On the Road - Day 44

Rich had left for work before we got up. Pat made blueberry pancakes for breakfast with the help of many blueberry testers/tasters. These little ones, Iris, Lance, Brendan and Lexie, have so much energy! I don't know how Maria keeps up with them. Being with Rich and Maria felt like a stop at an oasis, a restful pause in our traveling. It was nice, too, to be treated like family.


We left Spokane via I-90, which we took all the way to Ritzville. Pat missed the transition to Rt. 395 as she was napping. I awoke in "range" land, dry and sage brushy. As we proceeded south we saw more cropland, green fields, then grapes, corn and fruit trees. Roadside signs announced "Peaches" and "Cherries."

When we got into Pasco (a farming and farm implement sales/supply town) the route numbering was confusing, it changed to Rt. 397, a number not on the map! A gas station clerk directed us to Rts. 395 and 82 which would take us into Oregon. But we had lunch in Washington, in Kennewick at the Panda Express - one of Vance's favorites. My fortune read, "Pleasures await you by the seashore." Hmmm, does that mean a change in course?

Crossed the Columbia River into Oregon at Umatilla, and headed west on I-84/Rt. 30. Only saw sage brush and power lines on the range, and lines running along the side of the railroad tracks. This north central part of Oregon is hot, hot, hot and flat. Vance said we were "still in Hades." We thought we'd get into some green landscape once we hit The Dalles - but it was still dry. Hood River was looking better.


We saw a number of dams (including the well known Bonneville Dam) as we paralleled the Columbia River.




Then we got into the Columbia River Gorge and greenery. Stopped at Columbia Locks, and were about to park in a site when a train came by, on the other side of the Arbor Vitae fence! The host told us a train passes about every twenty minutes around the clock. Remembering Fort Langley [Day 28 - July 15], we left.

We called area RV parks which had electrical hook-ups for our air conditioning, only to get busy signals or to be informed that they do not allow RVs older than 1997! Such an insult to our 1984 Bunny Hutch. The entire day has been sweaty hot and dry with heat haze. Vance drove a record number of miles today (see below).

It felt great to take a swim once we were settled in at the Portland Fairview RV Park. Vance and I took a walk down to their pond. This is a huge RV park, with over 400 sites. We read license plates to see where folks were from, many came from Florida and the southwestern states, and Alaska. Made tacos for supper. Nice to have the AC on.

Ended at Portland Fairview RV Park, Portland, OR [www.portlandfairviewrv.com]
Odometer 62,138.0 (346.4) Total: 4082.6

On the Road - Day 43

Crossed from Montana into Idaho. Passed through the communities of Wallace (pop. 960 and the Silver capital of the world), Kellogg (pop. 2,395), and Coeur D'Alene (pop. 34,514). Also through Shoshone Territory, The Lake Coeur d'Alene Scenic Byway, the Idaho Panhandle National Forest and 4th of July Pass (3,069 feet).


We got into Coeur d'Alene around noon and headed to the Visitor Center. Across from it we could see the Lake Coeur D'Alene Cruises sign with a 12:30 departure time. So we parked and hustled over. Had a delightful 90-minute cruise of the northern section of the 25 mile long lake that included a narrative about the history, people and businesses connected to it. Watched boaters and some kids jumping in from high rocks. Special highlight was the "floating green" of a world famous golf course. The green can be moved from 75 to 175 yards away from the tee! Also a house perched on a large rock.






Once we landed we had a sushi lunch at the nearby Bonsai Bistro. From our table by the indoor koi pond we watched the fish and zippy turtles.









We went to Costco because we needed gas. After paying, Vance turned the key and "got nothing". Called the Good Sam Platinum Road Service for help. We waited for an hour and a half. Vance enjoyed directing people around the disabled RV, while Pat used the time to write postcards. Mobile One - Mo and Tracy - arrived and replaced the starter motor, some melted wiring, connections, and removed corrosion from the battery terminals. Then back on the road!


We had called my cousin Richard in Spokane with our ETA - had to call back with a later time. Arrived at Rich and Maria Washington's for a late dinner. Enjoyed getting to know their second family - Brendan, Iris, Lance and Lexie, and the dogs, too. After the kids were in bed we swam in their pool. It was a 99 degree day, so the water felt great.

Seen along the way: Sparkle Car Wash with a bay for Boat & RV wash (guess the dogs stay dirty in this town) -- Hitching Post, where a couple in Western outfits was getting married (this was in the Lakeside Chapel in Coeur d'Alene) -- Sign reading, " Two Mile Road - 1 mile" -- By the Way campground -- and Bates Motel (don't take a shower here! Remember Hitchcock's Psycho?)

