Friday, August 27, 2010

Aug. 21-27 Billings, Madison CG, Grant Village CG in Yellowstone

This one just about bumped us.
Nice, serene setting. I needed this after the buffalo scare!




Can you tell how close to me this guy was??? The small herd was running down the road in our lane toward us.





This was the amorous couple. Male behind the flirting female.



Aug. 21. - Billings to Madison Campground, Yellowstone National Park (nearest to the West Yellowstone entrance) We had quite an eventful trip. About ten to fifteen miles out of Billings on I-90, there was a huge Class A motorhome with a tow vehicle. The tow vehicle was on fire. We pulled over, and the fire got worse. We heard three tires pop. Some firemen appears in their own vehicles and pulled out fire exterminator tanks from their trucks. They went up to the car and then there was a huge explosion and ball of fire. For seconds we could not see the firemen at all and then it looked like they were either blown or they leaped and rolled down an embankment. Phil and I both thought they had to be dead. But they got up. Soon fire trucks started arriving. One of the three firemen asked if we could move further off the shoulder to allow an ambulance through. I asked if any of them had been hurt. He said one had burns on the neck and arm. He said his hooded sweatshirt saved him. Then he looked down and pulled a piece of something off his sweatshirt and said it was part of the gas tank that had melted onto his sweatshirt. It was quite scary. Before the fire trucks arrived, the back of the motorhome had also caught fire. We heard several tires pop from that, and I was afraid the propane and gas tank would explode on that. I could not imagine what kind of explosion that would be, but God was merciful and the fire was put out before that happened. I think the emergency brake might have been left on, and that started the fire in the towed vehicle.
Then we got back on track and had a peaceful, uneventful ride to Madison Campground. We did see quite a few female elk in the park on the way to the campground.
Aug. 22 - We decided to ride over the West Yellowstone and go to the Historic Yellowstone Museum. The best thing about it was the ranger talk. We just happened to get there ten minutes before he spoke. We learned some interesting things about the history of Yellowstone. He also asked us what wild animal inflicted the most injuries. I guessed buffalo, but it was the ground squirrels! They bite a lot of hands/fingers because they expect to be fed by humans.
Aug. 23 - We walked down to the Jr. Ranger Station and bookstore. The ranger at yesterday’s talk told us there was a historic plaque there. After lunch, we took our chairs and went and read a little while. We would have stayed longer, but we were cold. It was 40 degrees when I got up to use the bathroom this morning, and 47 in the camper. The high today is supposed to be 57 and the low tonight 37. Then it warms up some. It was 84 when we got here Saturday. There are no buffalo and elk around the campground and rivers like there were in June. It is surprising how much changes in two months. Madison is an interesting place with the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers coming together to form the Madison River right here at the campground. There were about 20 Canadian geese in the Gibbon when we were sitting there. I had on jeans, fleece jacket, , socks and shoes, ear warmers, and a hat. After a while the wind was going through it all. I said to Phil while a good gust was blowing that I was cold to the bone, and he popped up like toast to go back to the camper. LOL! We always have fun listening to people walking by our camper commenting about it. This morning when I went out, there was a man and his son just standing there talking about it. He said hello and said he had been trying to catch us to ask us about our camper. I let him inside, and he just loved it. They are in a popup now. He is from Wisconsin. Tomorrow we hit the road again and head to Grant Village. I am hoping to be able to post these blogs there with a few photos.
