Monday, September 13, 2010

On the Trail of Lewis and Clark

Sun. Aug. 29
After breakfast at Wheat Montana, we drove around Three Forks, where the Gallatin, Jefferson and Madison rivers come together to form the Missouri River.   Lots of Lewis & Clark history.  Met a couple from WI there!  Too late for the Three Forks Museum with 571 kinds of barbed wire! Aw shucks!  Rain, thunderstorms & hail so we tried "grilling " pesto chicken in the convection oven - not bad. 
Mon. Aug 30
Had leftover sticky buns from Wheat Montana with poached eggs for breakfast.  Spent most of the day catching up on computer, USServas and arranging Spokane visit.  Left for Missoula about 4PM  Drove through Butte - one monster open pit mine - what an eyesore!  Arrived at Jellystone Campground about 8PM.Went to Ice Cream Social for huckleberry ice cream and saved it for dessert.  Boiled huge prawns 4-6 per lb. for dinner.
Tues. Aug 31
Up at 8AM oatmeal and fresh peaches for breakfast.  David on computer and phone about USServas, Ellen to shower and office to arrange another day here.  Research next month of journey; 1st to Spokane to see Tim and Tracy for Labor Day. Had steak and baked potato for dinner and watched Obama's speech marking the end of combat phase of Iraq war.
Wed. Sept 1
Left Jellystone about 12:30 after several calls and emails and many shopping stops in Missoula - Home Depot for door catch bolt, Napa for light bulbs, USPO to mail stuff to Mark, AAA for Canada maps & tour books and Rosauers grocery store with a "Huckleberries" in it. Drove 35 mi to Lolo Hot Springs where Lewis & Clark crossed the Lolo Pass and camped at Travelers Rest.  Hot Springs are 105!  Had sole meueniere for dinner with red potatoes and carrots. 
Thurs. Sept. 2
Cold, gray morning.  David went for a walk to check out the facility.  Spent morning on the computer - out of cell phone range.  Weather cleared in PM, turned into a nice sunny day.  Went to the pool, did water aerobics in the "cool pool" then vegged out in the hot pool.  Bought a Lewis & Clark DVD at the office.  Walked back across road to RV park and met "new Neighbors with a twin to our RV.  Shared ideas on improvements they had made and we had made.
Fri. Sept 3
On the road by 10AM. First stop Lolo Pass visitor center.  More Lewis & Clark info.  On to Lewiston, ID over winding mountain roads with a log truck following closely. Saw video at Lewis & Clark Discovery Center.  Continue to Liberty Lake, arrived about 8:30 - gained an hour.  Tim showed us where to park the RV and we slept under a real roof!

Bozeman MT

Thur. Aug 26
Ellen returned to Bozeman about 3:30PM and we stayed at Gallatin County Fairgrounds.
Fri. Aug. 27
Relaxing at home day.  David washed the RV and Ellen caught up on the computer, email and finances.  Peter webcamed in the evening with Charlie going to bed and a tour of their house; lots of work done and yet to do!  All of them have colds; so do I.
Sat. Aug. 28
Woke up to lots of trucks & cars filling the fairgrounds parking lot for the Sat. Farmers Market.  So we decided to join them!  Had crepes for breakfast! Yummy! Bought some veggies but didn't see any berries or peaches.  Drove to laundromat - very crowded on Sat with MSU students.  David to WalMart with shopping list.  Lunch in laudromat parking lot and on to Three Forks, MT  Raining most of the day on the newly washed RV!

