Reflection

I have been traveling away from home for two days shy of 10 weeks. During those 68 days, I have not ironed any clothes, pulled any weeds, or vacuumed any floors. I have not driven a car (nor a motorhome, for that matter) or awoken to an alarm clock. I have not weighed myself nor looked in a full length mirror. I have not missed doing any of these things AT All!

During the past 68 days, I have not sewn on my sewing machine nor done any quilting. I have not arranged a vase of fresh flowers nor tasted a Maryland tomato. I have not visited a hair salon nor indulged in a pedicure. I have not watched a television program (except for seeing a short portion of the Olympics without sound in a bar and watching the Raven’s game last night in the hotel). I have to admit, there were times I missed these things A BIT.

For the past 68 days, I have not visited with family or my Maryland friends (except for the wonderful time with Jack and Judy). I have not hugged my children. I have missed these things A LOT.

But enough about what I didn’t do…let’s recap what did I do during those 68 days…

I’ve traveled in our motorhome over 7,000 miles through seven states and two Canadian provinces. I’ve visited six American national parks, six Canadian national parks, and many national forests and state parks.

I’ve hiked over 150 miles up and down mountains, through rainforests and subalpine forests, around lakes, and along the Pacific Ocean. I’ve walked on salt flats and in the cities of Portland, Oregon and Salt Lake City, Utah.

I’ve seen many kinds of wildlife including bears, elk, bison, antelope, and Rocky Mountain sheep. I’ve delighted in the beauty of snow-capped mountains, fields of wildflowers, erupting geysers, simmering mud pots, and smooth, colorful river stones.

I’ve been in awe of massive glaciers and towering waterfalls. I’ve seen amazing sunsets and slept to the sounds of the ocean surf, train whistles, and complete silence.

I’ve savored regional cuisine and met people from around the world. I’ve shopped at 14 quilt shops and bought a 10 pound salmon right off the boat.

Wow!

Of course, all of this would not have been possible without Bill, my tour guide extraordinaire. Except for three hikes he took on his own, we have been together 24-7 for 65 days straight! And yes, we are still speaking to one another. In fact, we are more in love than ever. As Mark Twain said, “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”

A good time was had by all.

Bill and I both realize how lucky we are to have the time and resources to experience this kind and extent of travel. We have many wonderful memories of our trip that will continue to give us pleasure for years to come.

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

 

Back to the Beginning

Well, I’m back where this adventure began, Salt Lake City, Utah. I fly home tomorrow morning, and we decided it would be best to get a hotel room near the airport for tonight. By the way, I got a great deal on a room at the Hilton by using the app Room 77. The app indicated a room would be $80, but when we arrived here to get a room, they quoted us $120. The front desk clerk said he couldn't do any better. So I sat down in the lobby, booked a room in this very hotel using Room 77, and within seconds I had a confirmation number. I took the number to the front desk, and voila! we had a very nice room for $80! Gotta love a smartphone!

After we checked in, we drove to Temple Square to walk around, but most everything was closed…I guess it’s a Mormon thing. The Cheesecake Factory was open, though, so we had a great lunch.

Yesterday Bill and I hiked a trail on Antelope Island that kicked my butt! Even though I’ve done more rigourous hikes, I guess it was the heat of the day (we were in a desert, after all) and fact that I hadn’t had much to eat beforehand, that made it such a challenge. The hundreds of flies that followed us didn't help matters. Bill took a swim in the Great Salt Lake while I was recovering from the hike. He said floating on the lake (which is very easy due to the salinity of the water) was like lying on an air mattress.

Tomorrow Bill will drive to eastern Utah where he will again meet our friends Wayne and Shirley. They will spend a week together exploring Utah and Colorado, before Bill makes the trip home. I will miss my honey! Stay tuned tomorrow for my reflections of this amazing journey...

Salt!

Phew! We finally finished travelling through northern Nevada! The routes we took, Rt. 140 and I-80, meant hours of driving through arid, colorless land. The towns along the way were not much; in fact one, Battle Mountain, has the dubious distinction of being named the “Armpit of America” by the Washington Post. Thankfully, the cell towers were abundant, and I could entertain myself with my phone.