Aug. 24 - We moved to Grant Village Campground where we have many good memories of camping 26 years ago with the children. We have a lovely campsite, but we do not get more than a few hours a day on our solar panel. We get great Verizon service, though. There is nowhere that has wifi (according to the guy who checked us in). At the end of the day, Brice called and told us he had broken two fingers on his right hand. He was going to an orthopedic doctor who is now sending him to an orthopedic surgeon. I was ready to hit the road, but he insisted that the doctor told him putting a pin in his finger would not be a big deal. I still tossed and turned all night and prayed about it.
Aug. 25 - I called Brice this morning to tell him it would not be a big deal for us at all to head home. He meets with the surgeon tomorrow and will find out for sure if he needs the surgery and how big a deal it will be and when it will be. We are praying it will not be bad and that he will not have to miss a lot of work. I know that is his main concern. I told him we have been to Yellowstone and Tetons, so if we need to come home, it will be fine. He still insists we not come home. We are holding off until we hear what the surgeon says.
We went up to the Fishing Bridge area and toward the east entrance to Yellowstone and packed a picnic lunch. The shoreline of Yellowstone Lake and the view reminds us so much of the San Juan Islands off Washington. Finally we saw some buffalo! We wondered where in the world they had gone because we had not seen any. Well, we sure saw them today and had some close, close encounters! I took some photos and hope to post them as soon as I can. You could smell them (awful) and almost feel them because they were so close to the truck. Twice bunches of them ran down the road toward us. At one buffalo jam, we could hear a male growling and huffing at a female. He was prodding her with his head and twice tried to mount her. We thought we were in trouble because he seemed rather frustrated. I got a shot of the female’s behind and his head as they passed my window. I wondered if anyone had ever been gored inside his or her car. A little bit too close for me!
Aug. 26 - We went to the Old Faithful area and toured the brand, spankin’ new Old Faithful Visitors’ Education Center (opened Aug. 25). That is an awesome place. It is mostly interactive and does a great job explaining and illustrating the geothermal features of the park. The building is beautiful with a huge window looking out at Old Faithful. After that, we went to the Old Faithful Inn and ate the buffet, like we did in June. I really like their pecan-crusted, pan-fried trout. They also have a nice salad bar on the buffet. After we got back, we got the solar panel down and put it in the sun and moved it a couple of times. It was a perfect day to sit outside and enjoy the afternoon. We had fun watching the few puffs of clouds evaporate in the dry air.
Aug. 27 - We are on the way to Cody for the day. Phil will go to the Sierra Traders, and we will try to find a place with wifi to download some photos and this blog. I am sitting in the Buffalo Bill Cody Historical Museum (or something like that) while Phil tours and play on the computer. They were nice enough to let me in and plug in. I tried to do this while he was in Sierra Traders, but with 378 downloads of e-mail, it wore my battery down. If you are reading this, please do not forward me anything!!!! I took some really cool photos on the way to Cody today, but the camera is in the car. I do not want to push my luck since they let me in here without paying. I'll have to publish them later on FB.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Aug. 20 and 21 - Billings

