More Of Best Friends – where angels go to rest
As we enter our 3rd day at Best Friends we’ve managed to frolic with puppies, play with the pigs and help out with some of the older dogs too. But, amazingly, that’s not all there is to this place. A ride around the grounds takes you to a stunning overlook of the valley at Angel Village (where you can get a $5 lunch with a view if you’re volunteering), hidden inlets, and…my absolute favorite, Angels Rest. This is where our lovlies go to rest, and it’s a gorgeous, peaceful and meditative place. The caretaker there is a lovely gentleman who started out part-time, became a care-taker and ended up staying for 8 years. The peacefulness and I guess the closure of helping people with the passing of their pets just kept him coming back.
There’s over 5,000 animals resting here of all kinds. Some have wind-chimes as memorials so you’re greeted by the soft sounds of bells as you walk around, at times becoming an opera of melodies when the wind picks up. The graves have pale red stones, and polished rocks are left for every visit, an old Hebrew tradition. In addition, each month the Rescue holds a blessing where you can share the impact a pet has had on your life. Every step here has a story and a meaning, so it’s quite a moving experience to walk around.
A fitting place for those we’ve loved and a highly recommended stop, indeed.
Don’t Weep for Me
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there
I do not sleep
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints on snow
I am the gentle autumn rain
When you awaken in the mornings hush
I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet
Birds in circled flight
I am the soft star that shines at night
Do not stand by my grave and cry
I am not there
I did not die
Engraved at the entrance to Angel’s Rest
Hello, I am a high school classmate of Lauren Brown and have also been following your trip. Currently have 40′ Travel Supreme 5th and dual wheel truck, getting ready to retire and hit the road. I downsized and living on board now.
Thanks for you blog, hopefully I will get to spend time in the area you are travelling.
If you should have any advice for me going fulltime I would appreciate your words of wisdom.
Love your photos, truly amazing how diverse our grand USA is!!
Lovely to “meet” you! Wonderful that you’re already living in the RV. Congrats on the move!
For full-timers it’s all about seeing the country and staying connected with friends & social activities. I definitely recommend booking ahead for popular locations or looking to stay in National Forest or BLM land. And, for social activities volunteering or camp hosting can be great. We’ve got a few posts in the “RV Tips & Practical Stuff” on that.
Enjoy the journey. Do let us know if you get close to where we are and we can join up for a bit 🙂
Sandy, by the way, feel free to have Lauren send you my e-mail and ask away w/ anything that comes up. Also, if you haven’t got a mail-forwarding service yet we use this one and are quite happy with it
http://www.alternativeresources.net/
They’re helping us to register the RV in SD too.
Hi,
I have volunteered in Dogtown with my daughter and I can’t wait to take my DH there to do it again.
I called it God’s Country out there.
Travel safely~~~~
I totally agree! It was a magical experience to volunteer there and can’t wait to go back and do it again.