Thursday night we camped at a KOA in West Wendover, Nevada, which, because of its casinos, is prosperous. There’s not much besides the casinos, though, and we walked to one to have dinner. I did resist the urge to gamble, mainly because the slot machines were nothing like I remember. You couldn’t just drop a quarter in and pull the lever...there were tokens to buy and tickets to cash in. At least our dinner was good. We walked around town for awhile, as it was lit up by many neon signs.

The next day we entered Utah and were amazed by the Bonneville Salt Flats. The flats stretch over 30,000 acres, and we stopped to admire them at the site of the Bonneville Speedway. For miles and miles, all you see is white crusty salt that resembles snowpack. Bill and I walked on the flats for awhile and saw a family in their Dodge Caravan have fun speeding around on them (Bill said we would be doing the same if we were in the Audi). As many of you know, I love salt, so I couldn’t resist tasting! Our drive continued through the salt flats for many miles, and we even passed a Morton’s Salt Factory!

We are spending the weekend on Antelope Island, which is in the Great Salt Lake. There’s a state park here with trails to hike and wildlife to see. We’ve already seen bison, antelope and coyotes. As I type this I am looking out onto the lake from our campsite. The land is still desert-like here, so it’s very different from the mountain lakes we have visited. The Great Salt Lake is five times saltier than the ocean, and yes, I’ve already tasted it too:)

By the way, on our walk out to the lake last night I found a twenty dollar bill! Take that Nevada and your gambling ways!

The Long and Winding Road

Although I slept very well Sunday night, I woke up cold, which is unusual since we had the heat turned on. Bill noticed the lights blinking on the refrigerator…uh oh…we had run out of propane. Dismayed at not being able to heat the water for my coffee, I became even more dismayed when Bill pointed out we had $100 worth of salmon in the freezer! Up we both jumped, and within minutes we were on the road headed for the nearest town…which wasn’t that “near”. It took us about a half an hour to reach Gold Beach, where we had to pay a premium price for propane. The town was pretty dead, so we decided to travel to the next place on the map, Agness, OR, to get some coffee and breakfast. The road to Agness was a very long, narrow and winding one. On the right of the road was a steep wall of rock and dirt, and over the left edge was a very deep river gorge. There were no guard rails, and at many spots only room for one vehicle. Fortunately, I was in a pre-coffee comatose state, so I took it all in stride. Later, looking up Agness, OR, to find out why on earth people would go there, I came across this sentence on Wikipedia:

“Agness has a K–6 "one-room school", which actually consists of two rooms. It is kept open by the  Central Curry School District because of its "geographical remoteness": approximately 30 miles from Gold Beach up a "winding and sometimes dangerous" road. This road has been the site of several incidents that have resulted in the deaths of travelers.”

As we entered the “town”, a sign greeted us that said, “Welcome to Agness. Population-Small”. The only thing we found in town was a tiny post office and a small store, which did not serve coffee. We decided to make our own right there in the parking lot, where we discovered that the propane that we had just filled was not working. Thank goodness we found out then! Bill fixed it with a few clicks of some switch, and with coffees in hand, we took the only way out of Agness, back down that long and winding…and dangerous...road. Fortunately, everything in our freezer remained frozen…and we did not fall to our deaths.

Life got much better that day, as we entered beautiful Crater Lake National Park. At a depth of 1,943’, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. Fed by rain and snow (but no rivers or streams), the lake is considered to be the cleanest large body of water in the world.

The lake rests inside a caldera that was formed approximately 7,700 years ago when a volcano collapsed following a major eruption. Bill and I did not take the one hike that allows access to the water, but we took a few others that afforded us amazing views of Crater Lake.

We are now making our way through Nevada, enroute to Salt Lake City. From there, Delta Airlines will take me home on Monday. Lots more to see before that happens, though!