Aug. 20 - Phil wanted to go to Little Big Horn National Monument, and I stayed at the camper. He really enjoyed his adventure and took lots of photos (which I truly enjoyed). It was very interesting how they have marble grave markers where each soldier was killed and red granite grave markers where each Native American died and a marker for where the horses were buried. Some of the markers do not have names, but a lot of them do. He also saw someone on a four-wheeler rounding up horses. During the day, I got laundry done and we did grocery shopping. We have to stock up for the next 10 days in Yellowstone.
Aug. 21 - And we are off! We are going to stay in Madison Campground for three nights where we will be out of touch (no cell, no Internet). Then we move to Grant Village for a week where we can go to the Visitors' Center and at least get phone reception. It will be lovely if we can get it at the campsite, but I won't hold my breath on that one! Gotta go and start getting things situated for the travel. Have a good weekend!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Aug. 19 - Billings and Pompey's Pillar

The above photo is an interesting feature on our drive to Billings.

This is a buffalo hide boat, similar to the one used by
Clark's team when their horses were stolen.

Where Clark carved his name and date on Pompey's Pillar.



Pompey's Pillar - named for Sacajewea (misspelled)'s son whom Clark nicknamed Pomp.

We left Ft. Benton a little before 8:00 this morning and headed to Billings and arrived about noon. Phil went to get the oil changed in the truck. Then we went to CVS to get some BOGOF CVS brand vitamins and calcium citrate for me. After that, we went about 30 miles to Pompey's Pillar and got some photos of William Clark's carved name on Pompey's Pillar (that he named). William Clark is the Clark in Lewis and Clark. This was one of the things Phil wanted to do while we are in Billings. Tomorrow he is going to Little Big Horn National Monument. I am going to stay and do laundry. We'll hit Walmart to stock up on whatever we need before heading to Yellowstone Saturday morning. It is hot here. Really! It is not humid, but it is hot. We used the air conditioning last night in Ft. Benton and will use it again tonight. I am ready to get to Yellowstone and cooler temps!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Aug. 17 - Lake Louise and Moraine Lake

















We should have gone yesterday. Today, the smoke from British Columbia wild fires made visibility awful. It has been hazy just about every day because of the fires in B.C., but today was awful. It was as bad as it was when we were in Hinton and went to Jasper for the day. Still, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are beautiful. We learned on the snowcoach tour of the Athabasca Glacier that the color and clarity of the water depends on the glacial flour (the rocks that are ground by the glaciers like flour) - how much the concentration is. We have seen lakes that were more clear than Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, but they were still beautiful. One of my favorites was Waterfowl Lake. One disappointment was that it is difficult to see the glaciers in the photos of Lake Louise. We had a good hike today at Lake Louise. We ate supper at the Silver Dragon, a Chinese restaurant. I cooked macaroni and cheese and Spanish rice after we got home from the lakes journey. Those will be eaten the next few days while we are on the road. Tomorrow is going to be a beast of a day. We are going to try to get up at 7:00 and hope to get to Ft. Benton by 5:00. I hope the border crossing will be easy. We will be crossing on I-15 this time. Before, every time we crossed at lesser traveled crossings. I am hoping they will have no problem with my cooked food! I also fried up the bacon (only meat we had not eaten), thinking they would not have a problem if it was already cooked.
One observation we have made about Canada is how many foreign languages we have heard. If we had visited the United Nations in New York, we could not have heard more. The Asian populations here are huge in the cities. Most of the time when we were in a tourist area, we (the English speakers) were in a tiny minority. It will be good to get back to the good old U.S.A., although we have really enjoyed our time here, especially the Banff area.
Tomorrow Mike and Helen will be leaving Townsend and heading for Custer State Park and then to Yellowstone and the Tetons. We are hoping to get together. They are two of our favorite friends, and we have missed them (and all the Mustard Seeds) so much.
Tomorrow - travel to Ft. Benton, MT. Thurs. - travel to Billings, MT, and stay for two nights. Phil wants to see Pompey’s Pillar and Little Bighorn Battle Site. We will visit Walmart and laundry while there. Phil is hoping he can get his prescriptions filled at Walgreens there. Saturday - travel to Madison Campground in Yellowstone for three nights. Tues. - travel to Grant Village Campground in Yellowstone for a week. Then we go to the Tetons and try to get in Colter Bay Campground and leave there Sept. 7 to get back to Townsend Sept. 12. Time has flown on this trip. We have been so blessed !!!!!!





Aug. 18 - We drove eight and a half hours today from Banff to Ft. Benton, MT. Tomorrow we go to Billings, MT, for two nights. We had an easy pass at the border, but the two people two cars ahead of us were put in handcuffs and dragged inside the building. We thought, uh-oh, but we had an easy time. Up early tomorrow and heading to Billings. We have a lot to do before we go into Yellowstone on Sat.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Aug. 13 - 15

















