Monthly Archives: May 2020
Another Wild Moose Chase … Redux
Here’s another one of our favorite destinations, Glacier National Park, back in 2011
July 18, 2011
Another Wild Moose Chase . . .
Today is our last full day in Columbia Falls, and today’s the day we’re doing Glacier National Park. And if you’re not into hiking, biking, or rowing, the main thing to do in Glacier is to make the 50 mile ‘Going to the Sun’ Highway drive.
So after coffee at 9:30 we headed out about noon, first for some errands and then out into the Park.
And after getting gas and dropping off some mail at the Post Office, our first stop was at The Huckleberry Patch in Hungry Horse.
Around since 1949, it’s supposed to the be the best place in the area to get Huckleberry Pie. And after really good sandwiches, we decided ‘they’ were right. The pie was delicious . . . ala mode, of course.
After lunch we drove the 10 miles to the entrance to the park at West Glacier.
And after getting our National Park Passports stamped at the Visitors Center, we started our drive.
Most of the trip was along the shores of one of the several large lakes in the area.
This is the boat launch area on Lake McDonald at Apgar Village.
More Lake McDonald.
These next shots are of the rapids along McDonald Creek.
What about bears?
More beautiful scenery.
These next two shots are of Heaven’s Peak at almost 8900 feet.
Needless to say, there are glaciers everywhere you look.
We saw a number of these neat old tour buses around the park. Note the ‘natural’ air conditioning. Also fun when passing by the many waterfalls along the side of the road.
More glaciers.
Coming over the top of Logan Pass, at 6664 feet, the high point of our drive, we came across our first wildlife, these two mountain goats, and
this Big Horn Sheep.
And then of course, more glaciers.
Nearing the end of our 50 mile journey, we passed St. Mary Lake. Very blue.
Leaving the park, and rather than just turn around and come back the same way, we decided to take the long way home by taking US-89 south to MT 49 to US-2. And although it’s the long way back at 100 miles, it’s also a little faster because it’s not bumper to bumper through mountain passes like the Sun Highway.
And we got to see new scenery, like these high rolling plains at almost 5500 feet.
And Lower Two Medicine Lake.
About 45 miles from home, we saw this sign and had to stop. I mean, do they lick us, or do we lick them, like toad licking. Enquiring minds, and all that.
Turns out there was no licking, but we did see a lot of goats.
This guy’s losing his coat. Wonder if he’s cashmere?
Among a lot of others, saw this mother with two kids.
Getting back into Columbia Falls about 8 pm we decided to try The Nite Owl once more, since they should have their Broasted Chicken this time of night. And they did. And it was really good.
Tomorrow we head out for Garrison, MT for one night, and then on to Billings for one night, and then to Cody for 5 nights or more.
And once again, Jan has gone mooseless.
Thought for the Day:
“Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won’t taste good”
Jan’s Happy Place . . .
As part of our recent Restaurant Resurrection Tour, we had brunch this afternoon at Snooze once again, our first visit in a couple of months. Jan had really been jonsing for their Bravacado Toast.
But our next stop was really her Happy Place, the SuperCuts where she finally got her hair cut. And even better, on our way there we made a quick detour past her nail salon and found them open also, so she got a reservation for Thursday afternoon. Now she’s REALLY happy.
Our next stop was at the office to pick some Amazon things that had come in, and then it was down the street to the local HEB for a few things before heading back down to Santa Fe, with a stop at the PO for our mail before finally getting home.
On the WuFlu front, it seems like there’s a problem in the vaccine development area. With an apparent 224 companies working on vaccines, it seems like scientists are ‘concerned that a slowdown in the rate of infection in the general population could invalidate the human trials currently taking place.’
Well, I mean, isn’t that a good thing?
Another thing to remember is that the odds of any drug making through all three phases of testing is about 1 in 10, or 10%. So maybe don’t hold your breath.
Don’t forget about the SpaceX launch tomorrow afternoon, scheduled for 3:32pm CDT. Taking off from pad 39A, the same one that both the Apollo 11 moon landing and the first Space Shuttle launched from, it will mark both America’s return to space for the first time since the Shuttle was retired in 2011, and the world’s first commercial (non-government) manned launch. It will take two former Shuttle astronauts to the Space Station for an extended stay.
God Speed!
Jan just finished streaming all 5 seasons of Persons of Interest on Netflix with me watching on and off. A really great show, and often just one surprise after the other.
As it got down to the last episode, I realized that I had actually never seen the wrap-up. And it was really good.
And now we’re on a new streaming series that we really liked, Pushing Daisies.
And here’s another in our Where We Were XX Years Today Series.
May 26, 2010
So far, no snow…yet
We left Riverfront RV Park in Garrison, MT about 8:45 am heading for Billings, MT about 270 miles away. We had planned to leave about 8 but it was in the mid 30’s outside, and the bed was warm, and we overslept. What can I say.
This park had some really nice views. Here’s a close-up of the mountain I showed you yesterday.
And here’s the view in the other direction. You just can’t beat views like this.
But before we left I wanted to put some air in one of my tires, so I started up the coach engine and went outside to air up the tire. All of a sudden I hear the engine accelerate to what sounded like wide open throttle. Running around to the door I looked in and saw Mister standing on the left hand control panel looking out the window at what I had been doing. Unfortunately, this meant he was standing on the cruise control switch. When you’re idling, the cruise control allows you to set the engine speed.
Mister set it to wide open!
But luckily there didn’t seem to be any damage done.
Anyway, about an hour after we left, and after a long slow climb, we crossed the Continental Divide at 6393ft and started back down. There was still a lot a snow along the road up there.
About 11:30 am we stopped at a rest area and Jan fixed sandwiches for lunch. Then it was back on the road.
Then, about 1:30 we stopped in Big Timber to take on diesel. The last time I got diesel in Washington state, it cost $3.70 a gallon. Today it was $3.04.
A big difference!
We got into Billings about 3 pm and got parked at the Billings’ Trailer Village. It was certainly nice to have better weather than the last time we were in Billings.
Here’s how it looked today.
When we first came thru on our way to Alaska the end of March of 2008, we had only planned to stay a couple of days to visit a friend of Jan’s. However the weather didn’t cooperate.
We ended up staying a week due to heavy snow. Here’s how it looked then. Here’s my beautiful wife taking in the snow.
And here’s Mister first encounter with snow. He put one foot down on the step and reconsidered going outside.
Then he just sat in the door and looked around. He absolutely refused to go outside. After all, he’s a Texas cat. He doesn’t do snow.
Then, coming back from Alaska the first part of October 2008, we again stopped in Billings for a couple of days, And again we got snowed in for a week. With even more snow this time.
14 inches!
But this time we broke the jinx. But as Jan said, “the day’s not over yet. We’ll see.”
That’s my Jan. Ever the optimist.
About 4 pm we headed out for some errands and dinner. We first stopped by Sam’s and picked up some kitty litter, then it was on to Great Clips to get my bi-annual haircut.
Which took about 5 minutes. Hah!
Then it was off to Famous Dave’s, one of our favorite BBQ places, for dinner. They have a great new BBQ sauce called “80 Proof” made with Jack Daniels. And it is good!
We got home about 5:30 and Jan walked across from us to the park laundry. She likes to do our throw rugs in the bigger commercial machines. It’s quicker.
While she was gone, I vacuumed the rugs and floors, and cleaned some spots on the rug.
Then it was in for the night.
Tomorrow we head for Gillette, WY, about 238 miles away, for 4 days of the American Coach Rally.
Thought For The Day:
I wonder if clouds ever look down on us and say: “Hey look… that one is shaped like an idiot”.