Birthday Fun

I suppose my birthday celebration began two days before the actual event, because on Thursday Bill did something he doesn’t like to do…spend time in a city. I wanted to visit Powell’s City of Books, “the largest independently owned book store in the world”, which is located in downtown Portland, Oregon. We found it without much trouble and located a great parking spot for the motorhome. After walking around the city for awhile and getting lunch from a food truck, we went to the book store.

Wow! Powell’s occupies an entire city block and stocks more than a million new and used books! I bought some used quilting books and purchased a few gifts before leaving. It was great fun!

The celebration continued when we decided to go out to eat on my “birthday-eve”. After securing a campsite, we drove into the small fishing town of Newport, Oregon and found a bar/restaurant with views of the Yaquina Bay. We drank a couple of beers there as we looked upon (and heard) the barking sea lions hanging out on the rocks near the piers. It was interesting talking to a young fisherman who told us the sea lions were all males (the females prefer the warmer waters of California). He shook his head in dismay and explained the sea lions stay in this area because they can eat the fish right off the hooks as the fishing boats come in. “We wouldn’t have this abundance of sea lions if they (county government) would only let the orcas come closer into the bay,” he lamented. Orcas? Wow, again!

Not finding the menu very enticing, we walked down the street to a small, but popular, restaurant called Local Ocean Seafood. Double-wow! I couldn’t decide whether to get the pan-fried Yaquina Bay oysters or the Fishwive's Stew, so we decided to get both and share. It was one of the best meals I can remember. The stew had Dungeness crab, scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams, and fish in a rich, tomato garlicky broth. The oysters were large, tasty, and plentiful. The glass of crisp Chardonnay paired well with the feast, and we went home full and very happy.

But it gets better…my birthday was yesterday, and it began with an hour-long walk on the beach along the Pacific Ocean. This beach was large and sandy and the sun was shining…a perfect start to the day. Next stop, lunch. Again we scored a great restaurant. It is a family-owned and run place called Newport Café. I again had pan-fried local oysters, this time on a sandwich. Delicious!

Lucky for me, Newport has a Starbucks where I had my favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte, and a quilt shop, where of course, I had to buy MORE fabric. But wait, it gets better…

We noticed signs indicating you could buy fish right off the fishing boats. I absolutely love salmon, so we inquired about buying some from the fisherman on the “Ocean Lady”.

You have to buy the whole fish ($9.50 a pound), but he would gut, fillet, and cut it into dinner-sized portions for free. They were Chinook (sometimes known as King) salmon and were caught the day before. I asked for the smallest one he had, which was a little over ten pounds. Sold!

We took it right back to the RV, where we double-wrapped each piece, put the pieces in baggies, and stored them in our freezer. We can’t cook it on our travels (too smelly and Bill won't let me "tarnish" our grill), so I’ll have to wait until we get home before I taste it…can’t wait!

The day continued with a beautiful drive down Highway 101, which follows the Pacific Coast. We ended up with a campsite in Florence, Oregon, again on the water. The stores in the historic part of town were in walking distance from the campground, so I had the opportunity to walk around and shop without a restless husband hovering around. We ended my birthday extravaganza with another great seafood dinner.

It was certainly a birthday to remember...I didn't even mind getting another year older!

Diversity

Diversity is the name of the game when traveling through Washington State, both in weather and terrain. We started the week on the Pacific Ocean where it was misty and cool. Here are some pictures of a few beaches we hiked to:

Monday morning Bill and I took a 2 mile walk in the Hoh Rain Forest, where it was…raining. Talk about green! This area gets 142 inches of rain a year, which means really big trees and lush green ferns and moss…lots of moss. The Hoh Rain Forest is one of the largest temperate rain forests in the USA. We also saw the “World’s Largest Spruce Tree” in the Quinault Rain Forest. It is 1,000 years old, 191’ tall and its circumference is 59’!

Today we are in Mt. Ranier National Park, where its namesake is a sight to behold!

It's bright and sunny today, quite different from the coastal weather. Next stops...Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood.

