Friday, June 29th - Mine Tour

We drove down to Ouray, Colorado to the Batchelor-Syracuse Mine. They conduct tours of the dormant silver and gold mine every hour, on the hour. The attraction employs "work campers" to staff the kitchen and conduct the tours. We ate a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatos, toast and coffee while waiting for the 11:00 tour

The tour was cool - literally - 50 degrees and damp. We met four delightful ladies, Rosemarie, Raye, Eileen and Jean who took the same tour with us. We all boarded the battery powered tram car for the 1,800 feet trip deep into the mountain. The guide did a show & tell of the various techniques for opening up the mine shafts and extracting the ore.

Afterwards, we drove thru the town of Ouray. Then we drove 24 miles south, on the Million Dollar Highway, US-550, to Silverton, Colorado. We got there in time to see the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad arrive into Silverton.

See video of D&S arriving

We got back to the coach around 3:30 and MA started preparing her famous Gumbo recipe for us and Ron & Carole (a couple we met here in Montrose who are from Shreveport, Louisiana) and Peg & Wayne King, owners of this RV park. As usual, MA's gumbo was quite the hit.

Thursday, June28th - A Quieter Day

Slowed things down a bit today...very little driving...only into Montrose. After lunch at 110 Cafe, we toured the Montrose Historical Museum which featured stories, photographs and artifacts of the history of the Uncompahgre Valley.

Wednesday, June 27th - Black Canyon of the Gunnison

This morning I ran a few errands: picked up a spray bottle of Simple Green, bought ten, 2 cent stamps (to go with my ten, 39 cent stamps, bought test strips to test the quality of the RV coolant. Freightliner says that if the coolant tests chemically OK, then I don't have to change it until the coach is five years old (it is almost three years old now).

The coolant tested out perfect! I will test again next month. In fact, I every time I check my house 6 volt batteries, I will check the coolant. I then sprayed Simple Green into the radiator and the aftercooler, a second cooling device. The aftercooler can only be accessed from underneath the rear end of the coach. Then I sprayed water to clean the cooling fins of both the radiator and the aftercooler. It was a messy job but, hopefully, that effort will payoff in a cooler running engine. Remember the overheating problems I had last Saturday?

After a delightful lunch in downtown Montrose at Gigi Ann's, we drove out to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

We had last visited the Canyon in August 2000 on our return trip to Austn from my Las Vegas consulting engagement. At that time, we camped at 8,000 feet inside the park and were awoken from a sound sleep by a tremendous display of lightning and thunder. MA and I just sat on the sofa of our 31' Minnie Winnie and marveled at the chilling display of nature's power.

This time, however, it is a bright 97 degree, partly cloudy day. The Jeep top is on but all the windows are removed or rolled down as we drive. After the National Park entrance gate (which, by the way, we pay nothing due to our Golden Age Passport), we turn right onto East Portal Road. We did not take this road in 2000. The descent into the Canyon is VERY steep - 16% grade and very curvy. But the road is paved. We drove as far as we could - until we got to Crystal Dam which controls the water flow of the Gunnison River into the Black Canyon.

In the early 1900's, a six mile long tunnel was dug in this area to divert some water from the Gunnison River into the Uncompaghre Valley so that otherwise arid and unusable land could be farmed. The water was SO close but, inaccessable due to the Canyon. The tunnel is still in use today and the Valley is green and fertile.

We drove back to the top, the Rim Road. We went only as far as the Visitors Center this time. We watched a movie on the Black Canyon and took these pix.

Tuesday, June 26th - West Elk Loop

This morning, MA fixed a picnic lunch and we headed out for a 275 mile drive from Montrose to Gunnison, Crested Butte, Kebler Pass, McClure Pass and Marble, returning home to Montrose around 7:30pm. We drove alongside beautiful Blue Mesa Reservoir for about 20 miles. The pic on the right is where we stopped for our picnic at Lake Irwin, very near Kebler Pass.

We drove on north to the village of Marble, CO. There was a mining operation here that provided the marble to build the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. WE parked and walked up the trail to get this pic of mined marble.