Ended at 2421 E. 38th Avenue , Spokane, WA (Rich & Maria Washington's)
Odometer 61,791.6 (131.2) Total: 3736.2

On the Road - Day 42

Frustrated with not being able to connect to the internet at RV parks which advertise "Wi-Fi", we opted to visit the local library. Vance was most intent on the task of getting four days worth of our blog material up, including attaching the photos. While Vance worked on the computer at the Kalispell Library, Pat hoofed-it around downtown. The "Ceres" bakery had a nice selection of pastries, including bear claws and lemon scones. Next came a delightful yarn shop with a good selection of variegated yarns (my favorites). I love the feel of wools and silks. They had an interesting selection of buttons, too - horn, teeth, wood. On the way back to the RV I came across "Wheat Montana" which was more a bread bakery which smelled great. There were big bags of various types of Montana wheat in metal wash tubs in the entry way. My perusal of the area also included "Books West" which specialized in paperbacks. Kalispell is a growing community with the outskirts sprouting boom development - new housing on good-sized lots and areas of big box stores. Like elsewhere, Wal-Mart and Costco move in, and the number of vacant shops along Main Street increases. Still, it is a feel good place.

Thanks to a knowledgeable woman at AAA, we learned of construction delays south of Polson. She marked an alternate route to I-90 on our map.



We took Rt. 93 along Flathead Lake and found the marinas, wooded coves, and mountains on the distant eastern side to be very pretty.




On Rt. 28, west of Elmo (we looked, but did not see the cheerful little Sesame Street guy here) we entered the Flathead Indian Reservation. The rounded hills were covered in velvety short grasses, like soft horse hide. We saw a couple of ranches and some recently cut and baled hay fields (it was interesting to see the round bales stacked), but no towns, crossroads, or nary a vehicle in either direction for miles on end.

This was a blue-colored line road on the AAA map, speed limit 70 mph., but the road was, according to Vance, "warped" - the camber of the road kept changing. He just loves it when a sign announces an increase in speed limit as you go UP a hill! When all he can do is try to maintain the 45 mph he was doing before the higher limit was announced.

We passed through Paradise. Turns out the town has a church, a post office, a restaurant, and a casino. It did not feel at all like Paradise. In reading our map, I thought our alternate route would keep us from going through Poison. Oops, reading more closely, I realized the town's name is actually Polson. Sure could use a magnifying glass for working with maps! We had a good laugh at the thought of poison and paradise being so close together.

South of Plains we returned to the forested hills of Lolo National Forest. Here we followed the Clark Fork River as it curled around the base of mountains. Very pleasant country. Got settled into Campground St. Regis off Rt. 135 and I-90. The owner apparently does chainsaw sculptures as there were bears, owls and squirrels at every other site.














Sat by the pool and talked with a woman from Bellingham, WA who commented on the crowds at Yellowstone National Park. She and her husband are tenting their way through the summer. Her husband told us that she has a terminal disease, which caused us to look at our life and travels with a different perspective. If we knew we only had a short time to live, we might be more appreciative of all of the elements of our experience, even those we might now complain about.

Seen along the way: Mountain Mud Coffee -- Best Bet Casino -- Outlaw Inn -- Athlete's Foot (store) -- Erratics (large stones carried by glaciers away from their point of origin) -- Deere Here (John Deere equipment)

Ended at Campground St. Regis, St. Regis, MT 59866 (On route 90) [www.campgroundstregis.com]
Odometer 61,660.4 (123.2) Total: 3605

On the Road - Day 41

3:30 a.m., Pat looked out the windows to see stars, but only saw a fuzzy few. The mountains are short today, they have their heads in the clouds. Began the day with a bit of rain. We both slept better than the last two nights. Left St. Mary's heading south and found the first hill was topped with the bristly "toothpick" remains of trees. When we crested another ridge, all I could see were burnt timbers with a few patches of green. The next hilltop afforded more of the same view - the burned area completely covered the mountain side. Because there was no new growth, I am guessing that the fire was quite recent. Shocking.

Whoa, came to a quick stop at a curve as two horses were in the road. A pack of several more loose horses were on our left, around the bend, even a little one. They skedaddled right quick. Hope others take care when driving past them.

Drove through Browning on Rt. 89 and skirted the south end of Glacier National Park. Browning is the center of Blackfeet Territory, tribal business and administration-wise. It is in the midst of very nice rolling plains. We passed the Blackfeet Bison Reserve, and saw a few grazing. Beyond the Blackfeet Territory we entered the Lewis & Clark National Forest. Crossed the Continental Divide at Marias Pass - 5,216 feet.