Aug. 13 - Rainy Banff
Because it rained during night and all morning, we decided to stick around Banff. Also, we slept late (chilly and rainy=late sleeping). We went downtown to our coffee shop and got online. Frustration is when your computer decides to do updates that allow you to do nothing on it and uses over half the battery doing it. The highlight of the day was catching Danna online, on FaceBook, so we got to instant chat for a bit. It is Donna and Danna’s birthday, a big one - 40. They look so youthful that they don’t have to act middle aged! LOL! They are absolute treasures, and Phil and I feel so blessed! AND they gave us grandchildren. You just can’t beat it! I cannot wait to visit them as soon quickly as we can after we get home. In a month from now, we will be spending our first full day home. Wow!
OK, back to Banff. After that, we walked down to the Balkan Restaurant, a Greek one. We had the daily special. It was a Donair and Greek salad for $7.50. That was the best bargain meal we have had in Canada! It was scrumptious. We had never had a donair. It is ground beef and lamb with spices wrapped in a pita with tomato, onions, and tzakhi (misspelled for sure)sauce. Then we came back to the camper. Now we will read a while and think about our girls. Brice is flying back from his second week working in Chicago. Next week he will stay in North Carolina (Greensboro). He loves the adventures, like going to Chicago. He went to a Cubs game week before this one and went to a White Sox game last night. Also, he had a lot of Chicago pizza. Lucky guy!
Aug. 14 - Dragon Boat Races and Cultural Performances
We had a wonderful and interesting day! We left the camper around 9:30 a.m. and went to the Brewster Transportation Depot to catch a free shuttle to Lake Minnewanka to see the dragon boat races. It was still very cloudy and then the sun started coming out in short spurts. Those were our first dragon boat races. The morning races were 250 meters and the afternoon ones were 500 meters. The races don’t last very long, but the time between was very long. It was still fun and colorful. After watching several of the afternoon races, we boarded our shuttle and headed back to the camper for lunch. There were going to be cultural performances at the town square, so we decided to see if we could find a park. As soon as we started pulling in the parking lot right behind the town square, a car backs out. A blessing, for sure! We walked around town going in the dollar store I had seen going through town one day and then to get an ice cream cone before the performances. The first group was the Chinese Dragon Dancers. It was so colorful and fun to watch. After them, a group of singers from the dinner theater play “Oh Canada, Eh” strummed up business for their two hour dinner and play (for a mere $75 a person). The elderly lady beside me who lives in Banff told me it was not at all worth the money. We were happy to hear that! After them, First People dancers put on a great performance. One thing I liked was that as they entered the performing area, the crowd was asked to stand out of respect for the First People (that we call Native Americans). They also call them Aboriginals. We enjoyed it all.
They have a swimming area roped off at Lake Minnewanka. I have not seen anyone in any of these lakes go in much over their ankles. I saw a head with the body immersed in the lake. I did a doubletake, and about that time he stood up, as did a buddy. They had been scuba diving, and had on the full gear. Go figure! I read that Lake Louise never gets above 39 degrees F. That gives you an idea of how cold these waters are!
We are talking about going to Lake Louise tomorrow, or we may decide to go to the Columbia Icefield and ride the big bus to a glacier and walk on “ancient ice.” I thought Phil had dropped that idea, but it came up again today. The day we go to Lake Louise, we will take the Bow Valley Parkway and also try to see Moraine Lake. The weather is supposed to be sunny and warmer. I have absolutely no complaints about the weather here, but the locals want it warmer. They should visit Tennessee or South Carolina for a week.
Aug. 15 - Columbia Icefields Parkway and Snowcoach Tour of the Athabasca Glacier
We decided to take the financial plunge and walk on “ancient ice as thick as the Eiffel Tower is tall.” It was a spectacularly beautiful day. When we got to the Columbia Icefield Centre, we got in line to get our tickets to go to the glacier. We stood in line about 20 minutes and got tickets for the 1:45 trip. The trip started on regular tour buses. They transported us for eight minutes to the snowcoach terminal. The road to the glacier goes down a 32 percent grade. The bus driver told us to do what he does - close our eyes. Hahaha! The tires are huge and only inflated 15 pounds. The snowcoaches are made in Calgary at the Foremost company and the only other one is at a base in the Arctic. We traveled over a moraine for a bit, and then we crossed a stream. This is intentional because it cleans the bus tires before it starts driving on the glacier. It looked like soil on the sides, but he said the glacier is under there, too, about three feet under. The glacier is retreating about 10 meters a year because of global warming. At its largest, it went across the highway and covered the parking lot of the visitors’ center. I also learned that the Columbia Icefield is actually on top and goes way, way back more than a hundred square miles. It was very interesting, and we really enjoyed it. We think tomorrow we will go back to the coffee shop and get on the Internet. Then Tuesday, we will go to Lake Louise. The weather is supposed to be very nice.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Aug. 12 - Kootenay and Yoho National Parks

