While many have special plans for this July 4th, Paso Robles resident Lyn Hanush will walk her 3,794th mile into North Palm Beach, Fla., as a part of the Great American Journey she and two friends embarked on May 12, 2003.
This Christian trio, which includes Hanush, Joan Balog of San Jose and an "Aussie" friend, Ronni Schoch, have walked diagonally across the United States from the Peace Arch in Blaine, Wash., to Florida, meeting and greeting people wherever they go and praying for every town they pass.

By July 4, they will only be 238 miles from their ultimate destination, which is Key West.

Although there are thousands of stories of their adventures, many of which can be read on their website www.greatamericajourney.com that is faithfully maintained by husband Dave Hanush from his Paso Robles home, one of the most notable is the Sunday School class they attended at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, taught by former-President Jimmy Carter.

According to Hanush, President Carter is a Deacon at the church with 150 members and teaches there about three weeks a month. The Great American Journey trio visited there this past Mother's Day. Dave Hanush joined them from Paso Robles and sang in the church choir.

Meeting President Carter and his wife Roselyn entailed being briefed by the Secret Service who explained when they could take pictures, when they could talk with the former President (which was only when asked a question) and other cautions.

The walkers pass along official greetings from Paso Robles Mayor Frank Mecham to local dignitaries across America who can fit meeting these intrepid sojourners into their schedules. In Plains, Georgia, they met Mayor Boze Godwin, a cousin of the former President.

Mixed in with all these exciting highlights are aggravations that typically plague travelers on journeys great and small.

The Great American Journey team's method of walking America included using a RV donated by a friend in Paso Robles. From Washington State to Georgia, one member of the team would drive the trio ahead and find a good spot for the RV for the week, and then use a van to shuttle back to the walkers' start point each day. This double duty wore out the used RV, which they sold in Georgia due to both the cost of repairs and the many hair-raising experiences it provided, such as when it stalled on a narrow two lane highway.

Dellie Chapman, from Atascadero, will be joining the team July 7 in Miami.

I'm looking forward to it," Chapman said. "I used to live in Miami and graduated from the University there.  I just had an inspiration a few weeks ago to join them and walk from Miami to Key West. They've been praying for the whole country but I can pray for Miami."


Posted: July 1, 2004



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