Saw trains throughout the day. New to us are the open-sided tunnels built against hills so that trains are not hit by falling rocks (or snow) from the steep slopes above them. After seeing the splendid beauty of British Columbia and Alberta, feeling a bit jaded with the countryside of Montana. The beauty here feels different, more subtle in comparison.


Just before West Glacier, we viewed a number of rafts daring the rapids down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. It was fun to watch and not get wet! We ate lunch in the RV here, on a cliff overlooking the river.









We had A & W rootbeer freezes in Columbia Falls (Vance forgot his Visa here and had to go back and retrieve it. Only a thirty mile round trip!)













Rocky Mountain "Hi" Campground, laundry, dinner at Los Caporales, groceries at Super 1 in Kalispell. At long last, we are out of the mountains, and again have phone service. Touched base with family and friend.

Ended at Rocky Mountain "Hi" Campground, 825 Helena Flats Road, Kalispell, Montana 59001
Odometer 61,537.2 (174.1*) Total: 3481.8
*Includes 30 mile round trip (from Kalispell) to pick up my Visa card which I left in Columbia Falls, MT

On the Road - Day 40

I (Vance) woke up about 4:30 this morning and never really got back to sleep. The combination of a bed too small, sleeping on an unaccustomed side, and the RV being not quite level defeated my attempts to sleep. Although I feel real affection for the one we have, we both are increasingly feeling the need to upgrade our RV.

We are also both ready to go home. Perhaps our pace has been too fast or perhaps we have just seen all we can comfortably absorb. In the last 39 days we have taken 3,352 photographs and this is not counting the hundreds we have deleted. In our blog we have only been able to skim the surface of all we have seen and done. In addition, Pat's hips, knees and legs hurt - and this is a drag on the pleasure we are deriving from all of our seeing and doing.

8 a. m., and we are completely fogged in - taking it easy in the cloud remaining after last night's thunderstorm. This may not be a good day for the Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park.
9:20 a. m.: Cloud has moved up the mountain - looks like it will be a beautiful day after all.

We checked-in to Glacier National Park and went to the St. Mary Visitor Center. Because no vehicle over 21 feet long is allowed through the Going-to-the-Sun Road (narrow, steep, winding, and under repair/construction), we opted to take the Park provided shuttle from St. Mary to Avalanche Creek, with numerous stops along the way, and great photo opportunities. While we waited for the shuttle, we noticed an osprey (fish eagle) nest on a high pole in the parking lot. You can visit the park yourself at www.nps.gov/glac and view some of the wonderful landscapes.












At Avalanche Creek we got off the shuttle and walked .8 mile on a boardwalk path through Trail of the Cedars, very quiet. Highlight was the Avalanche Gorge, where the creek is cutting a path through hard rock.

On shuttle return trip, as we approach Logan Pass, Pat saw a mountain goat!. On this trip we saw incredible panoramas, waterfalls, high mountains, alpine flowers, glaciers, and St. Mary's Lake. Anyone seeing these glaciers understands that they will not be around much longer. At the Visitor Center, photos taken from the same vantage point in 1932 and 1988 showed the loss of glacial ice to be dramatic.



It was around 6:30 p.m., and the Park's St. Mary's (and other) Campground was "Full," but the ranger told us to drive around and take an empty campsite if we could find one. Phew, found one (that even the ranger did not have as available). The RV is parked right next to a tall berry bush hedge, and some of the berries are ripe. Sure hope these aren't the bears' favorite fruit - signs say bears are in this area.




Ended at St. Mary Campground, Glacier National Park, Montana
Odometer 61,366.2(3.1*) +68.0 on park shuttles (71.1) Total: 3307.7 *RV mileage plus park shuttle mileage = 71.1

On the Road - Day 39

Well things got worse last night. Around 11 p.m. there was an intense thunderstorm. If what we had before at Mt. Robson Meadows was a deluge - this was Niagara Falls. For half an hour we both were holding pots and pans against the dining area window. Improvised with some flat sided vessels that caught more of the water, and the extra foil covered window insulation we carried. Held it so water ran down that into the tubs. Vance retrieved the duct tape (hooray for duct tape!) from outside storage and stuck the top of the insulation to the window. The insulation directed the incoming water into our containers so we didn't have to hold them against the window. We tossed out 5 big pots and 3 dishpans worth of water. Bother! This morning Vance duct taped the top exterior of the window and hoped this would staunch future interior waterfalls during rain. When we moved the RV off the leveling blocks, we saw water sheeting down the side from off of the roof. Previously, this water would have come pouring into the interior. This time not a drop came inside! It is now clear this window needs caulking, and we have found a successful temporary fix.

