Our RV Adventures

After coffee and bagels, and a nice quiet night, we pulled out of Riverfront RV Park in Garrison about 9 am heading for Billings, MT about 270 miles away.

And just like yesterday, we had some beautiful rolling vistas along the way.

After smooth roads and an uneventful drive we pulled into the Billings Trailer Village RV Park in Billings about 2:30 and got set up. This is our 4th time to stay here and we always feel welcome. Of course the first two times we came through here in 2008 on our way to and from Alaska, we got snowed in for a week both times.

Hopefully that won’t happen this time.

While I was setting up outside, Jan let Mister out, who immediately jumped down on the pavement and started yowling, and looking down at his feet. After a couple of seconds Jan grabbed him up and put him on the grass. Dumb cat didn’t have enough sense to get off hot asphalt. He just stood there and cried.

About 3 pm Jan called her friend Linda to get a ‘when and where’ for dinner tonight.

Since the ‘when’ was 5:30 we figured we’d have enough time to get our Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club shopping out of the way beforehand, so off we went.

The ‘where’ for dinner was the HuHot Mongolian Grill, one of our favorite places when we’re in town. You start out with an empty bowl and then fill it your choice of different meats, veggies, fruits, and sauces, and then give it to the grill guy. He cooks it all up on this big grill and gives it back to you on a big platter.

Hmmm! Hmmm! Good!

Linda is a longtime friends of ours. She and Jan worked at the same hospital in Houston years ago, until one day Linda decided she wanted some different scenery, so she up and moved to Billings, MT, of all places.

After dinner we went over to Linda’s house to meet her new cat, and sat around and talked for a while, catching up.

We didn’t stay long because it had been a long day, and we’ll see Linda again in a week or so when we come back through Billings, after our Yellowstone/Grand Tetons excursion, and on our way through North Dakota.

Tomorrow we’ve got a short 100 mile run down to Cody, WY to meet up with our friends Al and Adrienne, who are workamping there.

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Thought for the Day:

“If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it is free" — PJ O’Rourke

asdf

First off, I wanted to post some of the neat vehicles I’ve seen lately.

This really nice looking Prevost was parked a few sites down from us in Columbia Falls. I assume it’s mid to late 90’s since it doesn’t have any slides. But it sure is pretty.

Yesterday when we stopped at the Glacier National Park’s St. Mary Visitors Center, I saw this great looking Chevy Panel Van in the parking lot.

Now back to your regularly-scheduled blog.

We headed out this morning from Columbia Falls a few minutes before 10 for a 207 mile drive to Garrison, MT for the night.

Before we left I did the manual transfer switch thing under the bed, and got us set up to use the generator on today’s trip since it was supposed to be pretty warm and I knew we’d want to use the house AC’s on the trip. This would be the first time I’d used the generator since I added the receptacles to be able to use it. Crossing my fingers . . .

About 25 miles after leaving the park, we started our run along the west side of beautiful Flathead Lake. The lake is about 50 miles long, about half of it in the Flathead Indian Reservation.

About this time I fired up the generator, and with no sparks or smoke, a few minutes later the AC’s came on. I guess I wired it up right after all.

About 11:30 our friend Nick Russell called to say if we heard about a Winnebago on fire and burning to the ground on I-90 outside Billings, that it wasn’t them. Good to know.

He didn’t know anything else about it, except that the couple got out OK.

About 130 miles along, we got on I-90 eastbound, ten miles west of Missoula. And we still had great scenery for the remaining 80 miles of our trip to Garrison.

We pulled into the Riverfront RV Park in Garrison about 2:30 and were led directly to our site by the owner. This is the 4th time we’ve stayed here and we always enjoy it. It’s quiet, out of the way, and cheap. Only $26 total for 50 amp full hookups.

Mister smelled grass and demanded to be let out immediately, so I put him out on his leash while I hooked up.

A couple of minutes later this cute little poodle showed up and wanted to make friends with Mister and play.

Unfortunately Mister considers dogs this size as ‘snacks’ and started stalking the poodle. So I quickly scooped Mister up and tossed him in the rig before he ruined his dinner.

And just for the record, Mister considers dogs of ‘any’ size as snacks. I’ve seen him go after full size German Shepherds and Chows. And at about 25 pounds he’s no lightweight himself.

The views from this park are some of the nicest we’ve seen, and the storm front moving in just it more dramatic.

I just don’t understand why Nick would drive 10 miles further down the road and pay more money to stay in Deer Lodge when he could have stayed here cheaper.

Right after we got parked Jan started a crockpot of pork stew with potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and garlic that was ready to eat about 6 pm. The pork was the last of the pork loin Terry Russell had given us in Bremerton, WA a few weeks ago.

Jan’s stew was delicious, and my thanks to both of these beautiful ladies.

Tomorrow we’ve got a 270 mile run to Billings, MT for one night before getting to Cody, WY on Thursday.

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Thought for the Day:

I live in my own little world. I like it ‘cuz they know me here.

sdfgs