All of us have taken trips that were memorable. There are certain vacations that stick in our minds. Perhaps, we were lying on a beach on a tropical island. Perhaps, the crisp cold wind was whipping against our face as we skied down the side of a mountain. Perhaps, we simply curled up with a good book and forgot about our everyday routines. We all have memories of certain trips or vacations that are as clear today as they were when we took them.

Many years ago, I was with my family on vacation in Montana. We were driving along a road that was winding among the hills and valleys when we suddenly rounded a sharp curve and saw a large, barren mountain right in front of us. There were no trees on the side of this mountain. It was scarred from years of being mined. It was a desolate, deserted …