Oceanfront

Today is Day 2 of camping with an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean. We are very close to the shore so we can hear and see the waves and the wetsuit-clad surfers riding them. There are no places in Maryland where we can camp and get views of the ocean like this! Today is quite foggy and cool...it's 63 degrees at 2 PM, but yesterday was sunny and clear. Last night's sunset over the ocean was another photo-taking bonanza! I took 41 pictures...here is one.

This has been the most expensive place we've camped so far this trip. It costs $37.80 a night; that includes electric, sewer, and water. Usually, we pay around $22, but there were quite a few nights we've camped for free. As of today, our average price per night is $15.15. Not bad!

Olympic Peninsula

We’re at the beach! But not the lie in the sun, build sand castles kind of beach we have in the East. The beaches of the Olympic peninsula in Washington State have other things to offer: views of Canada, views of snow-capped mountains, smooth, rounded stones of many sizes and colors, starfish, seals, and long, billowy kelp. We have spent the last four days listening to the surf while gazing up at mountains. This area is spectacular!

Tuesday morning we walked along Dungeness Spit, which at five miles long, is the largest natural sand hook in the nation.

On the walk, I spotted two bright red starfish that had washed up on shore.

Thinking they were dead, I gently put one in a baggie intending to bring it home. A passer-by informed me it was not dead, so I placed it back where I found it (secretly hoping on my trip back I’d have enough nerve to take it anyway). Alas, only one was there on our return trip, and we assume another beachcomber decided to take it, since it was too far from the surf to be swept out to sea. I picked up the one remaining, and posed it for a photo op:) before making sure it was safely back in the water.

I did pocked some beautiful turquoise-colored stones, though, to put in my birdbath at home.

There are charming towns out here, and it seems each is known for something in particular: Coupeville for its mussels, Quilcene for its oysters, and Sequim (pronounced skwĭm) for its lavender. Sequim gets less than 20 inches of rain per year, and it has an ideal microclimate for growing lavender. Since it is known as the “Lavender Capital of North America”, I did some Christmas shopping and purchased some lovely scented homemade soaps. Bill decided the scent was not so lovely, so they were banished to an outside compartment of the motorhome.

Today we took a 9 mile walk that included 3 miles of walking on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. How different is it from our good ol' Ocean City at home! It was quite foggy, so we couldn't see the islands in the distance nor the seals we heard barking.

Tonight we are camping in Sekiu, Washington. Again, we have are right on the water, this time the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Last night we were on the shores of Lake Ozette. I am so loving the sounds of the surf and the sea birds and the calming effects of the water. Of course, I am calm most of the time these days...I'm retired!!

Blue Moon

Tonight I am drinking a Blue Moon while watching the blue moon. Can you guess where we are by this picture?

We are in Washington State in a town called Oak Harbor. For some reason, there is a replica of a windmill in the city park, and our campsite is right next to it.

Tomorrow we will drive to Coupeville, WA and take the 3:30 ferry to Port Townsend. Then, onto Olympic National Park!

A Few Bumps

The last two days have been traveling days. Our goal is to get to Olympic National Park in northwestern Washington. Tuesday night we found a place to camp that afforded us with amazing sunset views as we sat on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho.

Last night we ended up on another lake, Lake Roosevelt, which was formed by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam. We stayed at the Spring Canyon Campground, run by the National Park Service; it is beautifully maintained with lots of recreational opportunities.

Although most of our travels have been smooth, there were a few bumps on the road lately. Our comfy air mattress has sprung a leak, so we have been trying to sleep in the other areas of the RV. None are as nice as our pull out sofa, so we looked into getting a new mattress, which is under warranty. Unfortunately, it would take 7-10 days to ship it to a city out here that has a Winnebago dealer…and those cities are not exactly where we want to go! So, we bit the bullet and bought a new air mattress at Cabela’s yesterday. I’d like to tell you that we had a great night’s sleep on it last night, but user error (Bill’s, of course) prevented the air mattress from being functional. After reading the directions in a more sober light this morning, Bill thinks we will be sleeping in comfort this evening.