After we went to Second Cup and got online for a bit, we headed to Kootenay National Park. We stopped and hiked the Marble Canyon trail. It worked me, and I was red in the face and sweating. It was a canyon cut by a river. It was not a huge canyon like the Grand Canyon, but the river had that pretty green color.We had also stopped at the Paint Pots trail and hiked to a swinging bridge. A couple from Maryland was on the trail, and they told us not to waste our time because the paint pots were not bubbly at all. We also stopped at the picnic area of Olive Lake, and I took a photo or two there of that small, pretty lake. After Marble Canyon, we headed to Radium Hot Springs which is at the opposite end of Kootenay N.P. We did not even stop. The springs fill swimming pools full of people. Phil was not interested in stopping to see just the springs because he said the word radium motivated him to keep moving. We headed to Yoho National Park. I wanted to see Emerald Lake, the Visitors’ Center, and the spiral tunnel for the trains. Between Kootenay and Yoho, it started raining. By the time we got to Golden (township), it was pouring! We did stop at the Visitors’ Center. It was supposed to have a display of fossils from Yoho. It only had a couple. I could see wooden boxes above the exhibit. It is going through renovation, so only a few were available for display. That was disappointing. Then we stopped at the overlook of the lower spiral tunnels. There was a tree blocking one of the tunnels, so my photo was not as good as I had hoped. Emerald Lake came before Field, where the visitors’ center is located, and it was pouring then. We did not turn in. We may or may not go back to see it. I have been blessed to see a lot of beautiful green lakes! We still have Lake Louise to go, and maybe Moraine Lake. It was very chilly today, low 50’s. It will be a two-quilt night tonight, for sure! Tomorrow my beautiful, twin daughters turn 40. It does not seem possible! I will sleep much better tonight than I did 40 years ago!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Aug. 11 - Cascade Gardens












This morning we went to Second Cup and used the free wifi. We went back to the camper and ate lunch and then went to Cascade Gardens for the afternoon. The gardens are in back of the Banff National Park Administration Building. They are free and absolutely gorgeous!!!!! Flowers are a favorite subject, so I took a few photos. LOL! It was funny seeing pansies blooming in August! This afternoon has stayed nice, as opposed to the last three afternoons. It was 49 in the camper when we got up this morning and 42 outside, typical of the mornings here. I love it. I absolutely LOVE it!!!!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010