Monday, June 25th - to Montrose, Colorado

After lunch at Red Robin's in Grand Junction, we packed up the coach and drove the 68 miles to our camp for six days, King River Bend RV Park in Montrose, Colorado. From this hub, we will be taking various drives throughout the Western Colorado region.

This is a nice, somewhat shady campsite along the banks of the Uncompahgre River, just 1/2 mile south of town. The geese in this pic are really loving the aerating fountain in the pond behind our coach.

Sunday, June 24th - Into Colorado

After a breakfast at JB's, we left Price, Utah and drove 160 miles to Grand Junction, Colorado.The trip was thru really rocky and barren landscape. The RV outside thermometer registered 110 degrees! We had no difficulty with overheating today.

We ate a nice dinner at Olive Garden and we drove around Grand Junction. No a lot here.

Saturday, June 23rd - Refrig. Fixed

This morning, UPS delivered the thermistor, ventilation fan and the switch just as promised. It took Terrell about one hour to install the parts and we were on our way, once again. Terrell has been great. He made us a priority (probably because we were taking up too much space in his parking area.

MA drove the Jeep and I drove the coach about 10 miles to the Flying J Truck Stop in Springville, UT. We had been running the generator and air conditioners about 12 hours/day and I wanted to have a full load of fuel before we hit Colorado. Everything I see on the various web sites dealing with fuel prices looks like Utah (@ $2.87) is 30 cents/gallon cheaper than Colorado. I know that Kansas, around Dodge City is $2.71 so, Hopefully, I won't need to refuel in Colorado. I have yet to pay more than $2.999 for diesel fuel and I want that to continue!

We did have some difficulty with overheating going up the west side of the Wasatch Mountain Range. About halfway up, my engine monitoring system reported engine temps over 220 degrees. So, I turned off the A/C and disconnected the Jeep. I still had to stop two more times to let the engine cool back to under 200 degrees.

We are in the coal mining town of Price, UT for the night. We had stopped for lunch at JB's in Price and a fellow diner asked us if we were going to the Demolition Derby being held tonight at the Carbon County Fairgrounds. I said we did not know anything about it. I had been to a demolition derby with my parents when we lived in Oklahome City. It sounded like fun so...we made Price, Utah our home for the night.

When it came time to go to the derby, my coach outside thermometer read 101 degrees. We both decided that was too hot and we rented movies and went to Cold Stone Creamery instead.

Friday, June 22nd - Still in Orem, Utah

Yes, we are still parked in the driveway of All Coach RV Service. Dometic did not get the Thermistor shipped in time to get here today. It is scheduled to arrive Saturday morning. Meanwhile, we have identified a second problem. The ventilation fan that dissipates heat in the back of the unit was not operating. So we have asked Dometic to ship a ventilation fan and switch. They should also be here tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, we drove up to Sundance Resort again this evening after dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. The grounds are beautiful. It is also amazing the just five miles out of town, the temperature become very enjoyable. It was nearly 100 degrees this afternoon; probably in the 70's at Sundance.

After driving up to Sundance, we drove north to the town of Pleasant Grove where there was a carnival going on. MA wanted some cotton candy so got out and walked thru the carnival.

Thursday, June 21st - Staying in SLC

I have not been happy with the performance of our Dometic refrigerator. Several days ago, I placed wireless thermometers in the freezer and the refrig. compartments. This morning, the freezer read 18 degrees and the refer read 50 degrees...much too warm.

So, I verified with Newmar customer service that we were fully covered for parts and labor under their three year warranty (expires August 20th). The answer was yes so we located All Coach Rv Repair in Orem, about 10 miles north of us. A call to Terrell and we packed up and have relocated to the driveway of the service center in Orem. Terrell believes the problem is the thermistor which acts similar to a thermostat on a heater. Because we have a larger RV refrigerator unit, he needed to order the part from Dometic. It is due to arrive Saturday morning. Meanwhile, we will make ourselves at home in the service driveway.

