We were up early and on the road a little before 6 a.m. It was an uneventful ride back to Jackson. We have made this drive so often that we are very familiar with the sights so I either played Sudoku on my little hand held or played games on the computer. I was so ready to be back home!!!
We arrived around 12:30 and Carol was here to greet us. Hot, hot, hot here, but good to be home. I rather felt like a stranger in my own home - when I went to get stuff out for a drink, or things in the kitchen, I had to stop and think where they might be!!
We spent the next several hours unloading the car, unpacking suitcases and just
stacking the boxes we did not want to deal with (which was most of them). Who wants to handle flannel sheets, down comforters, fleece blankets and winter clothes when it is close to 100 outside???? NOT ME!!!!
We also spent a lot of time on the phone letting people know we are finally home!!! E.T. is finally home!!!!
Looking back on the trip....I guess I have learned some things....
First of all...basic facts....
We left MS on May 21 and returned Aug. 11.
We put 7,400 miles on the truck
7,250 miles on the RV
Maybe it is not a good idea to turn me loose for 11 weeks with 2 digital cameras and ways to unload pictures so I can take more....I have 5,256 digital images in my laptop from this trip and will be adding some more when Barb Grainger sends me a DVD w/ some pictures to fill in for the ones I lost when I damaged the SD cards!!
Jerry has about 20 hours of video in addition to about 15 rolls of 35 mm film!!
It would have been better to have a tow vehicle. There were lots of places we would have ventured that the RV could not go.
We needed to spend longer than one night in most places.
Was sorry we did not have enough time to go fishing (plus fishing in AK is full of LOTS of strange and specific rules about where you can and can't fish, and the kind of license you need, etc...)
I should have taken more time to visit art galleries and craft stores...I love seeing all the things people can create.
I wish I had time to paint - it was all I could do to take pictures and record the places we were seeing...(of course I have fun with cameras also!)
In fact I wish I could have spent at least 24 hours in most places so I could get the sun and light in different positions.
I did not see TV or have much access to news for 50 days in the RV. A couple of times we tuned in when we were in Frank and Barb's RV. I didn't miss it.
We should have taken some music CD's to listen to on the road....no radio stations in the wilderness.
I should have loaded pix onto computer each day from both cameras, even when there were not so many pictures to load....
Wish I had taken pix of us getting to STL, getting to Piedmont and then finally getting home. I guess once I got back in familiar territory, the cameras could finally leave my hands.
Our world is an awesome creation and all the parts that I have seen have their own characteristics and personality, but they are all part of the whole.
It was a great trip and I don't know how it could have been any shorter, but I also know that I was gone a long time from home....what a dilemma...
I guess this is the official end of the blog for this trip....it has taken many hours and longer than I would have wished post trip to finish all this up, but I am glad I have persevered and finished it. The next step is to print out the text, order copies of the pictures I posted and put it all into an album. I told John I had a few suggestions for Google and blog posting.....wish they had one part of it dedicated to travel and vacations and there were easier and better formats for including pictures!
It's nice to be with friends and family. We had such a good time with Frank and Barb and then with Nana and our family in St. Louis and at Piedmont.
Our next adventure is a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico in October for the Balloon Fiesta. We have been before but are anxious to go again. Jerry's sister Carol and her very good friend are going with us and we will also go to Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley and Santa Fe. Have not decided whether to do a blog or not, but will keep you posted.
All for now and thanks for traveling with us through the blog. It meant a lot to us to know that our friends and family back home could tune in and kind of keep up a bit with us. I hope you enjoyed reading it half as much as I enjoyed putting it together (in spite of lack of internet connections everywhere!!!) Happy trails!!! Linda and Jerry
Friday, August 24, 2007
Friday, August 10 07 PIedmont
We spent the day getting ready to leave for Jackson tomorrow morning. There is always a lot to do to get ready to leave....all the outside stuff has to be put up, the inside cleaned, linens changed, and refrigerator cleaned out, etc. We really need to make a checklist of all that needs doing to close up the house so if anyone wanted to use it while we are not here they would know what to do.
To bed fairly early as we are planning on being in the car by 6 a.m. Can't wait to get home!!!!!
To bed fairly early as we are planning on being in the car by 6 a.m. Can't wait to get home!!!!!
Monday, August 6 07 Piedmont
We were up early as John and Susan wanted to take the 4 wheeler over to GreenTree and ride the trails over there. Jerry had been over earlier in the week to bush hog the trails and b/c it is so dry there was not much to do.
I stayed at the house while they went and cleaned up a bit and gathered some of the leftover foodstuff to take back to STL. We head out about 11 a.m. as their flight was at 5:45. When we got to STL we stopped at Jean's to leave the dogs, then went to the nursing home to see Jim and introduce him to Susan....of course when we were done there we had time to go to Ted Drewe's again for more ice cream and hot fudge sundaes, then we headed to the airport.
When we got there, the plane had been delayed for 1 1/2 hours so we went to the restaurant for drinks and some food. It was a good chance to visit some more before we had to say good-bye. They were finally able to board their flight and head home. We went back to Jean's and ate dinner, then left for Piedmont. We arrived about 10:30 and about 10 min. later, John and Susan called saying that they had made it back to San Francisco and were headed home. A very fast, busy weekend crammed with lots of family stuff, water sports and land sports. Sigh....they go by too fast sometimes. We wish Malia and David could have been with us but they had friends getting married in Blacksburg, VA and Malia was a bridesmaid. One of these years they will make the trip we hope.
I stayed at the house while they went and cleaned up a bit and gathered some of the leftover foodstuff to take back to STL. We head out about 11 a.m. as their flight was at 5:45. When we got to STL we stopped at Jean's to leave the dogs, then went to the nursing home to see Jim and introduce him to Susan....of course when we were done there we had time to go to Ted Drewe's again for more ice cream and hot fudge sundaes, then we headed to the airport.
