Places
Cheyenne, Wyoming…
SEPTEMBER 28, 2014. CHEYENNE, WYOMING is the cow capital of Wyoming. It all began when the Union Pacific Railroad selected it as a company townsite in 1867. Settlers rushed in even before the railroad began to sell building plots. Within a matter of months, the population was 4,000, and thousands of tents, shacks, dugouts, and … Continue reading
Casper, Wyoming…
SEPTEMBER 27, 2014. CASPER, WYOMING is about 300 miles down the road from Billings. We made it all the way there today…quite a day’s drive for us. Another “new” state and another sticker goes on our United States map. I’ll take a picture of it and post it soon…we’re definitely making progress on our trip … Continue reading
Billings, Montana…
SEPTEMBER 20, 2014 We’re spending about a week in Billings. Even though we’re now anxious to make our way to Texas, there are things I’ve been postponing and I simply must spend some time and get them done. I need to finish our tax returns and deal with some paperwork to get insurance reimbursement for … Continue reading
You won’t believe these road signs…
SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 THE DRIVE FROM MISSOULA TO BILLINGS, MONTANA Today was the first leg of our long 2,300 mile trek from Montana to Texas. We drove about 360 miles…quite a distance for us to drive in a day. We often don’t travel more than 150 miles or so, or even less than that … Continue reading
It’s time to go…
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 IT’S TIME TO GO…WE’RE HEADING TO TEXAS. It’s dawned on us gradually during the last few days here in northern Montana. First, we noticed that some shops and restaurants are already closing for the season. Then we heard that the road traversing Glacier National Park was impassable a few days last week … Continue reading
Glacier National Park, Montana…
SEPTEMBER 17, 2014. GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD. One of the main attractions at Glacier National Park is the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which spans 53 miles across the width of the Park in Montana, going over the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, elevation 6,650 feet. It passes through almost every type of terrain in the park, from large glacial lakes … Continue reading
Outing to Flathead Lake…
SEPTEMBER 15, 2014. FLATHEAD LAKE, MONTANA is one of dozens of lakes in the immediate area of our campground near Glacier National Park. It is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River in the contiguous United States. It is slightly larger than Lake Tahoe. The maximum depth is 370 feet, compared to … Continue reading
Whitefish, Montana…
SEPTEMBER 14, 2014. Just a few miles from our campground is the quaint town of Whitefish, where Florence and I spent the afternoon poking around, learning some local history and generally just being tourists. Located on the shore of beautiful Whitefish Lake, the town boasts its own Amtrak station, a busy switching yard where freight … Continue reading
Kalispell, Montana: Gateway to Glacier National Park…
SEPTEMBER 13, 2014 KALISPELL, MONTANA is a quiet town of about 20,000 people, located in the heart of the magnificent Rocky Mountains, poised in the northwest corner of Montana and about an hour south of the Canadian border. As Montana’s seventh largest city and the seat of Flathead County, it’s a progressive, thriving community; the … Continue reading
Glacier National Park, Montana…
SEPTEMBER 13, 2014. LEAVING SANDPOINT. Today we put Sandpoint in our rear-view mirror and drove about 200 miles northeast to Kalispell, a small town just outside the west entrance to Glacier National Park. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sandpoint and in fact we stayed a full three weeks, rather than the three days we’d … Continue reading
Picking blueberries at Fred and Patty’s Farm…
SEPTEMBER 7, 2014. FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN BERRIES. We took a drive in the country today and had what turned out to be one of the most interesting excursions so far on our Great American Adventure. At the side of the road on the north shore of beautiful Lake Pend Oreille, we saw a makeshift sign: … Continue reading
Mennonites in Idaho…
SEPTEMBER 6, 2014. WHO ARE THE MENNONITES? Having seen quite a few Mennonite women in the area…everywhere from the check-out line at Walmart to walking in the woods, I realized I knew next to nothing about them or their religion. Here’s what I’ve learned. They are Christians, believing in the Trinity of Father, Son and … Continue reading
Sandpoint after dark…we love this town!
AUGUST 29, 2014. SANDPOINT AFTER DARK: While we were walking around the village the other day, we came across the little Panida Theater…steeped in history and the cornerstone of cultural activities for the entire Sandpoint community. Whether hosting a film, local performers, recording stars like Bonnie Raitt or the San Francisco Opera, the theater is … Continue reading
Sandpoint’s Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center…
AUGUST 28, 2014. NEAR SANDPOINT, IDAHO. THIS IS NO ORDINARY MUSEUM. And it has nothing to do with flying animals or aviaries. Rather, the museum memorializes the life, times and accomplishments of Dr. Forrest Bird, currently 93 years of age, who personally welcomed us to the large hanger where many of the collections are displayed. … Continue reading
Sandpoint, Idaho and Lake Pend Oreille…
AUGUST 22, 2014. Sandpoint, Idaho, an easy drive from Spokane, is a town on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho’s largest lake. It’s pronounced “Ponderay,” and that’s what the locals call it: Lake Ponderay. Rand McNally and USA Today have each given Sandpoint the distinction of being named the nation’s “Most Beautiful Small Town.” … Continue reading
Our plans for the Winter…
AUGUST 19, 2014. WE’VE DECIDED. It took a while, being from sunny Southern California, for us to completely comprehend the need to pick a warm spot to spend the winter. Our San Diego climate is so mild year-round that no seasonal considerations are necessary. However, with snow, ice and other extreme winter weather in many … Continue reading
Donna’s Diner in Spokane Valley…
AUGUST 11, 2014. IT WOULDN’T BE RIGHT not to mention this little place. I’ve avoided making this blog more about breakfast, lunch and dinner than anything else. Too many people, when writing about their travels, make that mistake…”Today we made tuna sandwiches for lunch. We used dill rye toast and Best Foods mayonnaise with shredded … Continue reading