Today, we drove up to Sundance, an area started by Robert Redford that includes a ski slope, restaurants, theaters and is home for the Sundance Film Festival. We had left the camera in the coach but, we plan to return tomorrow and eat lunch and take pix.

Life Lesson # 587 - When MA trims my mustache, let's do it BEFORE the marguaritas. After MA cut my hair this evening, she went to work on my mustache AND upper lip! I am not exactly scarred for life but...it hurt like hell for a moment. She felt terrible and it was her suggestion to time Happy Hour AFTER the haircut.

We had a very nice dinner at P.F. Changs in Orem. Later, I changed the oil and oil filter in the generator. This is a once every 150 hours job...last done in early September 2006.

Wednesday, June 20th - Seeing Friends and Family

This morning we met friends Carole and Samantha Mitchell at the Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I worked with Carole and Sam and Carole's husband, Todd, at a Highfill sale in Houma, Louisiana. We have stayed in touch since. We last saw all three Mitchells in the Amish Country of Pennsylvania, back in October of 2006. We introduced Carole and Sam to one of our favorites, "Breakfast at the Barrel".

It has been very hot here in the Salt Lake City area...upper 90's. So our generator has been running about 18 hours/day while dry camping at Cracker Barrel and Wal*Mart.

We moved about 30 miles south to the Wal-Mart in Springville, Utah, not far from Provo and Brigham Young University. We drove thru the campus today.

After dinner, we had a chance to visit with MA's cousin's son, Caleb Slagle and Caleb's wife, Adryana at their home in Spanish Fork. I was a short visit but it was very enjoyable to meet Adryana and catch up on their adventures as a young married couple. They are expecting their first child in late November.

Tuesday, June 19th - MA Comes "Home"

MA started today at Berri & Colin's home in Round Rock, Texas. MA decided to make a quick overnight stop on her way back to DFW and her flight to Salt Lake City.

I pretty much got the coach ready to roll last night. All I had to do was bring in the slides, walk Gypsy, take out the trash, bring up the hydraulic levelers and go.

Highway US-93 south from Jackpot to Wells, Nevada is an lonely two lane road. At Wells, I got breakfast at Burger King and go on I-80 and drove east toward Salt Lake.

Just as I crossed the state line into Utah, I had an impressive panorama of the Bonneville Salt Flats. This is the location where almost all significant land speed records have been set. I have never seen such realistic mirages as in this area.

I got to SLC and found the Wal-Mart where I had intended to spend the night. However, the parking involved a multi-level parking garage. The vertical clearance was 13'6" which is OK (by 6"). But, I was not sure if I would be able to negotiate what looked to be tight turns inside the garage, especially while towing the Jeep. So, I got my Cracker Barrel Country Store map of locations and called the one nearest the SLC airport. The manager said parking there overnight was fine. So, I moved about five miles to the Cracker Barrel for the night.

MA's flight was exactly on-time and I picked her up at the baggage claim without any problem. It is great to have her back "home".

The daytime temps are in the upper 90's; nighttime temps in 70's. So, we have the generator running all night for the air-conditioning.

Monday, June 18th - Golfing in Jackpot, Nevada

After a very nice ham and eggs breakfast at Cactus Pete's Casino and a quick dip in the hot tub to loosen up these old joints, I drove over to the Jackpot Golf Club. It was very uncrowded and the pro said I could play whenever I got ready. There was a couple already on the first tee and I asked if they minded a third. They were fine with that and I met Lane and Art from Washington state, north of Seattle. After several holes, a single golfer joined us, Dave.

It was a very enjoyable outing with some very enjoyable people. The quality of the golf was questionable...some great shots and some REALLY lousy shots.

After golf, sitting in the 19th hole, I got to know Lane and Art much better. Lane is a supervisor in the Engineering Services department of Snohomish County, Washington. Art is a stuntman in TV and movies (with 15 concussions and counting). Lane and Art made the mistake of asking about our motorhome so, I brought them back to the RV park for a tour (with a beer thrown in for their trouble). They are delightful people but, they made the mistake of inviting us to come visit them. As MANY of you all know, you don't invite the Heinz's unless you REALLY want them to come...because we usually do!