When we got there, the plane had been delayed for 1 1/2 hours so we went to the restaurant for drinks and some food. It was a good chance to visit some more before we had to say good-bye. They were finally able to board their flight and head home. We went back to Jean's and ate dinner, then left for Piedmont. We arrived about 10:30 and about 10 min. later, John and Susan called saying that they had made it back to San Francisco and were headed home. A very fast, busy weekend crammed with lots of family stuff, water sports and land sports. Sigh....they go by too fast sometimes. We wish Malia and David could have been with us but they had friends getting married in Blacksburg, VA and Malia was a bridesmaid. One of these years they will make the trip we hope.
Sunday, August 5 07 Piedmont
Up fairly early and making pots of coffee.....again a leisurely breakfast as we tried to eat up some of the food that folks had brought. We had a run on cantaloupe this year - wound up with 9 of them I think....lots of food left over. Fixed biscuits, ham and cheese, fruit etc.
People started leaving around noon or in the early afternoon. When everyone had gone, John wanted to take Susan out on to Clearwater Lake. We had not checked out the jet skis and they had expired stickers but we took the bass boat and the water ski stuff and headed out.
We toured the lake and showed Susan the sights and then we proceeded to teach her how to water ski. It was kind of a tough day to learn b/c there was some wind and the lake was rather choppy. In addition there were lots of boats and that contributed to the waves and rough water. She tried and tried, persevered and finally got up! It was great!! It is always great to see someone learn to ski. John skied a bit also. We stopped at the marina for a drink and an ice cream and headed back to the house about 7 p.m.....very tired from being out in the sun and on the water.
We ate leftovers and they packed up their stuff and got ready to leave tomorrow.
People started leaving around noon or in the early afternoon. When everyone had gone, John wanted to take Susan out on to Clearwater Lake. We had not checked out the jet skis and they had expired stickers but we took the bass boat and the water ski stuff and headed out.
We toured the lake and showed Susan the sights and then we proceeded to teach her how to water ski. It was kind of a tough day to learn b/c there was some wind and the lake was rather choppy. In addition there were lots of boats and that contributed to the waves and rough water. She tried and tried, persevered and finally got up! It was great!! It is always great to see someone learn to ski. John skied a bit also. We stopped at the marina for a drink and an ice cream and headed back to the house about 7 p.m.....very tired from being out in the sun and on the water.
We ate leftovers and they packed up their stuff and got ready to leave tomorrow.
Saturday, August 4 07 Piedmont
Today is float trip....At Jack's are Tony, Mary Kay, TJ, Emily, Steve and Katie...
Pat, Annie, B.C. are coming here and will only stay the day. Robert, Danny and Sally drove in about 11 a.m. Can't believe all these kids are so grown up.
Had leisurely breakfast and coffee at the house....then scurried to get everyone ready for float....Got to Kemper's at noon and got all the canoes lined up, took group pix and then headed out.
We had 12 canoes and had a wonderful float. It was hot, but the water was cool and the shade was nice on the gravel bars where we stopped. We got back about 3:30 or 4:00 and Jerry went to pick up the meat we had ordered. I had gone over to Jack's earlier to pick up the food they were contributing. We had decided to eat immediately after the float trip rather than send them all back to Jack's to clean up, get food ready and then come back to our house. We learned that lesson last year.
We just all enjoyed being together. After dinner and the Stemmler's went back, those of us left at the house decided to play a hot game of Pictionary. We played 2 games and have added a new classic drawing to our growing list.....in addition to John and Malia's famous "duck dive", we now have John Simon's "placemat"! It was really funny and we all got lots of laughs from that one.
Pat, Annie, B.C. are coming here and will only stay the day. Robert, Danny and Sally drove in about 11 a.m. Can't believe all these kids are so grown up.
Had leisurely breakfast and coffee at the house....then scurried to get everyone ready for float....Got to Kemper's at noon and got all the canoes lined up, took group pix and then headed out.
We had 12 canoes and had a wonderful float. It was hot, but the water was cool and the shade was nice on the gravel bars where we stopped. We got back about 3:30 or 4:00 and Jerry went to pick up the meat we had ordered. I had gone over to Jack's earlier to pick up the food they were contributing. We had decided to eat immediately after the float trip rather than send them all back to Jack's to clean up, get food ready and then come back to our house. We learned that lesson last year.
We just all enjoyed being together. After dinner and the Stemmler's went back, those of us left at the house decided to play a hot game of Pictionary. We played 2 games and have added a new classic drawing to our growing list.....in addition to John and Malia's famous "duck dive", we now have John Simon's "placemat"! It was really funny and we all got lots of laughs from that one.
Friday, August 3 07 Piedmont
Up early and getting ready for today...Jerry going to STL to pick up John and Susan. I am cooking Texas BBQ for tonight and most of the family is coming in this evening. Some will be here for the day tomorrow....
Jerry got back w/ John and Susan late as they went by some places to show Susan and then of course to Ted Drewe's.....It was great to see them when they finally got back to Piedmont.
At the house tonite we had John, Susan, Carol, MaryBeth, Diane, John Simon, Jean, Ben, Grace, Buddy, Gary, Jerry and I. Had a wonderful time. It's fun to get together. We are so fortunate that we are all close and enjoy spending time with each other.
Jerry got back w/ John and Susan late as they went by some places to show Susan and then of course to Ted Drewe's.....It was great to see them when they finally got back to Piedmont.
At the house tonite we had John, Susan, Carol, MaryBeth, Diane, John Simon, Jean, Ben, Grace, Buddy, Gary, Jerry and I. Had a wonderful time. It's fun to get together. We are so fortunate that we are all close and enjoy spending time with each other.
Thursday, August 2, 07 Piedmont
Well today is our 32 wedding anniversary. Spent the day getting ready for the weekend. Jerry took me to dinner in Dexter, MO. It is about 1 1/2 hours from Piedmont and we had to go there to pick up the jet skis so we decided to kill two birds w/ one stone....We went to a very nice BBQ place that had great steaks. It was a very good dinner and we had a very nice evening.