Lake Minnewanka - just a few miles from campground here in Banff


Aug. 8 - We got up early (for us) and drove the Icefields Parkway to Banff. That drive is extraordinarily beautiful. There are about 10 ice fields in the area, but the Columbia is the largest. We pulled off a couple of times for some photos, but I took most while riding. The township of Banff is larger than we thought it would be. The campground is very nice, and it is nice to have full hookups in a national park campground. We were also surprised to get a few television stations. Soon after we got set up, it started a light rain that continued most of the day.
Aug. 9 - We slept late and well. It has been really chilly the last few nights. We have needed both quilts. At 3:30 in the afternoon, it is just 61 degrees. We went downtown and walked around and went to the visitors’ center. We found out two coffee shops offer free wifi, so I may get these posted while we are here! We are also plotting what we want to do while we are here. There is so much beauty! We have great views from our campsite. We hope to spend a day going back to the Columbia Icefield Centre. For $49 plus tax, we could take a bus tour of the ice field and walk on ancient ice. I imagine we will pass. I would also like to go to Yoho National Park and go to Emerald Lake. There is a drive close by to Lake Minnewanka Loop that would be scenic. Of course, we want to take a day to go to Lake Louise. There is also the Bow Valley Parkway that we would like to drive. It was nice this morning, and then poured rain for a couple of hours this afternoon. I think there is a chance of rain or storms every day this week until Sunday.
Aug. 10 - We explored some more of Banff and found the Banff Springs Hotel - HUGE! Then we found Bow Falls and walked up steps to the top and got some photos of it and the back of Banff Springs Hotel. I got a photo of a male deer grazing right off the trail to the top of the falls. Then we went back and ate a sandwich and drove the Lake Minnewanka loop. When we pulled in the parking lot, there was a bear crossing the parking lot. I did not get a great shot, but I got a few of him or her. We also got some shots of a group of female bighorn sheet and one baby. Lake Minnewanka is beautiful and the largest in Banff National Park. There will be dragon boat races there this weekend. I imagine with its limited parking, we will miss it (but I’d LOVE to see the race!!!). My niece Lindsey does dragon boat racing with her club in Charleston, SC. We started to turn around and go back through the loop in the opposite direction, so I could take some photos as we rode over the dam. It was starting to get cloudy, so I told Phil we could do that another day. Within five minutes of the time we got back to the camper, it started storming. There was a good bit of hail mixed with the hard rain. I think after tomorrow, the chances of rain go down. I hope so! I’d sure like to see a caribou, wolf, and male bighorn sheep! Tomorrow is supposed to be downright rainy. We are going to try to go to one of the coffee houses and get on the Internet tomorrow morning. Then I can post the blog. I wish I could start posting photos! I can’t imagine how much time it is going to take to post photos since Kalispell!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Aug. 7 - Chillaxin' in Hinton

Well, not exactly chillaxin', but we have shopped and done laundry in preparation for the long trip to Banff tomorrow. We went to the Walmart here (Every one we have visited in Canada are right pitiful compared to ours.). Also, we went to Safeway to get a few groceries because we do not think there will be a big grocery store in Banff. It rained almost all day, and this evening, the sun is out and in. I hope we get a good day to travel tomorrow. There are going to be several really steep climbs on the Icefields Parkway. Phil has said he will stop at some of the pulloffs, so I can take some photos. The ones I took on the way here were mostly taken through the insect-splattered windshield. I got some really beautiful shots, if you can ignore the smudges.... I have no idea if we will be able to access wifi in Banff at all. We will be there for ten days, so if you don't hear from he, you will know why.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Aug. 6 - Hinton, AB

We woke up to the smell of smoke. It continued to get worse and worse. Later, a native Albertan told us it was from bunches of fires in British Columbia. We decided to go into Jasper and see what Lake Patricia and Pyramid Lake looked like, as well as the township. Some mountain goats grazed by the side of the road on the way there. I got some good photos. Walking around the town, I got some more photos. Lake Patricia was pretty, too. By the time we went back to the car, our eyes were burning, as well as our throats and sinues from the smoke. On the way back, the male elk were lying down in grass about where they were yesterday. Then down the road further we saw a huge herd of goats, babies included. I got a bunch of photos. The goats were hilarious. They walked down the middle of the lane and drove a truck driver crazy. Every time he tried to pass them, they’d wander over in front of him. We really got tickled. Then we went to Safeway in Hinton to buy some groceries. Gas is cheaper in Hinton than Calgary. It was 91.9 per liter in Hinton, and 95.9 and higher in Calgary. I saw something I have never seen. To use a grocery buggy, you must put a quarter in the change thingy on the handle to release it from the chained other buggies. I used a hand basket, thank you very much. Then back here to bbq some chicken and make potato salad for supper. Yum!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Update - July 29 - Aug. 5