Getting the coach ready for the 250 mile trip to Salt Lake City tomorrow morning to pick up MA. Can't wait to see her! Go figure!

Sunday, June 17th - Happy Father's Day

Even though I am alone (physically) on this Father's Day, I am connected (emotionally) with my family. I got wonderful calls from each of my kids and even a "Happy Father's Day, Grandpa, I love you" from Cammy on the cell phone.

As usual on Father's Day, I became TOTALLY immersed in the US Open golf tournament. Congratulations to Angel Cabrera from Argentina who won by one stroke over Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. When Ashley and I went to Augusta, Georgia in April 2006 to attend a Master's practice round, we asked Angel if he would let us take a pic for Ashley's husband who was born in Argentina. He graciously agreed.

After a day in the 90's yesterday, it topped out at 68 degrees today.

Saturday, June 16th - Arrive in Jackpot, Nevada

I left Jerome, Idaho around 9:00am this morning and immediately stopped at the Flying J in Jerome to top off my diesel fuel. The price, just like yesterday in Boise, was $2.799 and is the best price I will see until we hit Kansas in mid-July.

I drove the 50 miles to the town of Jackpot, Nevada, JUST across the state line from Idaho. I am parked at the Cactus Pete's RV Park, adjacent to the casino. This will be my home for three nights. I will leave Tuesday morning for Salt Lake City where I pick up MA at the SLC airport at 4pm.

The RV park is nice with grass areas between the campsites. I watched the entire NBC coverage of the US Open today and then went for a small dinner at the casino. Pam Tillis is performing here tonight but, I was not particularly interested so I came back to the coach.

Friday, June 15th - Leaving Boise, Idaho

I left Boise around 8am and stopped for fuel at the nearby Flying J "neighbor store". The price was $2.799. As I head into Nevada and Utah, the fuel prices are around $2.90.

I stopped at the Onan Generator service center just east of Boise to have my "surging" generator checked. As I suspected, the problem is NOT with the generator motor but, rather with the converter/charger putting inconsistent loads on the generator. It can wait until August 6th to be replaced at the Newmar factory on our final warranty work prior to the expiration of the three year warranty.

I am in for the night at Wal-Mart in Jerome, Idaho, just outside Twin Falls.

Thursday, June 14th

Things are kinda slow right now. MA made it to Monroe to be with her sister, Francis, for a week. I had the opportunity to play golf yesterday, at Indian Lakes Golf Club here in Boise. I did not know this going in but, Indian Lakes is a nine hole course that you play twice. I met a charming couple from the Boise area, Arnie and Linda, who were delightful company.

Today, I watched the TV coverage of the US Open and went to see a movie, Mr. Brooks. There are a lot of restaurants, theaters, etc. within walking distance of camp Wal*Mart.

Tomorrow, I will move on down the road to Jerome, Idaho, where another Wal*Mart awaits. Saturday, I will move to Jackpot, Nevada, to the Cactus Pete's RV Park at the casino of the same name. I plan to stop at an Onan service center to have our generator looked at. It is working correctly but, it seems to be doing a lot of unnecessary "surging". I (and MA) do not want ANY problems with our generator going into the hot summer months, as we head in a southerly direction!!! As you can read, we frequently "dry camp" (Wal*Mart) or "boondock" camping in the woods, etc. At these times, the generator is an essential fact-of-life, to run the air conditioners!

Tuesday, June 12th - MA Goes to Monroe, Louisiana

We had set our cell phone alarms to wake us at 5:45 so we could get MA to the Boise airport by 6:45 for a 8:00am flight to DFW. At 5:00am, both MA and my cell phones rang. Had we set the time wrong? No, it was Delta Airlines calling with a recorded message that her flight had been delayed until 9:30am. So, we reset our cell phone alarms and went back to sleep.