Friday, July 27, 07 Piedmont
Well, the bird feeders are filled, the hummers are back and we enjoyed watching them sitting in the recliners and on the porch. That is our usual routine while we drink our morning coffee. There is not too much else going on here..just good to sit back and relax and not be moving. Also nice to be back in a house with some familiar stuff....
There won't be much going on here until next weekend and the float trip. John and Susan will be here for that and we are anxious to see them...also looking forward to stuffing the house with family and being together. Will probably not post daily blogs until after the float trip....still will get to the real end of the trip when we get back to Jackson and will post then....
There won't be much going on here until next weekend and the float trip. John and Susan will be here for that and we are anxious to see them...also looking forward to stuffing the house with family and being together. Will probably not post daily blogs until after the float trip....still will get to the real end of the trip when we get back to Jackson and will post then....
Thursday, July 26 07 St. Louis to Piedmont
Up early and to St. Louis Bread Co. for breakfast. That is tradition for mornings in STL. We then went to see Jim and headed for Piedmont in the early afternoon. When we arrived the dogs were really glad to be free of confines. They always enjoy being at Jean;s because she has a large fenced yard and they can get out and chase rabbits and each other and Crystal, her dog.
I think they were probably just glad to get out of a vehicle and settle down in larger environs for a while!! They LOVE to run and have 24 acres to run at the house in Piedmont. Jerry also usually takes them on a walk each morning when here and Gabby especially loves this. She gets so excited and almost turns corkscrews as she prances in the air. By the time they come back, their tongues are hanging and then they usually get a brushing - an excuse for more attention.
We put the hummingbird feeders out and it didn't take them long to find them. Kyle, who had been staying at the house while we were gone was in the process of moving his stuff out. He had started out feeding the hummers, but they were so greedy that he was unable to keep it up due to his working hours so he gave up. They came back in droves.
We invited Kyle to stay for dinner and enjoyed visiting with him. Jerry helped him load some of his stuff and then he was gone.
We unpacked enough to get by...and then to bed.
I think they were probably just glad to get out of a vehicle and settle down in larger environs for a while!! They LOVE to run and have 24 acres to run at the house in Piedmont. Jerry also usually takes them on a walk each morning when here and Gabby especially loves this. She gets so excited and almost turns corkscrews as she prances in the air. By the time they come back, their tongues are hanging and then they usually get a brushing - an excuse for more attention.
We put the hummingbird feeders out and it didn't take them long to find them. Kyle, who had been staying at the house while we were gone was in the process of moving his stuff out. He had started out feeding the hummers, but they were so greedy that he was unable to keep it up due to his working hours so he gave up. They came back in droves.
We invited Kyle to stay for dinner and enjoyed visiting with him. Jerry helped him load some of his stuff and then he was gone.
We unpacked enough to get by...and then to bed.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
When we said good night to Nana last night, we told her we would come by this morning to see her again. We got there about 8 or so. She had arranged for us to eat breakfast with her so we waited until a table for 3 became available and had breakfast with her...it was a wonderful visit. After breakfast, we went out into the courtyard and sat on the benches and talked for a while. We had to beg and plead but we finally got Nana to agree to let us take a picture with her in it. Couldn't get one of just her so we got an aid to take one of the 3 of us. We also had a hard time getting her to smile a bit, but she finally did...just a little! Since we had the dogs in the car and we were sitting in the courtyard, Jerry went and got them and they got to visit too! Of course they got lots of attention so they loved it!
Time to say good bye and get back on the road. We will arrive in St. Louis sometime this afternoon and I guess that will be the official end of this trip. HOWEVER...I won't get home until after Aug. 6 because of the family float trip. The trip to STL was uneventful...still lots of cornfields. Although I will say we were MOST impressed with the farms and cornfields around Williamsburg. The cornfields were beautiful and looked to be manicured!!! As were the roadsides and the farms we saw. Everything was so clean and neat....I don't think a corn plant would dare grow taller than it's neighbor...it looked like very tall, very manicured grass! It is really a lovely area.
It is not too far a drive from Williamsburg to STL. We were at Jean's right at 2 p.m. after having stopped at Ted Drewe's for a frozen custard and a hot fudge sundae! Yummmmm!!! That is a most honored STL tradition in the family and we are always happy to uphold that tradition! It was good to see some familiar faces. We went to the nursing home to see Jim and then we took him and went to eat with Carol at Pietro's and had some good Italian food. Then we had some more Ted Drewe's. Jean had plans for the evening. We spent the night at her house and planning to head to Piedmont tomorrow.
Time to say good bye and get back on the road. We will arrive in St. Louis sometime this afternoon and I guess that will be the official end of this trip. HOWEVER...I won't get home until after Aug. 6 because of the family float trip. The trip to STL was uneventful...still lots of cornfields. Although I will say we were MOST impressed with the farms and cornfields around Williamsburg. The cornfields were beautiful and looked to be manicured!!! As were the roadsides and the farms we saw. Everything was so clean and neat....I don't think a corn plant would dare grow taller than it's neighbor...it looked like very tall, very manicured grass! It is really a lovely area.
It is not too far a drive from Williamsburg to STL. We were at Jean's right at 2 p.m. after having stopped at Ted Drewe's for a frozen custard and a hot fudge sundae! Yummmmm!!! That is a most honored STL tradition in the family and we are always happy to uphold that tradition! It was good to see some familiar faces. We went to the nursing home to see Jim and then we took him and went to eat with Carol at Pietro's and had some good Italian food. Then we had some more Ted Drewe's. Jean had plans for the evening. We spent the night at her house and planning to head to Piedmont tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 Watertown SD to Williamsburg, IA
We left about 9 a.m. headed for Iowa. We decided to stop there and see our son in law's grandmother who is a wonderful woman of 92. We met her when she made a trip to Jackson last year and love talking to her. She is in a nursing home so we thought we would stop in.