Another “bump” occurred yesterday when a piece of gravel shot at our windshield and put a bullet sized chip in it. Using my indispensable iPhone, I located Jacob’s Auto Glass Company, which provided us with great and speedy service.

Today we will travel another 200 miles...here's hoping to a smooth ride!

Koocanusa

This weekend we camped on Lake Koocanusa, which is a reservoir in northwestern Montana. Our motorhome was parked a few yards off the lake and the only other vehicle we could see was our friends’ camper next to us. Bill and Wayne kayaked each afternoon, and we enjoyed dinners and toasted marshmellows by the fire each evening. 

This has been one of my favorite campsites so far. This morning I was looking out at the lake as I was drinking my coffee, and a bald eagle flew by, low enough for me to see its majestic beauty. It was awesome! Although Wayne and Shirley had to go back to work today, Bill and I will stay in the area and continue to enjoy Big Sky Montana.

Catch-Up

Well, the joy I experienced having my phone back was short-lived. Its seems the area of Montana where our friends live does not have phone nor Internet service. To prevent another meltdown, my dear husband has driven me to a place "in town" where I can get my technology fix.

Here are more photos from our trip to Canada.

Takakkaw Falls, one of the highest falls in Canada (278'), is in Yoho National Park. It is fed by a glacier, which is turn is fed by an icefield. One can see and hear the falls from quite a ways away, but a trail leads you so close, you can feel the mist and be overwhelmed by the powerful waters.



As we were driving down the road, Bill pulled over so we could get a closer look at some Rocky Mountain Sheep. This guy wanted a closer look at us!

Even though Athabasca Glacier, which is along the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper National Parks, has been receding each year, it’s still the “size of Vancouver”.

One of my favorite places in Jasper National Park was Maligne (mah-leen) Canyon. There is an interpretive trail and 6 bridges that allowed us to view the swirling, churning water rushing over and through the limestone rocks and walls from many spots.

We were lucky enough to meet up again with our friends Jack and Judy. It was so much fun hiking with them! We walked a trail called Old Fort Point where you overlooked the Athabasca River.

On a different hike, Bill and I saw yet another beautiful waterfall...Athabasca Falls:

When we were in Jasper National Park, Jack and Judy kindly had us over for dinner in their "chalet" a couple of times...sorry, I forgot my camera. But when we were in Banff National Park, we dined in our luxury camper:)

Alas, Jack and Judy had to go back to Maryland, but we so enjoyed our time with them! Now we are fortunate enough to spend a few days with our friends, Wayne and Shirley, who live near Troy, Montana. Here is the stunning view from their back deck:

I'm not sure when I'll be able to get online again, but I am sure we will continue to have a great time in Montana!



Search and Seizure

Sixteen days ago we crossed the border to Canada by showing Border Patrol our passports and answering simple questions such as “Where are you going?” “Why are you going there?” “How long will you be in Canada?”. Today, when we wanted to enter back into our country, it was a bit more involved. The U.S. Border Patrol wanted to know what we bought in Canada, specifically what food we were bringing over the border. I rattled off the few things I remembered we still had in the refrigerator, such as lettuce, an orange, some broccoli slaw, a few onions and an avacado. We were then asked to pull over so some special agent could inspect our RV. After looking in all of our cabinets, the freezer and the refrigerator, the gentleman had in his hands the orange, the avacado and a few small red potatoes. He then informed us he could fine us $300 because we failed to tell him we had the potatoes. Good grief. He didn’t fine us, but did give us a stern “talkin to” about the responsibilities we have about knowing what is in our “giant suitcase” as he called our motorhome, and what are not allowed over the border...which apparently includes oranges, avacados and potatoes! Lesson learned.

Beside that little incident, today was a happy day for me. First of all, I could use my phone again! Oh, how I missed my iPhone and the way it connects me to my friends and family! I immediately texted the kids and Claire’s response was, “So glad you made it back…what were you thinking picking up hitchhikers?!” Another reason it’s a happy day…for the first time in 37 years, I will not be reporting back to HCPS as teachers did today. It was a long time coming, and as you can tell, I’m making the most of retirement!