Grand Tetons National Park

Thurs. Aug 19Up about 7:15 Heater fan not working without generator, probably because battery run down from CPAP machine going all night.  58˚inside 48˚outside! Dave worked on the computer after breakfast while i read "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Drove out to "Slide Lake" site of the largest landslide in the US in 1925?   Grilled Korean chicken for dinner.
Fri. Aug 20
Outside temp. 45˚, inside 55˚, turned on heater and generator to warm up.  Left Gros Ventre about 10AM to Moose Jct, Teton Park Road, Teton Glacier viewpoint, Jenny Lake Rd and to Coulter Bay for 1:30 boat tour on Jackson Lake.  Young woman ranger was tour guide, she is a 7th grade science teacher from Brooklyn, NY.  She had us introduce ourselves saying where we were from; the couple behind us were from Madison NJ and live right around the corner from where Peter & Kath have moved!  She discussed the geology of the park, different types of rocks, earthquakes, glaciers, and therole of fire (lodgepole pine cones are so stuck together with resin that it takes a fire to open them and re-seed the forest) .  She pointed out a bald eagle and its nest, and 2 mule deer lounging by the lake.  Took long hot showers and picked up some groceries.  Fixed chili for dinner.
Sat. Aug 21 Our 45th Wedding Anniversary
Another cold morning; we are only going to stay at places with electric plug ins from now on when it is so cold!  Left Coulter Bay about 11AM On the road back through Yellowstone.  Got to Old Faithful Lodge about 1:10 in time to see 1:20 eruption.  Spectacular even from a distance.  Fixed lunch and took it to the Mezzanine of the rustic Old Faithful Inn and waited for the next eruption at 3:40 right as Tom calledto confirm arrangements for an Frarncisco.  We drove on to West Yellowstone and Grizzly RV Park - the nicest one we have stayed in, but huge & crowded.  Shopping for Yellowstone agate - David didn't get any when he was here in 1958 and now it is no longer available.  Went to Sydney's Mountain Bistro for Anniversary dinner and split the elk tenderloin - terrific!  Had a Jamaican waiter so many "no problems" & Soon come" later we left to go back to the RV park.
.

Yellowstone National Park

Fri. Aug 13:
At Rock Canyon, alongside Yellowstone River. David got fishing license; cleaned fridge & floors. Cleared bunk for Tim. To Albertson’s for a few groceries. Rained most of the day so we couldn’t grill pork loin – cooked it in convection oven with squash. Tim arrived about 8:30 as we were sitting down to dinner. Good laughs & conversation.
Sat. Aug 14:
After breakfast, Tim & David went fishing til noon, David caught a small trout but threw it back, so we gave him a hard time about “fish stories”. Packed up to leave after lunch, drove along Yellowstone River to Yellowstone NP. I rode with Tim. Entered Park thru Teddy Roosevelt gate. Several clots of cars were stopped to watch black bear & buffalo. Buffalo ambling down road, holding up traffic. Tim stopped for gas and salsa for chicken dish for dinner. Finally to Fishing Bridge RV park. Today was “Free NP” day so very crowded. Got info on tours & fishing at registration desk. Tim made pollo con arroz in dutch oven; rice, water, 3 chicken breasts, salsa and cheddar cheese. Delicious. Put charcoal on top of Dutch oven & set oven on top of grill. Played cribbage; Tim won by 2 points.