MA got to Salt Lake City and had to really scurry to get to her supposed "thru" flight to DFW. But, she made it to DFW but, one bag did not. So she went ahead and rented a car from Avis and waited at the airport for the bag which arrived on a 5:15 flight.

I am piddling around the coach...doing a bunch of small maintenance tasks.

Monday, June 11th - Driving to Boise, Idaho

Got away from Lewiston, Washington just after 9am and stopped in the little town of Lapwai, Idaho for a nice breakfast at a roadside cafe. A local fellow mentioned that we should think twice about driving our coach on the road south of McCall, Idaho. Very sharp turns and road construction. We listened to what he said and decided to make our own decision when we got to New Meadows. McCall is a haven for the wealthy and, according to our friend, Ken Tilton, we should eat a meal at Bistro 45 in McCall. That was our plan.

We drove thru some beautiful rolling hills and canyons enroute to New Meadows. The pic above is a field of canola growing. The pic to the left is a Bed & Breakfast in Cottonwood, Idaho. Guests actually stay inside the beagle building. Gypsy, our real-life beagle was not amused.

As we approached the decision point, there was a sign warning of delays and hazardous conditions south of McCall. So we bypassed McCall and stayed on US-95 until it connected up with I-84 and on in to Boise.

We are parked at the Boise Wal*Mart. This is the first time I have ever seen a SIGN directing RV'ers where to set-up camp at Wal*Mart. Yes, folks, we ARE welcome at WallyWorld and we DO shop there.

Miscellaneous Videos

Because it is such a lengthy process, requiring MUCH bandwidth, I have only uploaded a few video links. Here are a few more...just click on the link for the subject you wish to view.

Spokane Falls -- Snake River Jet Boat Trip -- Grand Coulee Dam

Dry Falls, Washington -- Goose Island @ Glacier NP

Stuck on the Mountain-- Gold Country, California

A "Grape" Escape Balloon Ride -- MA Hauls the Mainsail in San Diego

Sunday, June 10th - A Hitchhiker

Last evening, after the jet boat ride up the river, I was walking Gypsy. It was still light and I saw an elderly woman pitching a tent near the dog walk area. That seemed strange...I had not seen any campers over in this area and there have been a number of tenters here. It was a bit breezy and she asked for my help in getting her "pop-up" tent stabilized. I helped her and she began to tell her life history, beginning with her master's degree in history. She has been hitchhiking across America to learn more history. She has found that men who give her rides EAST of the Mississippi are much kinder and ask less questions than men WEST of the Mississippi. She talked and talked...finally I broke away and made it home.

This morning, as we left the campground to get lunch, she was thumbing for a ride on the street corner. I stopped to say that we were only going a few blocks and would not be able to help her. She said she only wanted to go to the library in Clarkston. MA sez she will get in the back of the Jeep and she can ride up front. So, we load up her suitcases, tent, ice cooler, etc (6 pieces of baggage) and MA crawls into the back of the Jeep (no seat) and away we go. Found the library...the library was closed. MA suggested the library at Lewis & Clark College across the river in Lewiston. Found the library...the library was closed. MA found the Lewiston Library on a map...about 5 miles away. Again...Found the library...the library was closed. What do we do with her? Meanwhile, she (Jean) was spouting non-stop about historical minutia regarding the Nez Perce Indians, southerners who became cowboys, and her life in the Amazon working for the Peace Corps in the 1960's. We finally got her back to the main east/west highway (US-12) and unloaded (literally) her.

When we went together to do laundry this afternoon, I asked Jock, the owner, about her. He said that she appeared at his motel last evening looking for a free room. He sent her over to his campground and allowed her to set-up in an out-of-the-way location (near the dog walk). This morning, when she went to leave, she told Jock that during the night some man had attacked her with a non-lethal weapon, something like a ray gun but not deadly. Our adventure continues. MA says the "there, but for the grace of God, go I".

Anyway, got the laundry completed and will cook NY Strip steaks tonight. Awaiting the series finale of The Sopranos and the season finale of The Tudors.