We are now in Montana and will spend some time with our friends Wayne and Shirley. The Internet connection is slow, so I will try again in a few days to send some pictures of the last week we spent in Canada.

 

Canadian Beauty

Yesterday we took two hikes for a total of 11 miles. Bill says we shouldn't count the first 3 miles since it was a relatively flat stroll around a lake, but I'm counting them! Our walk around Emerald Lake started out very chilly (37°), but by the time we finished, it was close to 60°. As its name suggests, Emerald Lake is a gorgeous shade of green…much prettier than my pictures can show.

In contrast, here's a picture of some strange fungi we noticed on our second hike.

Our afternoon hike was challenging for me. We had to negotiate large tree roots which protruded their knobby arms every which way. I was a tired camper after that 8 mile walk! But let me put it all in perspective. We recently picked up some more hitchhikers, this time from the USA, and they are amazing! Sye, Jellybean, and Alex are in the process of hiking a portion of the Continental Divide. When they finish this feat, they will have walked close to 700 miles! So far, they've averaged 16.5 miles a day!

The gals needed a ride to a town to stock up on food for the next leg of their journey. It was very interesting talking with the trio. In order to take this 2-month hike, they quit their jobs as social worker, truck driver, and barista. This isn't their first hike; in fact, they met hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Bill and I are so impressed with how they are pursuing their passion.

Today we are in Jasper National Park, where our friends Judy and Jack are staying. We hope to get together with them tomorrow. Bill literally can't stop gaping at the mountains. He loves them so! Here's a photo of the sunset view from our campsite the other evening.

Time to go start dinner...ribs on the grill...yum!

Wildflowers

I had never heard of Mount Revelstoke National Park, which is in British Columbia, but Bill wanted to venture there, so venture there we did. Our walk yesterday began with a 26 km (16 miles) drive on Meadows in the Sky Parkway, climbing 1600 metres (5,249') to the beautiful subalpine wildflower meadows. August is the peak blooming season for these lovely flowers.

Although common, the Indian Paintbrush is one of my favorites.

Once we parked at the top, we walked various loop trails to enjoy the views. It was a cloudy...the storm clouds were rolling in, but the mountains were as awesome as ever!

As we started the descent on the parkway, we picked up two young hitchhikers. They were "on holiday" from their jobs at a hostel near Vancouver, and were staying in a Revelstoke hostel for a few days. Philip, 19, and Lena, 22, were both from Germany and spoke English very well.

I asked them how many years they studied English, and they informed me that English is one of the 3 major subjects in Germany, along with Math and German, and they have it every year. Philip came to Canada with no job, but soon found the position at the hostel. He has been hired to work in Banff at a ski area, so he will move there in October and work through April. Lena found her job "by the Internet" and will return home next month to go "to university" to study...she hesitated, searching for the English words and came up with "dental medicine". "Dentistry?" I asked. "Oh, yes, that's it! Dentistry!" she replied.

I still can't get over how young they are and what adventures and experiences they will have before going to "university". Well, it's on to Bill's and my adventures...it's never to late to have them!

Hello! Bonjour!

It's been awhile...where was I? Oh, yes, I was having a meltdown due to lack of Internet and reading materials. It's all good, as my friend Jackie likes to say. Once we left Waterton, we found plenty of towns that sold the Calgary Herald and two Canadian national newspapers...all with puzzles within. I bought all three each day, so I'm set for plenty of future morning coffees while Bill sleeps in a bit.

Since Canada has two official languages, I am able to refresh some of the French I studied in high school and college. Every sign and exhibit is written in both English and French, and vendors/park employees must greet you with Hello! Bonjour! so he/she will know which language you prefer. At least I can get my newspapers in all English, thank goodness.