We drove I-29 through Omaha Neb. and then east on I-80 through Des Moines to Williamsburg. It was about 285 miles....and it seems about 284 of cornfields!!! Not really, but close I think!!! There was LOTS and LOTS of corn....sometimes there was some wheat, but lots and lots of corn! Not an especially scenic day. I did take a few pictures out of the car window, but they did not turn out too well. Still HOT!!! This seemed like a good day to get out the laptop and play a few computer games while we were riding down the road so I did. It helped to pass the time. We also had a few books on tape that we had not heard yet and we have been listening to those as well.
We tried to surprise Nana a bit, but we did call ahead and talk to her and told her we were on the way. I think she was a bit surprised that we came, but glad to see us. We made arrangements to eat at the nursing home with her and had a delightful visit and meal. She is looking forward to getting back to a newer facility that is not quite ready yet. We could see it from the road and it looks like a castle! She told us about her life on the farm and gave us directions to see her house and the farm. Williamsburg is very close to the Amana colonies so after dinner we opted to drive to see the homestead and then decided to drive through the colonies. Lots of fine craftsmanship, a few wineries, and of course the Amana refrigerators and appliances. What a fascinating place. I would have loved to have spent some time there. It looked like a very interesting place. After we got an ice cream cone, we went back to the hotel and crashed. No internet here either....I think I am getting used to this....if not I am missing a golden opportunity.....
We drove I-29 through Omaha Neb. and then east on I-80 through Des Moines to Williamsburg. It was about 285 miles....and it seems about 284 of cornfields!!! Not really, but close I think!!! There was LOTS and LOTS of corn....sometimes there was some wheat, but lots and lots of corn! Not an especially scenic day. I did take a few pictures out of the car window, but they did not turn out too well. Still HOT!!! This seemed like a good day to get out the laptop and play a few computer games while we were riding down the road so I did. It helped to pass the time. We also had a few books on tape that we had not heard yet and we have been listening to those as well.
We tried to surprise Nana a bit, but we did call ahead and talk to her and told her we were on the way. I think she was a bit surprised that we came, but glad to see us. We made arrangements to eat at the nursing home with her and had a delightful visit and meal. She is looking forward to getting back to a newer facility that is not quite ready yet. We could see it from the road and it looks like a castle! She told us about her life on the farm and gave us directions to see her house and the farm. Williamsburg is very close to the Amana colonies so after dinner we opted to drive to see the homestead and then decided to drive through the colonies. Lots of fine craftsmanship, a few wineries, and of course the Amana refrigerators and appliances. What a fascinating place. I would have loved to have spent some time there. It looked like a very interesting place. After we got an ice cream cone, we went back to the hotel and crashed. No internet here either....I think I am getting used to this....if not I am missing a golden opportunity.....
Monday July 23, 07 Glendive to Watertown SD
Left Glendive about 8:30 and another hot hot day...supposed to get to maybe 105 today!!! We sure did not miss the hot weather in AK and Canada!!! In fact I think we were glad to be in the truck and out of the RV b/c in the RV we only had flannel sheets to sleep on and that would have been hot! Of course we would run the a/c, but still.....It does cool off a great deal at night....down in 60s so mornings and evenings aren't too bad.
At one gas station there was a flatbed truck in front of us w/ a St. Bernard lying in the back....it was a rather large male and long haired. I felt sorry for him in the hot weather. He was a gorgeous dog and made us miss our Brandy!
Just inside the North Dakota border is Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is a rather interesting park...was TR's western ranch. We drove in for several miles until we came to the loop road...We stopped at several lookouts and along the river. It was very interesting and a nice place, but it was still a very hot day and being a NP, we could not take the dogs anywhere and it was too hot to leave them in the car. It is noted for its wild mustangs and we saw some of the wild horses and also buffalo. Because of the heat and other considerations we opted not to drive the loop road as we felt we had seen enough. There was another entrance to the park a couple of miles down the road and we stopped there as well It was a "painted canyon" and although it was pretty, the colors were not terribly vivid. Some pinks, greens and grays on the bentonite hills. There were several areas in the park that were reminiscent of the Badlands but not on as grand a scale. Of course we got a park stamp here as well.
The countryside in ND is rolling w/ lots of wheat and pastureland. It was very pretty, just not spectacular. One of the more interesting exits was "Home on the Range". We just had to see what was there so we took it. Turns out it is a boy's town type of ranch community for troubled youth.
Decided to leave the interstate (I-94) and take Hwy. 85 and 12 through the SW corner of ND and diagonally through South Dakota. Lots of road construction and the road was not great. It was getting late and we started looking for a place to stay. We were close to Minnesota and since I had never been there we drove to Ortonville, but could not find a hotel that would take dogs so we backtracked into SD and found a place in Watertown. By this time it was about 9:30 p.m. and we were really tired!
At one gas station there was a flatbed truck in front of us w/ a St. Bernard lying in the back....it was a rather large male and long haired. I felt sorry for him in the hot weather. He was a gorgeous dog and made us miss our Brandy!
Just inside the North Dakota border is Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is a rather interesting park...was TR's western ranch. We drove in for several miles until we came to the loop road...We stopped at several lookouts and along the river. It was very interesting and a nice place, but it was still a very hot day and being a NP, we could not take the dogs anywhere and it was too hot to leave them in the car. It is noted for its wild mustangs and we saw some of the wild horses and also buffalo. Because of the heat and other considerations we opted not to drive the loop road as we felt we had seen enough. There was another entrance to the park a couple of miles down the road and we stopped there as well It was a "painted canyon" and although it was pretty, the colors were not terribly vivid. Some pinks, greens and grays on the bentonite hills. There were several areas in the park that were reminiscent of the Badlands but not on as grand a scale. Of course we got a park stamp here as well.