Sun Aug 15:
Very cold! 38˚ outside when we got up. (Later the USA Today reported Yellowstone was the coldest place in the nation at 31˚) Breakfast with Tim at Yellowstone; he left about 10AM Dave worked on ICAI while I “putzed”. Drove to registration where Dave took a shower for $3.25! While I made reservation for “Circle of Fire tour” on Tues. Made an appointment for an oil change on the RV while we are on the tour. Drove to Yellowstone Lake Hotel for hotel tour. Originally built in 1891 with 80 rooms, Expanded in 1903 to 210. Wicker furniture in lobby in 1920’s with lobby/sunroom restaurant. Etched glass doors & windows and tile fireplace. Owned by No Pacific RR as rail travel destination to Livingston and stage coach to Lake. Back to RV for dinner of Halibut Veronique. Family from KS gave us fresh peaches they had picked.
Mon Aug 16:
So cold in AM, we stayed in bed until 8AM when we could turn on the generator and the heater! Had blueberry muffins for breakfast. Left about 10AM to do north circle tour on our own, starting with Mammoth Hot Springs. Steam vents and mud pots and bright blue hot pools – lots of buffalo holding up traffic – too late for lunch at the Hotel but ate at the grill. Mailed package to Tracy and got some sandwich makings. Back to Fishing Bridge via Canyon, several waterfalls & more buffalo. Returned to RV site after 8PM so no generator. Potato soup for dinner and the rest of the peaches.
Tues. Aug 17
Cool AM.  To Registration Center by 8:45 to catch Circle of Fire Tour around the caldera of an ancient volcano which blew off the entire mountain range - north of here Rocky Mountains and Glacier NP, south of here Rocky Mountains and Grand Teton NP, here at Yellowstone mud pots & geysers!  Fell on a boardwalk at West Thumb and got a sliver under my right thumbnail, appropriate! Spent most of the 90 min. stop at Old Faithful at the clinic getting it out!  Saw the Old Faithful eruption from a distance.  Stopped at other steam vents, mud pots and rainbow colored ponds. The bus driver pointed out a skraggly looking tree on a rock in the middle of the Firehole River and called it "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree"  He and the other bus drivers decorate it every Dec 25 and Aug 25 (more tourists to see it then!) Held up by bison in the road between Norris & Canyon.  Finally the bus driver pulled into the oncoming lane and drove right up to the bison in the road, explaining that they don't like the deisel smell and sound and sure enough the animal hurried right off the road and we pulled in ahead of all the stopped traffic!  Back to Fishing Bridge about 6:30 and out to Mary Bay to make phone call for book study. Went to the Lake Hotel for dinner; earliest table at 9:30 so had a drink watched the moon rise over the lake and played cribbage!
Wed. Aug. 18
Up at 8:15; turned on generator & heater.  It was 41˚ inside!  After breakfast we packed up to do laundry and check out.  Took the RV for service - oil change & new truck battery - lunch at FB deli. Finally left Yellowstone about 3PM headed for Jackson Hole.  Trunk odometer went over 100,000 on road to Jackson Hole where we got groceries.  Campground at Coulter Marina full; ended up at Gros Ventre - no hook ups but nice and quiet; generator allowed from 8AMto 8PM.  Had dinner at 10PM.