The highlight of the past week was a serendipitous occasion. Although we knew our good friend Judy Dettner and her husband would be vacationing in the Canadian Rockies around now, we figured the elusive Internet connections and lack of cellphone access in Canada would make it difficult, if not impossible, for us to meet up in this vast area. But...as Bill and I were sitting at a table in Lake Louise Village, Bill lifts his arm and points. "There's Judy," he states almost non-chalantly. OMG!! She and Jack were just walking by in search of a soda! I'm sure the bystanders, seeing our incredulous faces, laughter and hugs, thought we were long lost sisters!

Judy and Jack were going to be in the area for a few days, so we got to enjoy their company taking hikes and having dinners together. On Saturday, we took a walk to Lake Louise:

On Sunday, we took the Sunshine Meadows hike, a beautiful 6 mile walk with mountains, lakes, and wildflowers galore!

We parted ways so that we each could continue with our own travel goals, but hope to see them again in a few days in Jasper National Park. Here we are, over 2,400 miles from home, having the good fortune to build new memories with friends from Harford County! It's all good. Il est bien à tous! 

Waterton

Waterton Lakes National Park is the Canadian extension of Glacier National Park. The rugged, yet beautiful Rocky Mountains continued to surround us, and many crystal clear lakes, streams, and waterfalls were as stunning as ever. We spent two nights there in the peaceful campground of Crandell Lake. Yesterday we enjoyed a “moderate hike” (4.8 miles, roundtrip; elevation gain 1,000’) to picturesque Summit Lake.

Nestled in the valley is the small village of Waterton. Although it is a tourist town, there are no gaudy stores or signs, just charming restaurants and shops. From looking at the license plates of other cars and RV’s, it is a popular vacation spot for Canadians who live in other provinces.

With all that said, I couldn’t wait to leave! This is not my vacation; this is my way of life for a couple of months, and….I…need… mental stimulation! I need a newspaper or a Time magazine! I want to be able to use my iPhone! I need a crossword puzzle or play Words with Friends with my sister!! I wanted to talk to my daughter yesterday on her birthday! Even television reception would be nice.

Apparently Verizon doesn’t service Glacier or Waterton, and delivery of newspapers and magazines is non-existent due to the remote areas. Bill, sensing my displeasure (I tried to hide it from him, really, I did!), decided we could cut our visit to Waterton short and head to Banff. On the way to Banff, there is a real city, Calgary! Yeah! Right now, I’m in a Starbucks (first one I’ve seen in 3 weeks) happily online! After I post this blog entry, I am going to search for and purchase every newspaper and magazine I can find. It’s the little things…

Two Medicine

We were fortunate to secure a premier campsite for four days and nights at Two Medicine Campground in Glacier National Park. It afforded gorgeous views from 3 sides. To our west, we saw Mt. Sinopah towering above Two Medicine Lake.

We spotted a bear meandering the mountainsides to our north each evening. He was at a safe distance…we used binoculars to watch him hunt for berries. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights we were in awe as the full moon rose from behind the mountains to our south.

And of course, there was lots of walking…

The trailhead to one of Bill’s favorite hikes was not far from our campsite, and even though it was one of those “strenuous” trails, I agreed to go with him. The hike is called “Scenic Point”, and depending on what sign/book you read, it is either 3.1 miles up the mountain, or 3.8. I go with the 3.8, as it seemed like we would never get there! The elevation increase was 2350’, so it was challenging (for me), but the vistas were amazing. I particularly like the wildflowers that rivaled anything one can see at Longwood Gardens. I even liked the dead trees!

It was very cold and windy at the top, so we donned our jackets and sweatpants there. Look at this view…

Today we will enter Canada, where we believe Internet access and phone service will become even more challenging. No matter what, though, we will find a way to wish our precious daughter a happy birthday tomorrow!

Glacier National Park

We made it to Glacier National Park on Monday afternoon and were suitably awed by the glorious mountains surrounding us! Unfortunately, the campground where we wanted to stay was full. No matter…Bill found a dirt road outside the park and pulled off next to a stream.