The countryside in ND is rolling w/ lots of wheat and pastureland. It was very pretty, just not spectacular. One of the more interesting exits was "Home on the Range". We just had to see what was there so we took it. Turns out it is a boy's town type of ranch community for troubled youth.
Decided to leave the interstate (I-94) and take Hwy. 85 and 12 through the SW corner of ND and diagonally through South Dakota. Lots of road construction and the road was not great. It was getting late and we started looking for a place to stay. We were close to Minnesota and since I had never been there we drove to Ortonville, but could not find a hotel that would take dogs so we backtracked into SD and found a place in Watertown. By this time it was about 9:30 p.m. and we were really tired!
Sunday, July 22 07 - Many Glacier to Glendive MT
As we left this a.m. we decided to drive 8 miles or so to the north road into the park. This road just goes to Swiftcurrent Lodge about 15 miles down the road and passes some other lodges along the way. It is not as well traveled as Going to the Sun Road (which by the way is only 50 miles long) and follows the north side of Swiftcurrent Lake.
Turns out that this is the day for grizzlies!!!! At one point all these cars were stopped along side the road and everyone was watching these bears up on the side of the mountain! There were at least 3 females w/ cubs and a couple of others as well. We had to leave the place where we had stopped b/c we were run out by a ranger (we were in a no stopping area). We went on to the end of the road for breakfast at the Swiftcurrent Lodge.
On the way back we stopped at a parking area and talked with a ranger who was waiting for a busload of kids to show up as he was leading them on a hike up to a glacier. They were from a Mennonite school. While we were there we spotted a huge bear on the side of the mountain...also with a cub but a much bigger cub. We got out the spotting scope and watched her for a long time. The busload of kids pulled in and they came over and also looked at the bear through the scope.
Further down the road we passed a cyclist who was waving and pointing down towards the lake. There was maybe 20 yards between the road and the lake. Turns out another mama grizzly was there w/ her 2 cubs and according to the cyclist she seemed a bit agitated and the cyclist was a bit concerned. We watched and the bear was out of sight for a while, but then we caught a glimpse of her moving quickly along the shoreline of the lake. We walked down the road a bit (very carefully) and then returned to the truck and got in b/c she was really pretty close to us. We drove down a bit and then we saw her moving along at a rapid clip and her cubs were following as well. That was exciting. We stopped again where we had seen the group of bears on the way up (this time it was a legal stop) and watched them again for a while before driving on.
We stopped several times for pictures. Saw a coyote and then another moose as it crossed the road in front of us. We stopped at a turnout and got some pictures looking back up the valley and lake to the mountains and glaciers. It was really pretty. As we left the park we took a highway heading east and again stopped a few times to look back at the park. It truly rises up out of the plains. The countryside to the east of the park is rolling and mostly pasture land. What a wonder our National Parks are!!!
Made it as far as Glendive MT. Once we left the mountains, it got really really hot...like 103!!!! We were worried a bit about our a/c. Of course in the truck we were able to run at 70+ mph and it just wasn't cooling. Jerry tried slowing down for a while and it kicked right in and finally got cold. If it was going to be that hot we really needed a/c!!! We did pass through Cold Foot, MT and saw this penguin stating that Cold Foot is the coldest spot in U.S.! Not today!!!
Stayed at a Day's Inn in Glendive. They advertised Wi-Fi so I was looking forward to working on the blog and loading some pictures. I could not get connected in the room so I went to the desk to see if there was a password or another trick to get on. She said sometimes people had trouble connecting from the rooms and perhaps the lobby would be better. There was another woman in there with her laptop trying to connect and neither of us was able to establish a connection. Evidently their server was down. I tried to tell that to the desk clerk, but she was clueless. Sigh....I guess this blog will never get done in a timely fashion!!!
Turns out that this is the day for grizzlies!!!! At one point all these cars were stopped along side the road and everyone was watching these bears up on the side of the mountain! There were at least 3 females w/ cubs and a couple of others as well. We had to leave the place where we had stopped b/c we were run out by a ranger (we were in a no stopping area). We went on to the end of the road for breakfast at the Swiftcurrent Lodge.
On the way back we stopped at a parking area and talked with a ranger who was waiting for a busload of kids to show up as he was leading them on a hike up to a glacier. They were from a Mennonite school. While we were there we spotted a huge bear on the side of the mountain...also with a cub but a much bigger cub. We got out the spotting scope and watched her for a long time. The busload of kids pulled in and they came over and also looked at the bear through the scope.
Further down the road we passed a cyclist who was waving and pointing down towards the lake. There was maybe 20 yards between the road and the lake. Turns out another mama grizzly was there w/ her 2 cubs and according to the cyclist she seemed a bit agitated and the cyclist was a bit concerned. We watched and the bear was out of sight for a while, but then we caught a glimpse of her moving quickly along the shoreline of the lake. We walked down the road a bit (very carefully) and then returned to the truck and got in b/c she was really pretty close to us. We drove down a bit and then we saw her moving along at a rapid clip and her cubs were following as well. That was exciting. We stopped again where we had seen the group of bears on the way up (this time it was a legal stop) and watched them again for a while before driving on.
We stopped several times for pictures. Saw a coyote and then another moose as it crossed the road in front of us. We stopped at a turnout and got some pictures looking back up the valley and lake to the mountains and glaciers. It was really pretty. As we left the park we took a highway heading east and again stopped a few times to look back at the park. It truly rises up out of the plains. The countryside to the east of the park is rolling and mostly pasture land. What a wonder our National Parks are!!!
Made it as far as Glendive MT. Once we left the mountains, it got really really hot...like 103!!!! We were worried a bit about our a/c. Of course in the truck we were able to run at 70+ mph and it just wasn't cooling. Jerry tried slowing down for a while and it kicked right in and finally got cold. If it was going to be that hot we really needed a/c!!! We did pass through Cold Foot, MT and saw this penguin stating that Cold Foot is the coldest spot in U.S.! Not today!!!