July 29 - We had a great day going to Many Glacier. I will never visit the real Alps, but it really felt like I was there at Many Glacier Hotel. What a stunning view! The Lake McDonald Lodge was the more beautiful to me, but the view from Many Glacier Hotel was the best ever! I saw signs that said, “Do not feed the sheep,” so I was really looking for some bighorn sheep. I did not see any. I also saw a sign as we went into the Many Glacier area that said to report all bear and wolf sightings. I have not seen a wolf yet, so I was looking for those, too. Again, I was disappointed. I was totally delighted by the wildflowers. I have never seen so many varieties in such profusion anywhere - ever! I wish I had time to macro each different one I saw, but it would have taken all day. Also, the fragrance was heavenly! It was a great day. And we went back to the camper where I am trying to complete a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle before we leave. Next Wed. I am working it on the table extension, but it does not fit. I am working as much as I can before putting the extension in the table to have enough room. I guess I’ll learn to limit myself to 500 piece puzzles from now on. I have not worked a 1,000 piece puzzle in years. I am really enjoying it.
July 30 - We are following our tour guide‘s (Helen Gross) suggestions and going to Waterton National Park in Canada. It is only about 45 miles from us. Also we will go ahead and get our annual pass to the Canadian National Parks. Ouch! If you are in the parks more than six days, it pays to get the annual pass. We will be in them for two weeks.
Wow! Waterton Lakes National Park is truly beautiful. If you love wildflowers, definitely put East Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park on your bucket list. Crossing the border was very different than when we went to Vancouver. When we pulled up to the Canadian border, two RV’s in front of us were pulled over. They asked pretty much the same questions as they did when we went to Vancouver. It does make me wonder if we will be pulled over and have to pop the camper up when we cross next week. Of course, I have meat in the freezer and veggies that I hope to take with us, since I gave them away before we went to Vancouver and was never asked about them. THEN. When we came back to the USA. They opened our truck doors and examined everything in the truck and back of the truck. They did ask if we had any fruit or vegetables. Oh well, if they ask, I guess I’ll donate my food to the border patrol!
Now, back to Waterton Lakes. We went on the Red Rock Canyon Parkway and the Akamina Parkway roads. We were a little disappointed because they turn you around before you get to the Red Rock Canyon because they redoing the parking lot and rest rooms there. The drive was still gorgeous,. And I got to see my first wild tiger lilies, as well as tons and tons more wildflowers. Oh, we saw a big black bear on the side of the road before we got to the park. Cameron Lake at the end of the Akamina Parkway was very beautiful. We ate at Zums in downtown Waterton. What a quaint, waterside village! The Prince of Wales Hotel is quite striking sitting up on a hill overlooking Waterton. I took 168 photos today, and I cannot wait to post some. I will post four or five on here and lots more on FaceBook. I took my computer into Zum’s because they had a big Internet sign on their window, but you had to pay to use it. Forget that! Anyway, fabulous, awesome, worshipful day! Thank you, Heavenly Father!
July 31 - It rained and rained all morning and part of the afternoon. We read and I also worked on my 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Helen had told us about the Cattle Baron’s Supper Club in Babb eight miles up the road. I had also read reviews about their steaks being the best in the world. The club itself is pretty neat. I did not take my camera, but I did take a few photos with my phone. The place is owned by Blackfeet Indians and it is like a museum. It looks like a dive from the road and the tables and chairs are not that fancy, but the steaks were awesome! On the menu, there is no mention of how many ounces the steaks are. Phil got a filet mignon, and I got a rib eye. His filet was huge and my rib eye looked like a roast! We could have halved that easily. I brought home half for lunch the next day.
Aug. 1 - We did not sleep well because we had mosquitos in the camper. We killed a couple, but eventually we would hear another one. Then about 5:15 I had to brave the mountain lions and bears to trudge to the restroom, compliments of the Cattle Baron’s Supper Club. We are just chillaxin’ today. Phil is reading a book about the Yankees, and I finished my puzzle. I was at the point in the puzzle where every time I got a piece in, I’d want to stand up and do the Macarena. We had to pulled the table out and put in the extension, so we both rejoiced when I finished, so we could shorten the table and make it easier to get in and out of our sofas. We will ride the free shuttle to Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Rd. one day and the other we hope to make it to East Glacier and check out Two Medicine area.