One of the nice things about our motorhome is that we need no hook-ups. Our water is heated by propane, so our shower is always ready. We keep a well-stocked refrigerator, and our propane stove is used to make dinner or to heat up water for making coffee in our French press. Usually the only time we need electricity is when I want to blow-dry my hair, and I simply turn on the generator for that.

So here we were, by ourselves in another free campsite. Well, almost by ourselves..there were a few people cooling themselves off in the stream. It was a really hot day…mid 90’s…and no one around here has air conditioning. The nights, even on very hot days, drop down to the 40’s or 50’s. The “warm season” only lasts a few weeks, so installing air conditioning wouldn’t make sense.

I began making a meat sauce for our spaghetti dinner using the last of our 2011 frozen tomatoes (Claire and Brenden are harvesting and freezing the 2012 crop while we’re away. Thank you, dears!). Bill ventured outside to talk to a Native American/Indian (not sure which term is PC) family who was wading in the stream. Before they left the lady picked me a small bouquet of wildflowers called Indian Paintbrush, and the gentleman picked us some serviceberries. He did warn us that bears like serviceberries too. Great.

Tuesday we secured a campsite at Two Medicine Campgrounds inside Glacier National Park. We will stay here until Saturday. There is no Internet access at the campgrounds, though, and we drove to the Glacier Park Lodge so I could catch up with things. The national park inns are stunning, so even if you’re not the camping kind, look into staying at one of the inns/lodges if you'd like to experience these spectacular venues.

And, yes, we’re still hiking. Bill and I hiked around 5 miles yesterday to see Aster Falls. That wasn’t enough for him, though, and up a mountain he went later in the afternoon. These mountains feed his soul…he is certainly in his element…and I am happy to share this time with him.

Montana!

Last evening we found a beautiful place to camp, Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area. Not only was it beautiful, but we were the only ones there...and it was free to boot! Bill does have a way of finding these gems. In the distance we could see the mountains of Glacier National Park, which is where we are headed next. Here's a photo of the sunset we enjoyed:

Before stopping for the night, we decided to visit the Montana State Fair, thinking it would be spectacular. We were very unimpressed. Maryland's fair is much larger, and has much more to see and do. Bill reminded me that the entire state of Montana has less than a million people. Oh well, at least we experienced some suitably greasy fair food. Bill had the usual sausage sandwich, and I had a Viking...a large deep fried meatball. I have to admit, it was very yummy! So my day started with a German schnecken for breakfast, and ended with a Norwegian Viking for dinner. It's a good thing I'm hiking most days!

Back Online II

I have to admit, it has been a bit disconcerting not to be able to connect to the Internet the past few days. We could text a bit, and for some reason, I could always play Words with Friends, but I could not get online to update this blog or read my email.

We just left Yellowstone yesterday, after spending 6 days there. Again, I can't express enough how beautiful and diverse the nature is in this park! A few days ago we walked along the Upper Geyser Basin, which is near Old Faithful; I had forgotten how many geysers Yellowstone actually has. One of our favorites is called Punch Bowl Geyser.

Bill and I were thrilled when, looking at Black Sand Pool Geyser, we heard a "thump, thump, thump" under the ground. Seconds later, the geyser erupted!

And, of course, we never tire of seeing Old Faithful erupt! We watched it the other evening from the deck of the Old Faithful Inn, a spectacle in itself.

As we made our way out of the park, a couple more wildlife photo ops occurred.

Beartooth Highway, which reaches an elevation of 10, 947 feet, took us out of Wyoming and into Montana. Quite the views!

Last night we stayed in Red Lodge, Montana, and had dinner and some beers at Foster & Logan's Pub. It was our first opportunity to watch the Olympics...men's gymnastics was awesome. We also saw Michael Phelps come in fourth...what's up with that???

This morning I walked along the main street in search of some coffee and came upon a quaint bakery, oddly enough called City Bakery. Along with a very large coffee, I indulged in my first schnecken, a delicious, buttery pastry.

Today we will make our way through Montana enroute to Glacier National Park. We are in no hurry, though, so we will stop when we want...and, of course, when we see a quilt shop:)