking place at the sports complex. The kids enjoyed watching skaters on the ice and imagining themselves out there before burning off some energy at a nearby playground while we waited for the verdict on the van.
The diagnosis turned out to be much better than expected.
The van wasn’t suffering from transmission problems at all. It simply had a case of altitude sickness.
One of the sensors needed to be reset after the significant elevation change. A quick fix, a much smaller bill than anticipated, and a collective sigh of relief from everyone involved.
With the van back in action, we met up with Zed and headed to dinner with his sponsor family.
For those unfamiliar with Academy life, sponsor families are local families who open their homes to cadets, offering a place to escape campus, enjoy a home-cooked meal, celebrate holidays, or simply be part of a family for a few hours. Many cadets form relationships with their sponsor families that last well beyond graduation.
That was certainly true for us.
The evening was spent catching up, sharing stories, and letting the kids roam the ranch. They quickly disappeared to explore, meeting animals, running through open spaces, and enjoying a kind of freedom that’s hard to find in most neighborhoods.
As the sun set, it was hard not to appreciate how many chapters of life came together in a single day.
The place where Sam and Zed started.
A glimpse into a possible future for Ana.
Friends who reminded us that the military truly is a family business.
A sponsor family that has remained part of our story for more than a decade.
And a van that, thankfully, just needed a little help adjusting to life in the mountains.
Not bad for a stop along the road to Alaska.
Herd Stats
Miles Driven: 2,236
States Traveled: 8
Check Engine Lights: 1
Animal Sightings: 1 armadillo, 1 entertaining horse, assorted ranch residents
Running Stats
Hotel/Campgrounds Count: 15
Herd Morale: Reflecting on where it all began
Sanity Level: Significantly improved after learning it wasn’t the transmission
The Davies Herd 
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