Saturday, June 9th - Jet Boat up the Snake River

We ate a nice breakfast at Hazel's, a locally owned cafe here in Clarkston, Washington. Then we took a short drive around the two cities. We purposefully drove thru Lewis and Clark State College in Lewiston. Just last week, LCSC hosted the NAIA Baseball World Series for small colleges.

It was an overcast afternoon, filled with naps and blogging. At 4:30, we drove the short distance to the starting point for the Beamer's Hells Canyon jet boat trips. Several weeks ago, we signed up for their evening, four hour, dinner cruise.

The cruise was nice but, not exceptional. As expected, the jet boats are fast and very loud. We made several stops or slowdowns to see a petroglyph and other interesting features of the Snake River. We traveled 35 miles upstream but stopped short of entering Hells Canyon itself. We ate at the Heller Bar Lodge, also owned by Beamer's. They served salmon and prime rib buffet style. The dinner was filling. We then returned downriver to Clarkston by 8:30pm.

The Snake River Canyon, at 1.5 miles deep (at its deepest) is the deepest canyon in North America (the Grand Canyon is "only" 1 mile deep). I had thought that we would see some VERY dramatic geologic features. I thought wrong. The DEEP part of the Snake River Canyon is 70 miles further south of where we turned around. My mistake. The sceney was pretty, not dramatic.

Friday, June 8th - A Golfing Day...Finally

This is a pic of the Snake River and the Hells Canyon Resort Marina and RV Park where we are currently "camping"

This morning, MA took me over to the Clarkston Golf and Country Club for my first round of golf since Palm Springs in early February. The 11th hole is right across the street from our campground and the course looked to be in fine condition. It was! I played with three fellows from Pullman, Washington, 30 miles away. They explained that they get MUCH snow in the winter in Pullman but, Lewiston & Clarkston, because of their low elevation, get almost no snow. It is known as the "Banana Belt". One guy said that many times he has had to shovel snow to get out of his driveway to drive to Clarkston to play golf!

Later we turned on the coach air-conditioning for the first time this year. The temp was in the high 80's and it is time. We walked to dinner at Roosters, a restaurant right on the water of the Snake River.

Thursday, June 7th - College Towns

This is a pic from Lewiston Hill, looking south. The river on the left is the Clearwater. It joins up with the Snake River which flows from the top of the pic to the right (west) in this pic. The Snake separates Lewiston, Idaho on the left from Clarkston, Washington, on the right.

We drove about 30 miles north to Moscow, Idaho, home of the University of Idaho Vandals. We drove thru the campus (very big and nice) and stopped in downtown Moscow for some wine tasting and lunch.

Later we drove 15 miles west to Pullman, Washington, home of Washington State University. Again, we toured the campus and downtown areas. Then we returned to Clarkston the long way, alongside the Snake River.

Wednesday, June 6th - Cross the Snake River to Clarkston, WA

Not a lot to report today..left camp Wal*Mart in Lewiston, Idaho and drove less than 10 miles to our camp for four nights, Hells Canyon Resort, smack on the bank of the Snake River.

This is a very nice campground and marina. I have already used the indoor pool and hot tub to get these old joints friendly again. We drove around both Lewiston and Clarkston. We saw the riverboat Queen of the West docked here. Clarkston is the easternmost port of call on its Portland-to-Portland seven day journey on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

MA cooked a delicious corned beef and potatos/carrots dinner. She may make sone hash with the leftover beef.

Tuesday, June 5th - Across L & C's Northwest Passage

We ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel and them headed west, back into Idaho. We drove 220 miles, mostly along Idaho's "Northwest Passage", US highway 12.

In 1805, the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery found that their initial crossing point of the Continental Divide (Lemhi Pass, Idaho) led them to the impassable Salmon River. They ventured further north and crossed the Divide at Lolo Pass, Idaho and trekked thru the wilderness along the Lochsa and Clearwater rivers to the confluence with the Snake River (now Lewiston, Idaho). They were searching for, and found, the Northwest Passage to connect with the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.