Drove through the nearby Waterton Park Buffalo Paddock. We were in their territory! Very large range space. We drove for quite a while and were wondering where they were, looking behind every hillock. Then we spotted two by a fence some ways off. Completing the loop we saw a group of buffalo crossing the road to join their pals at the watering hole. They are BIG creatures. Loved seeing them and getting some good pictures.

Went into the Town of Waterton and took photos of the old world Prince of Wales Hotel set alone on a hilltop above the lake. What a view!









The town is full of tame deer nibbling lawns and trees. We saw Bambi and his mom. One deer lunched outside the RV while we were lunching inside. We took a walk around town and paused for ice cream at Ye Olde Lick & Nibble. Sat on a bench and watched the people go by. Then we went down to the lake and took photos of the Prince of Wales Hotel from this side.

As we left the park, Pat had a quick glance of a large stag at the edge of the woods. Further on many cars had stopped and we drove slowly by - getting a photo of the beautiful antlered deer at the side of the road.

Between Waterton, Alberta and St. Mary's, Montana we went through Customs - no firearms, no alcohol, no forbidden fruit - citrus. And we went through cow country. Ah the U.S., where cows are free to roam all over the road! We got up close and personal with several. They wore identifying tags like fancy dangle earrings. Great views.

Got into St. Mary's, just outside of Glacier National Park, and drove right by our RV park - poor signage for those coming from the north. Our spot is on a hilltop overlooking St. Mary's Lake. Had cheese & apples and played Rack-o (cards) for a while. Then another thunderstorm pelted us. Fortunately we kept dry this time.

Ended at Johnson's of St. Mary, St. Mary, Montana (on state route 89)
Odometer 61,363.1 (64.6) Total: 3236.6

On the Road - Day 38

Disappointment. Pat wanted to sit in the hot tub before showering. (It had been full of kids last night) Pool area was being cleaned at ten, and did not open until noon, and check out is at eleven. Then there was a long line for showers (1 loonie for 6 minutes) Bother. Vance will have to put up with a stinky me.

Went to the IGA in Fort Macleod, and tried other stores for postcards of Calgary, which I did not pick up there. No luck. Followed locals into a bakery/cafe and bought a tasty "butterhorn" which we shared. Heard music and was drawn to the Fort where riders in Royal Canadian Mounted Police uniforms were putting their horses through precision maneuvers.

Drove to "Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump", a fine interpretive center about buffalo hunting and the culture of the Plains peoples. Started at the top of the cliffs to see where the buffalo were herded to their deaths. Then went through the 5 levels of the center which included a movie and a documentary about the archeological work at the sites. It is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because "it is among the oldest, largest and best preserved buffalo jump sites." The survival of regional tribes depended on their cooperative efforts.

Took Routes 3 and 6 towards Waterton National Park, Alberta. The countryside turned from flat prairies to green rolling hills, and nearest the park, mountains sprung up. We have seen a lot of ranch land. Here are some of today's photos.








Settled in at Waterton Springs Campground. We're on "30 amp. service," so we turned on the air conditioner. Then the refrigerator sounded an alarm which indicated that the voltage was too low and switched over to LP gas. So I turned the air conditioner to low. But then it, too, stopped. (Never a dull moment when you are on the road!) So here we are, with enough electricity to charge our cell phones and camera batteries and run the air conditioner on fan only. Could be worse! :-) (We got a partial refund for the site.)

Checked out the facilities, and discovered that, again, there was no Wi-Fi available (bad weather the Sunday before). Vance went back to the RV and I hiked up a trail. An area of the site is cordoned off and has a bear trap set on it! I whistled the rest of the way, just to give a bear notice that I was in the vicinity. (If I was the bear, I would have said "Yum!" - Vance)

Chatted with our neighbor and shared photos. Talked about loving the Icefields Parkway. He grew up in Banff and Clearwater. Turns out his family has, since 1853(!), owned about three-fourths of the property around Dutch Lake - which was a favorite RV campground for us. Small world! His great-great relative was in the lumber business, and his grandfather was a guide.

Canadians refer to a cash register as a "till", and the Continental Divide as the "Crown of the Continent" -- Southwestern Albertan roads are in excellent condition, and run straight as an arrow -- Taking our time, we have become "drifters". Feels better than going for whatever is over the horizon. This seems to be a lesson we keep relearning.

Ended at Waterton Springs Campground, Waterton Park, Alberta
Odometer 61,298.5 (85.5) Total: 3172.0