Stayed at a Day's Inn in Glendive. They advertised Wi-Fi so I was looking forward to working on the blog and loading some pictures. I could not get connected in the room so I went to the desk to see if there was a password or another trick to get on. She said sometimes people had trouble connecting from the rooms and perhaps the lobby would be better. There was another woman in there with her laptop trying to connect and neither of us was able to establish a connection. Evidently their server was down. I tried to tell that to the desk clerk, but she was clueless. Sigh....I guess this blog will never get done in a timely fashion!!!
Saturday, July 21-07 Eureka to Glacier NP
Got up and left town early headed to Glacier. We were about 1 1/2 hours from the park...we arrived at Apgar entrance around 10:00 a.m. It was JAMMED!! We managed to get a parking space there at the visitor center where there was also a lodge, restaurants, etc. We immediately went to get our stamp. We had tried to get a room at a lodge in the park, but all was full for the weekend. It turned out to be some sort of special celebration weekend for the park (this park is an international park as it sits both in Canada and US). We went to restaurant and had a late breakfast while we decided our plan of action. We came to the obvious conclusion that we should have spent last nite closer to the park so we could have gotten here earlier, but that was hindsight. We live and learn (maybe slow learners). When we finished breakfast, we had almost decided NOT to do the park today and find a place to stay outside the park and drive the Going to the Sun Road early in the a.m. In the end, we decided that since we were already here we would brave the crowds and traffic and just go on through today. I made Jerry promise NOT to get impatient and upset w/ idiot drivers, etc. if we did this....he was pretty good about it....there were lots of slow places where people had stopped to watch bears, etc and all the scenic turnouts were crowded, but it really wasn't too bad.
Going to the Sun Road is just AWESOME!!! We started our drive along Lake McDonald which is probably the lowest part of the park and pretty flat. Lots of scenic turnouts and we hit a couple of them. We were able to get right down to the lake and it is so clear and pretty. The colors in the rocks on the bottom were beautiful also. At the end of the lake the road climbs pretty rapidly. Long switchbacks as it climbs up the mountains that the park is noted for. We stopped at lots of lookouts for gorgeous scenic vistas and until we got close to the pass we were able to look down into the valley where we had started out.
At Bird Woman Falls Overlook you look across this awesome valley to the falls which boast a drop of 492'. At one scenic point there were cars everywhere and someone had spotted a bear up on the mountain. It was a bear w/ 2 cubs and we think it was our first grizzly sighting. Of course we stopped also and got out to look and take pictures. One cub was black and the other brown and they were foraging alongside a waterfall and then finally wandered off along the mountainside.
Just before getting to the pass and the Continental Divide we stopped at Oberlin Bend that offered a gorgeous view of the mountains and valleys and the part of the highway we had just traversed....there was also a prairie dog village, a gorgeous waterfall from Oberlin Mountain and a mountain goat that was grazing right under the elevated walkway we were on....
When we got to Logan Pass, it took us forever to find a parking place and I thought Jerry was going to get into it w/ a woman who had darted out of a car and was standing in the empty spot where we were going to park and was "saving" it for her son who was coming around in his truck. However, someone pulled out a few spaces down and we had a better place to park. We went into the Visitor Center and got some information on some trails. We had seen lots of people walking along this trail above the road and as we got closer saw this beautiful meadow that you walk through as well so we wanted to walk part of that trail.
We took water and Snickers in our packs and headed out. When we had first arrived, there were bighorn sheep grazing on the grass strip of the parking lot...I went over to watch them, but by then they had moved on but there were some just across the road. They are so pretty....
The hike was absolutely breathtaking....gorgeous views and the walk through the meadow was beautiful as well. This is the Highline Trail. Once we got through the meadow, the trail was carved out of the side of the mountain and pretty level, but rocky. Along the cliff side there was garden hose covered chain anchored into the wall for handholds for the faint of heart. It was never really scary as the trail was plenty wide (3-4') in most places, but until you got used to it, the handrails were a good security blanket. We didn't go far, just far enough to get out on the rocky part of the trail and then some, but it was a nice walk.
Back at the truck we left the pass then went started downhill. We stopped at a vista of one of the few glaciers remaining in the park and it is diminishing fast. This was Jackson Glacier. The really neat place was Sunrift Gorge where this mountain stream rages down this chute that is maybe 5 ft. wide w/ walls 100+ feet. It was a very long chute as well. The water was absolutely gorgeous. This was also the shortest walk to Baring Falls and that was pretty neat as well. As we were driving along the eastern side of the park (still on Going to the Sun Highway) we passed the hanging gardens and a weeping wall and then came to Lake St. Mary. It was beautiful and we stopped at the boat launch and discovered that we could take a short cruise to the head of the lake. It was about 4 p.m. and we were nearing the park exit so we decided to come back for the cruise at 6 and went on to find a place to stay. St. Mary's Lodge was just outside the park and they had some rather rustic log cabins in addition to the lodge. The lodge did not accept pets (and every other place that did was full). They worked with us and we got a cabin which was right on the river. It had not been cleaned so they did that in a hurry...we kind of checked it out then drove back into the park to go on this cruise.
It was an interesting cruise. We went right around Wild Goose Island which is one of the most photographed sights in Glacier...it is a tiny island w/ a few evergreen trees in the middle of this gorgeous lake. The park ranger on board narrated the trip, including the geology and some of the history of Glacier. One of his concerns was global warming and what it is doing to the park...this is his 5th season here and when he started 5 years ago there were 39 glaciers in the park and now they are down to 26....who really knows for sure - we have heard conflicting reports all through the trip. When the cruise was over we headed back to the cabin, got our stuff out and let the dogs run a bit. We had dinner reservations at the lodge at 9 and after dinner, we headed for bed. I downloaded some pictures onto the laptop, but there was no internet so still can't get back to blog!