This is a SPECTACULAR trip, worthy of spending several days to see it properly. This pic is typical of most of the drive. It rained for most of the day, therefore the raindrops on the windshield.

We stopped for diesel fuel when we got to Lewiston. The Flying J price here is $2.799, not bad for a western state. We are staying, once again, in camp Wal*Mart in Lewiston. We ate some outstanding Chinese food at the Mandarin Pines. This is a pic of the sunset, taken from camp Wal*Mart.

Monday, June 4th - to Missoula, Montana

After a breakfast in downtown Polson, Montana, we drove the 70 miles south to Missoula and have already become re-acquainted with our country friend, the Cracker Barrel Country Store. We parked at the local Wal*Mart and drove around Missoula. It is the home of the Univarsity of Montana Grizzlies. We saw the campus and the downtown area.

A VERY big wind blew thru here around 5:30pm, blowing dust so badly that I had to use headlights when driving the Cracker Barrel. Heavy rain followed which served to cool things off very nicely.

I have succeeded in getting some pix uploaded. I am trying to resize the pix to a more friendly size for uploading & downloading.

Poor Internet Connections = Few Pictures

The past four days we have had sketcky Internet access...enough to get the text up but not good enough to get the pix out. It's too bad because some of these pix are VERY good. I will get them out there soon.

Today, Sunday, we drove about 40 miles south and are in for the night in Polson, Montana. Enroute, we stopped for about six hours at Finley Point State Park. We parked in the boat launch area and watched the jet-skiers and boaters. We cooked frest salmon on the grill. It was quite good.

Saturday, June 2nd - Glacier National Park - East

We had wanted to make the huge driving loop from the West entrance to Glacier National Park, over the Logan Pass on the Going to the Sun Highway, to the East Entrance and returning via Essex, Montana. Unfortunately, the middle section of the Going to the Sun Highway is closed. It normally MIGHT open by June 1st but, due to the very bad floods of November 8, 2006, much of the roadway had been washed out. This is the same storm system that washed out so much of the east side of Mt. Rainier National Park and prevented us from exploring that park last month.

On Thursday, we drove as far as we could go entering on the West side. Today, we made the 330 mile trip to enter on the east side.

We got an early start...early for us, that is...up at 8am and on the road by 9am. Gassed up in Kalispell and drove Hwy US 2 thru the towns of West Glacier, Essex and East Glacier, Montana. This drive dipped in and out of the southern boundary of the Park and ran basically parallel to the Great Northern Railroad tracks. In January 1981, while working for Amtrak, I took a business trip from Chicago to Seattle on the Empire Builder that ran over these very rails. It was nostalgic to see the stations and lodges that I had seen on that trip.

We first entered the Park at the Two Medicine entrance in the southeast section. We drove to the end of that road, at Two Medicine Lake, stopping to see Running Eagle Falls. It was spectacular, as was the lake!

We exited the park, back to the north-south highway and drove to St. Mary, Montana. There we went to the Visitors Center and re-entered the Park on the east end of the Going to the Sun Highway. Again, we drove as far as they would let us go, about 14 miles, to the Jackson Glacier overlook. On this road, we passed a viewpoint of Goose Island in St. Mary Lake. This scene is one of the most breathtaking panoramas I have ever seen! It truly matches a scene in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada, of Spirit Island in Lake Maligne!

We met a fellow who lives about 100 miles away in Whitefish, Montana. He told me he comes here at least every two weeks to photograph this scene...it constantly changes. After a while, words begin to fail me in describing the beauty of this Park.

We, again, exited back to the main north-south road and stopped for lunch at Johnson's of St. Mary. At one of the many overlooks that we stopped, someone mentioned that the Grizzly Bears might be out and about on Many Glaciers Road, further north. So, after lunch, we re-enter the Park at the Many Glaciers entrance and drive the 12 miles in. Beautiful scenery, nice lodges (not open for the season, yet) but, no bears.

We returned to our Camp Kalispell, exhausted, around 7:30pm.