Great Falla MT

Tues. Aug 10: Left St. Marys for Great Falls, after dump & got gas & groceries . Arrive at Dick’s RV park about 6PM. Off to Sheels for fishing gear & Albertson’s for groceries. David tried to contact Dick West for Springboard book study.
Wed. Aug 11: At Home Day laundry & computer catch up. Following news of escaped convicts in area of Yellowstone & Glacier NPs, One caught near St Mary, where we were yesterday! Yipes! They are the new Bonnie & Clyde. Talked with Peter on webcam/Skype.
Th Aug 12: Left Dick’ RV Park about 10AM after propane fill. To PO to mail postcards to YCH kids; to Home Depot and on to Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls. Diorama of portaging the “great falls” and Ken Burns film. After lunch about 3PM left for Livingston. Got a call from Tim, he is coming for the weekend to go fishing. Yeah! Got to Rock Canyon RV park about 8PM. Had view of Yellowstone River out back window!

Glacier National Park

Sat Aug 7:
 Mark over at 8:30 ready to go. Fasten down & head to gas station by 9:15 and dump. On road by 10AM. Long drive, stopped at Wheat Montana bakery & deli for sweet rolls for breakfast and hamburger buns. Lunch stop at rest stop. Arrived at St Mary’s Campground in Glacier NP about 8PM. Hamburgers for supper and campfire with s’mores & smoke in our eyes! Shared YCH book & plaque with Mark, watched sunset over flat top rock.
Sun Aug 8:
Overcast AM, filled water, Mark took a walk. Walnut sticky buns & cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Off to St Mary Visitor Center to get park shuttle bus to Logan Pass/Continental Divide. At Logan Pass came out of rest room to see Mark talking with 3 cute girls; didn’t recognize them until Nancy Lanphear came up behind me. She & Bruce & the girls, Rachel, Martha & Ella were staying with friends from Rochester in Columbia Falls. What a surprise! It was cold & rainy and the girls were in shorts but they went hiking anyway – to warm up! Took shuttle back to Rising Sun for lunch, decided against boat tour. Return to St Mary – many construction delays to get RV& warm dry clothes, gas & some groceries. Drove Many Glacier Rd. Took tour of Many Glacier Hotel – a Swiss style chalet with a 95 yr old moose head over the lobby and open fireplace. Drove road 2 times looking for wildlife. Mark & I saw a grizzly bear – a female according to the rangers who had tagged her and were monitoring her to see if she might be pregnant. Mark & Dave also saw a black bear with cubs and some deer. Back to campsite for grilled salmon. Dave & Mark to visitor center for astronomy talk but it had been cancelled. And the Big Dipper was right outside our back door.
Mon. Aug 9:
Cold overnight but lovely sunny morning. Left by 9:30 for East Glacier to get Mark rental car, 38 mi in 2 ½ hrs on windy narrow roads (restricted to vehicles less than 21 ft.!) Back to St Mary VC, left RV and rode with Mark to Logan Pass, with stop at Jackson Glacier overlook. Mark went on back to Bozeman and plane to DC on Tues. We had a long wait for the shuttle bus due to road construction left at 4PM arrive St. Mary at 5PM. Stopped at store for a few items and got chicken noodle casserole ready to put into oven just as ranger came at 7 to tell us to turn off the generator! So cooked casserole over boiling water in saucepan. Dinner outside. – cool evening. Watched “Under the Tuscan Sun” .

Bozeman, MT

Wed Aug 4:
Packed up & moved out of 7th Ranch to Little Big Horn National Monument. Great tour by Indian girl from Little Big Horn College. She described battle position of Custer, Reno & Beneen and all of the Indian tribes – Sioux, Crow & Cherokee – 250 US vs 5000 Indian. Got a new perspective! Drove to Livingston MT, 40 mi east of Bozeman. Stayed at Rock Canyon RV Park – small shady and right on the Yellowstone River. Dave took fishing rod up to outfitter but they didn’t have the tip he needed. Said they outfitted Pres. Obama when he visited. RV park owner talked with Dave about where to fish and gave us 3 trout a previous camper had caught, cleaned & ready to cook for dinner. Better than the hamburgers I had planned. Cleaned house and reorganized so Mark can sleep over cab.
Thurs. Aug 5: Drove 40 Mi to Bozeman arrived about 11AM, met Mark. Had lunch with NCIV at Holiday Inn – huge portions of meatloaf. Talks by Pres. of Montana State University – “Go Cats” and MT Gov. Schweitzer, who runs the state like a ranch, “put money in the bank during the good years to save for the bad years”. David to PM session. I read book; drove to Gallatin Co. Fairgrounds campground to make arrangement to stay the night. OK for tonight but not tomorrow – family reunion & rodeo. Mark to local host dinner, we went to John Bozeman Bistro for steak dinner. Back to GCF, had water & electric service but noisy with trains.
Fri Aug 6: To Holiday Inn by 9AM for breakfast session with woman from CAI, Greg Mortenson's Foundation, – up to 150 schools in Pakistan & Afghanistan. AM session on separation of church & state. Lunch BBQ chicken ; award to HS teacher from WA for teaching students about citizen diplomacy. Speaker Kevin Connelly, 24 yr old world traveler born without legs; travels by wheelchair or skate board! Skipped PM sessions; Dave worked on computer in Mark’s room & I did laundry. Closing session brainstorm vision for NCIV for next 50 yrs. Mark led it. Mark to NCIV Board dinner; we went on bus tour to Museum of the Rockies: DiVinci machines and dinosaur fossils. Got take out dinner of salad & buffalo chicken wrap from hotel & ate in Mark’s room. Mark returned with board members Al, Al & Pete. Talked about tomorrow departure. Spent night in Holiday Inn parking lot.