Going to the Sun Road is just AWESOME!!! We started our drive along Lake McDonald which is probably the lowest part of the park and pretty flat. Lots of scenic turnouts and we hit a couple of them. We were able to get right down to the lake and it is so clear and pretty. The colors in the rocks on the bottom were beautiful also. At the end of the lake the road climbs pretty rapidly. Long switchbacks as it climbs up the mountains that the park is noted for. We stopped at lots of lookouts for gorgeous scenic vistas and until we got close to the pass we were able to look down into the valley where we had started out.
At Bird Woman Falls Overlook you look across this awesome valley to the falls which boast a drop of 492'. At one scenic point there were cars everywhere and someone had spotted a bear up on the mountain. It was a bear w/ 2 cubs and we think it was our first grizzly sighting. Of course we stopped also and got out to look and take pictures. One cub was black and the other brown and they were foraging alongside a waterfall and then finally wandered off along the mountainside.
Just before getting to the pass and the Continental Divide we stopped at Oberlin Bend that offered a gorgeous view of the mountains and valleys and the part of the highway we had just traversed....there was also a prairie dog village, a gorgeous waterfall from Oberlin Mountain and a mountain goat that was grazing right under the elevated walkway we were on....
When we got to Logan Pass, it took us forever to find a parking place and I thought Jerry was going to get into it w/ a woman who had darted out of a car and was standing in the empty spot where we were going to park and was "saving" it for her son who was coming around in his truck. However, someone pulled out a few spaces down and we had a better place to park. We went into the Visitor Center and got some information on some trails. We had seen lots of people walking along this trail above the road and as we got closer saw this beautiful meadow that you walk through as well so we wanted to walk part of that trail.
We took water and Snickers in our packs and headed out. When we had first arrived, there were bighorn sheep grazing on the grass strip of the parking lot...I went over to watch them, but by then they had moved on but there were some just across the road. They are so pretty....
The hike was absolutely breathtaking....gorgeous views and the walk through the meadow was beautiful as well. This is the Highline Trail. Once we got through the meadow, the trail was carved out of the side of the mountain and pretty level, but rocky. Along the cliff side there was garden hose covered chain anchored into the wall for handholds for the faint of heart. It was never really scary as the trail was plenty wide (3-4') in most places, but until you got used to it, the handrails were a good security blanket. We didn't go far, just far enough to get out on the rocky part of the trail and then some, but it was a nice walk.
Back at the truck we left the pass then went started downhill. We stopped at a vista of one of the few glaciers remaining in the park and it is diminishing fast. This was Jackson Glacier. The really neat place was Sunrift Gorge where this mountain stream rages down this chute that is maybe 5 ft. wide w/ walls 100+ feet. It was a very long chute as well. The water was absolutely gorgeous. This was also the shortest walk to Baring Falls and that was pretty neat as well. As we were driving along the eastern side of the park (still on Going to the Sun Highway) we passed the hanging gardens and a weeping wall and then came to Lake St. Mary. It was beautiful and we stopped at the boat launch and discovered that we could take a short cruise to the head of the lake. It was about 4 p.m. and we were nearing the park exit so we decided to come back for the cruise at 6 and went on to find a place to stay. St. Mary's Lodge was just outside the park and they had some rather rustic log cabins in addition to the lodge. The lodge did not accept pets (and every other place that did was full). They worked with us and we got a cabin which was right on the river. It had not been cleaned so they did that in a hurry...we kind of checked it out then drove back into the park to go on this cruise.
It was an interesting cruise. We went right around Wild Goose Island which is one of the most photographed sights in Glacier...it is a tiny island w/ a few evergreen trees in the middle of this gorgeous lake. The park ranger on board narrated the trip, including the geology and some of the history of Glacier. One of his concerns was global warming and what it is doing to the park...this is his 5th season here and when he started 5 years ago there were 39 glaciers in the park and now they are down to 26....who really knows for sure - we have heard conflicting reports all through the trip. When the cruise was over we headed back to the cabin, got our stuff out and let the dogs run a bit. We had dinner reservations at the lodge at 9 and after dinner, we headed for bed. I downloaded some pictures onto the laptop, but there was no internet so still can't get back to blog!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Friday, July 20 Spokane WA to Eureka MT
Well, up EARLY and cleaning the RV like mad....spent almost 4 hours cleaning it between last nite and this a.m. It was certainly cleaner when we turned it in than when we got it!!! Left RV park early and had to find someplace to get propane....finally found a place but they had no one to pump it until 9 a.m. so we went to McDonald's for breakfast and then got the propane. Turned it in by about 10 a.m. and all was OK. We put 7200 miles on the RV!!!!
Hit the road in the truck headed towards Glacier NP - of course taking the scenic route! After getting in truck, headed into ID and up around Lake Pend Oreille and on into MT. Beautiful mountains and scenery of course. Stopped at Kootenai Falls MT and that was gorgeous. I walked in by myself b/c there was a pedestrian bridge across the RR tracks and on the other side there were LOTS of steps to get down to the ground as it dropped off between the parking lot and RR tracks. The steps down were steel grating w/ some fairly sharp exposed patterns for traction and the dogs were unable to do that and we were unwilling to carry them. Jerry had been here before and opted to stay w/ dogs while I went to the falls. Then up to Libby Dam and along the Koocanusa Lake to Eureka. We stopped at a few campgrounds along the lake and I stuck my feet in the lake...crystal clear water!!! We were late getting into Eureka, but found a motel room (advertised Internet) and it was kind of sketchy. Had to get extension cord to power up computer from the bathroom plug but it evidently was false advertising....b/c could not get access.....sigh.....
We went to dinner at a place that we did not expect to be very good but it was EXCELLENT! Jerry got a steak, but I had proscuitto wrapped pork tenderloin topped w/ wilted fresh spinach and some crab meat....It was so good! Jerry was wishing he had ordered what I ordered.....Dogs adjusted to the truck OK...of course it was familiar to them, but they don't have the room to get up and go get a drink or change seats, etc. Kudzu still thinks my lap is the best place for him! They seemed to be OK w/ hotel room also. To bed, to bed, b/c tomorrow is Glacier.
