Red Lion Hotel Kalispell

This is a really weird feeling, leaving home for a five month adventure. We do a lot of traveling, but never one of this length. It's required an humongous amount of planning and while we've tried to think of all contingencies, we know that's not even possible. <br>And that's OK--part of the seat-of-your-pants traveling we're best at.<br>We ...

... x-ray then operate) -- good news, he inspected the possible ACL injury and said it is more likely just a joint rubbing (buy a year supply of people pills at Walmart for $40). Hopefully our trip west will keep Bogie somewhat quiet (although he still herds and spins on three legs at every opportunity).<br><br>Visited a Glacier NP Ranger friend of Cindy&#8217;s at her end of year party (most seasonal employees released shortly after ...

Kalispell is actually starting to feel like home away from home! The mechanic ran into delays, truck won't be ready till Wednesday, so we are catching up with laundry, grocery shopping, haircuts, and resting. Wondering what we'll find when we open up the trailer after this long week. Need to get re-organized before we head west again. <br>

Victor, ever the worrier (and usually with good reason!), wanted to check out the truck's funny business, so here we are in Kalispell. The Toyota service guy confirmed something about the cylinders and a cracked gasket and parts have to be ordered. It will take a week to get repaired but it's under warranty yet, so we're still smiling. They are ...

Glacier National Park is fantastic. The highway, named "Into The Sun<br>Highway" (exactly what we were doing!), hugs the mountainside, dips<br>into valleys and brings you up through glorious passes. It's like a 50<br>km scenic roller coaster ride. Wheeeee!

... on Tally Lake, just west of Whitefish. Victor went swimming, we took a short walk around the area, decided to turn in<br>early and head for Glacier National Park in the morning. As we drive through the town of Whitefish, we see many trendy cafés and shops. Quick stop at the library to check email. Truck's sounding funny, heating up...<br>

... 8217;t ask for a much better setting. After much discussion, we did make the decision to sedate the dog and go to dinner at MRPC. The folks parked next to us agreed to come let her out if she started causing a ruckus. Fat chance! After about an hour, she&#8217;d look at us with one eye rolled up in the top of her head and the other one trying to focus. Wendell moved the truck to the park office while I stayed in the RV with her and acted ...

Day 21 - Leaving North Cascades N, Driving Thru Washington, Idaho, and Arriving in Kalispell, MT - July 11, 2008 - Friday Today we drove all day. We got up early - had everything packed up and on the road by 7:30am. We stopped at Washington Overlook on the way out for some more pictures. Had a breakfast of instant oatmeal and coffee while standing at the back of the car. Then went for a short ...

... at such a beautiful time. The next day we backpack 8 miles to Elizabeth Lake, enjoy more swimming, watch the fish jump out of the lake, skip rocks across the glassy water, and watch another sunset. Overall, it's been a perfect backpacking trip and Glacier's wild backcountry is a memorable highlight of our travels over the past several months. We hope to be back here again! P.S. Hi Ga and Papa! Thanks so much for letting us crash your new pad and for putting up with us before we left Denver!

... in the parking lot. Explain that please? Matt frowns. They're only picked up from the field, I laugh, where they fell off. Some big hunter didn't kill them all! Matt stands beside the pile. A picture op. Then he kneels and fakes some horns himself, like a charging bull. I snap another shot. We've forgotten all that dust, by now. We prance around. Something's different here. The air? The space? The distance from the earth to sky? Who knows? We go inside, and get our passbook ...