Aug. 2 - We got up with the plan to ride up to Logan’s Pass. Phil decided to drive instead of taking the free shuttle because I like to stop so often to take photos. With the road construction going on, we got stopped going and coming. We were going to hike to Hidden Lake, but they closed the parking lot at Logan’s Pass because it was full. Cars were backed up both directions because of road construction stops. It was a mess! We decided to go back to the camper, eat lunch, and take the shuttle back to Logan’s Pass for our hike. When we got to the turn-off for the campground, we were met with a guy in a truck who told us they were putting down tar and gravel on top of that. It would be hours before we could get back in the campground. Change of plans! We decided to go to Two Medicine and East Glacier. We see many signs about watching for cattle, and finally we saw cattle right by the road. There was a whole herd, and it looked like they were licking the gravel/dirt in the right-of-way. Helen, we hiked! All of .3 mile to Running Eagle Falls at Two Medicine. That was .6 total. There was the warning of grizzlies in the area, and we had no bear spray, so we walked and talked loudly the whole way there and back. We did meet some people on the trail, so that was comforting. We were going into the general store at Two Medicine, but someone had “accidentally) released some bear spray in there just before we were to go in. We did a loop going Hwy 49 to East Glacier where I got some photos of the lodge there, and then to Browning and then back to St. Mary. As we neared St. Mary, the storm clouds were gathering. We had left our bedroom windows open. Just as we reached the campground in heavy rain and wind, the hail started….. The pillows and sheet were wet. I had a spare set of sheets, but I propped up the sheet and took off the pillow cases. The pillow cases did not dry, but the sheet did by the time we went to bed. Another good day! Tomorrow is our last full day here. We have the best view from our campsite from any place we have stayed. We will miss the view! Also, we are charging the cell phone once or twice a day in the 12 v. outlet in the camper, and it has not effected the battery. Thank you, solar panel!
Aug. 3 - We had hoped to ride the shuttle to Logan’s Pass and hike to Hidden Lake today, but it was rainy again. We could not even see the mountains, so we went to the Visitors’ Center and watched the video they had on Glacier National Park. It was nice. I got some more photos of the osprey nest.
Aug. 4 - We road about four hours to Calgary. We are on the west side and right off of Canada Hwy. 1. It will be easy to get back on and head up the Ice Fields Highway to Hinton, where we will be three days. We will have wifi there. Hooray! Crossing the border was a piece of cake, just like when we went to Vancouver. We expected a more difficult time. Also, there was no line at all where we crossed. We waited in line about ten or fifteen minutes when we went to Waterton Lakes N.P. I was so thankful they did not ask about fruits, vegetables, and meat! The US border does ask that every time. I’ll be sure to have none by the time we cross back to the US.
Aug. 5 - After a six and a half hour drive to Hinton through the Icefields Parkway through Banff and Jasper National Parks, we have finally gotten online. The glitch is that they have Internet through satellite, and it is extremely slow. They say uploading photos takes forever and slows the Internet down for everyone. I have taken hundreds of photos today, and I want to post them so badly…. I am so disappointed that I cannot upload some. I guess they will wait. The Canadian Rockies are amazing. Like ours, the looks change every curve or two. When we leave here in three days, we will go to a campground in Banff National Park. I hope the McDonalds or someone in Banff has free wifi, but I have no clue. We saw a huge elk on the way between Jasper and Hinton. I got photos. We also saw a bear. The color of the streams, rivers, and lakes are amazing. The Columbia Icefield is also amazing. That ice is THICK!!! It looks like the way back will be a LOT of climbing. We got 17 miles per gallon from Calgary to here (which is pretty good), so we will probably drop drastically going back to Banff. That is it for today. It was an awesome drive, just full of God’s beautiful creation.