Hit the road in the truck headed towards Glacier NP - of course taking the scenic route! After getting in truck, headed into ID and up around Lake Pend Oreille and on into MT. Beautiful mountains and scenery of course. Stopped at Kootenai Falls MT and that was gorgeous. I walked in by myself b/c there was a pedestrian bridge across the RR tracks and on the other side there were LOTS of steps to get down to the ground as it dropped off between the parking lot and RR tracks. The steps down were steel grating w/ some fairly sharp exposed patterns for traction and the dogs were unable to do that and we were unwilling to carry them. Jerry had been here before and opted to stay w/ dogs while I went to the falls. Then up to Libby Dam and along the Koocanusa Lake to Eureka. We stopped at a few campgrounds along the lake and I stuck my feet in the lake...crystal clear water!!! We were late getting into Eureka, but found a motel room (advertised Internet) and it was kind of sketchy. Had to get extension cord to power up computer from the bathroom plug but it evidently was false advertising....b/c could not get access.....sigh.....
We went to dinner at a place that we did not expect to be very good but it was EXCELLENT! Jerry got a steak, but I had proscuitto wrapped pork tenderloin topped w/ wilted fresh spinach and some crab meat....It was so good! Jerry was wishing he had ordered what I ordered.....Dogs adjusted to the truck OK...of course it was familiar to them, but they don't have the room to get up and go get a drink or change seats, etc. Kudzu still thinks my lap is the best place for him! They seemed to be OK w/ hotel room also. To bed, to bed, b/c tomorrow is Glacier.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Today we are headed to Spokane and will spend the nite there getting ready to turn in the RV....that means packing and cleaning...yuck! After we left the campground this a.m. we went by the Windmill Forest (see pix)..it was amazing to see what people could use to make a windmill or at least a wind vane. Very interesting. We also walked across the dam of Banks Lake and got another view of our campground. Then we headed down the highway alongside the lake. This is a huge lake...miles long. We drove through the town of Coulee City and opted to continue for a few miles down the road to Dry Falls State Park.
What a fascinating place!!!! There was a Nova TV show done about this area and if you ever get a chance to watch it, it must be fascinating. There is VERY interesting geology of this area. Back in Ice Age, evidently there was a HUGE ice dam from Lake Helena in MT. and when it broke it sent an enormous amount of water down this river. They speculate that this canyon was carved out in a matter of weeks or a few months at most because of the volume of water that came through here....talk about a flood of Biblical proportions!!! We watched a very interesting movie at the visitor center. In the pictures of the canyon, the cliffs on the left and far wall were part of these enormous waterfalls that would have dwarfed Niagara Falls at that time....only a portion of the cliffs of the cascade could be seen....in fact we were about 800-1000' above the canyon floor and at the height of the water, it would have been over 300' over our heads! It really scoured the valley and took out all the loose stuff and then some! There is an area at the bottom called 10 Lakes (I think) that is a recreation area...we did not have time to explore.
We were only about 90-100 miles from Spokane so it was an easy driving day. When we got to Spokane, we drove straight to the RV rental agency and picked up the truck then headed for a really nice KOA campground. We figured we could pack and load the truck today, then spend a couple of hours in the a.m. cleaning up the RV. We got to the campground around fairly early. Jerry decided that although we had a waiver on cleaning the outside of the RV that it was really too dirty to turn in that way so we went to an RV wash and he was rushing to get the most out of the hose nozzles....RV looked much better when he was done. Back to RV park and packing....I needed prescriptions filled and a couple of things from Wal Mart so I headed out shopping while Jerry packed and loaded. I got back to RV park about 6:00 and finished up stuff.
Planned to work on blog tonite as they had Wi-Fi connections, but every time I tried to get on I had no luck.....finally went to office and turns out the server was down....I had really planned to get all caught up, but alas.....That's OK I guess b/c we were really tired and had no trouble falling asleep.
What a fascinating place!!!! There was a Nova TV show done about this area and if you ever get a chance to watch it, it must be fascinating. There is VERY interesting geology of this area. Back in Ice Age, evidently there was a HUGE ice dam from Lake Helena in MT. and when it broke it sent an enormous amount of water down this river. They speculate that this canyon was carved out in a matter of weeks or a few months at most because of the volume of water that came through here....talk about a flood of Biblical proportions!!! We watched a very interesting movie at the visitor center. In the pictures of the canyon, the cliffs on the left and far wall were part of these enormous waterfalls that would have dwarfed Niagara Falls at that time....only a portion of the cliffs of the cascade could be seen....in fact we were about 800-1000' above the canyon floor and at the height of the water, it would have been over 300' over our heads! It really scoured the valley and took out all the loose stuff and then some! There is an area at the bottom called 10 Lakes (I think) that is a recreation area...we did not have time to explore.
We were only about 90-100 miles from Spokane so it was an easy driving day. When we got to Spokane, we drove straight to the RV rental agency and picked up the truck then headed for a really nice KOA campground. We figured we could pack and load the truck today, then spend a couple of hours in the a.m. cleaning up the RV. We got to the campground around fairly early. Jerry decided that although we had a waiver on cleaning the outside of the RV that it was really too dirty to turn in that way so we went to an RV wash and he was rushing to get the most out of the hose nozzles....RV looked much better when he was done. Back to RV park and packing....I needed prescriptions filled and a couple of things from Wal Mart so I headed out shopping while Jerry packed and loaded. I got back to RV park about 6:00 and finished up stuff.
Planned to work on blog tonite as they had Wi-Fi connections, but every time I tried to get on I had no luck.....finally went to office and turns out the server was down....I had really planned to get all caught up, but alas.....That's OK I guess b/c we were really tired and had no trouble falling asleep.
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