Heading East on US 2

On Sunday, August 8, we left Lakeside and traveled all of 19 miles, around the top of Flathead Lake, to Bigfork, MT.

We stayed at the Outback RV park, a quite rustic small place with lots of trees and full hookups. It was nice to not be looking at another RV right out of the windows!

We did have neighbors in sight, but not on top of us.

In addition to a few newer RVs, there were some rigs that were there for the long haul. It is not unusual for people from the area to have an older rig in a park full time as a hunting / fishing / weekend getaway. These are usually not allowed in the more "touristy" places like the Lakeside park. 

This one had a few interesting modifications. Note the wood stove chimney and the attached shed entry hall, which are both great for cold weather.

This long peach-colored bus was there for the summer. We met the young couple who owned her on our walk around. They and their two very young children were from Texas, and one or both of the parents were working at a nearby lodge for the season. Their little girl proudly told me they had beds in the bus! 

The only thing I was not 100% comfortable about the Outback was the steep gravel road we had to go down to get out. But as it turned out it was no problem for the Alfa.  [From Craig] I drove out.
 

The Outback is just a few miles closer to Glacier National Park than Lakeside is, so we choose Monday or Tuesday of our stay there to drive up to Glacier. Because of overcrowding, National Parks have a new system that requires you to get a "time in ticket" online either months ahead, or at 8 AM two days before you want to go. All were sold out on Friday morning for Monday before I had a chance to make a time selection. On the Sunday we had both laptops queued and ready to push the select buttons at 8 AM. I lost, but Craig got in for a 9 AM slot.  

 

We choose to get tickets for the "Going to the Sun Road" shuttle because from past experience at Glacier we knew the parking at Logan Pass (the top of the road) was always very congested. 

We had had quite a rainstorm the night before and the morning was overcast and cool.  As we waited for the bus, the ticket lady told us that it was only 39° F at Logan. I was glad I wore my warmest jacket.

Even with the timed entry system, there already was quite a crowd on the road.

We really could see very little from the shuttle because of the fog. 

It was not long before we were up in the clouds.

 

When we got off the bus at Logan there were only a few feet of  visibility.  (I could barely see the people on the sidewalk in front of me.) So we decided to get back onto the next bus going back down.

This sad little naked tree is a good representation of what we saw of Glacier National Park. I am very glad we came here a few years back and spent several sunny days exploring. Unfortunately with the ticket system we could not just come back the next day!

August is cherry time around Flathead Lake.

In Bigfork there are dozens of small and large cherry stands, ranging from an  umbrellaed table, an open garage, to  commercial orchards. 

The cherries, both Bing and Rainier types, are fresh picked sweet and cost much less than in the market.

 

On Wednesday it was time to say good by to this part of Montana and head east on US Hwy 2. 

Near the eastern border of ND, the Alfa odometer turned 100,000 miles.

Since it had 13,000 miles on it when we bought her, it means we have traveled 87,000 miles. I'm going to have to watch as we get close to 113,000 in the future. That will be our real 100,000 milestone!

 

You never know what you are going to see. These humongous buffalo skulls graced the center of a traffic circle along our way.

We did see a few buffalo in a field, but they were probably being raised for the meat trade.

from web site Depositphotos

I regret not having pulled over to take some pictures of the vast rolling wheat fields we passed. The above image is from the Web. They were beautiful. 

We also saw a lot of big hay or straw bales.

Web stock picture

I spotted the first oil rig in eastern Montana, but they became more plentiful along with fracking sites in North Dakota.

In five days we drove over 1000 miles. We stopped one night in Havre, MT at the Great Northern Fair Park, which was a narrow strip of land just feet from the edge of Hwy 2 with full hookups for RVs. 

Then one night in Williston, ND, at the Fox Run RV park, which was a large parking lot with hookups for oil workers and lost travelers. 

(I will not write about the hour we spent driving on gravel roads around the Williston Airport because we took a wrong turn. It was not a fun time.) 

And two nights in Devils Lake at APRV, a very easy in-out grass field with hookups. I don't like to drive more than three days in a row without an extra day to rest!

Then we stopped in Bemidji, Minnesota, for three days at the Royal Oaks RV Park. 

The park felt "tired".   The area has been very dry for a long time. They had no snow last winter and so far no rain this summer. Most of the grass in the park and in the town was dead, and the trees look sad.

Downtown Bemidji was not very busy on a Monday afternoon. We walked a few blocks, but not being shoppers there was little of interest to us.

Across the way was Bemidji Visitor Center and one of the two lakes. We had to stop and admire the great Blue Ox.

This statue of Shaynowishkung stands in the park along the lake shore. 

The plaque picture below tells some of his story.

In these times of our becoming more aware of some of the actions taken against the indigenous residents, I think it reminds us there were real people here before us.

 

 

 

 

 

This sculpture is also in the park. 

As were this small group of Canadian Geese!  

Our next stop is along the south shore of Lake Superior. I think of it as the beginning of the next chapter of this year's travels.

Flathead Lake, Lakeside, Montana

 

Sunday August 1

On most of our days at Lakeside on the west shore of Flathead Lake in Montana, the sky has been smoky giving the days a gloomy overcast and the setting sun an other-worldly orange glow. Fortunately neither of us has respiratory problems, but my eyes have been more irritated than usual.

Monday we tried to take a walk at a local Lavender Farm, but just as we arrived it started to rain and they closed. The rain didn't last long, but we headed back to the Alfa anyway. On Tuesday Craig, with the help of a mobile RV repair guy, successfully installed a new microwave to replace the one that had failed in July. It weighed 75 pounds and we felt it was best to get another man in to help.

Wednesday the smoke cleared for the day and we decided to take the evening Far West Boat Cruise.

The dock was just across the street from our RV park.  Taking boat trips like this is one of the things we enjoy doing. 

We do not pull a boat of our own and do not fish, so this is one way to see the larger waters we visit.

The Northwest shore of Flathead lake is very built up with huge  homes built quite close together.

Each of these has a multi-million dollar price tag.

No two are alike, and our cruise announcer dropped numerous famous names. 

This one was built by one of the original owners of Starbucks. While most of the homes are built as close to the water as possible, this one is high up, and there is a clog lift down to their dock. A good view and a four minute ride up or down.

 

 

I can only think "Location!" when I look at this one.

We cruised south for about an hour and then turned around to go back to Lakeside.

 As the sun slid towards the mountain ridges, we could see there were promising elements of a beautiful sunset. A scattering of clouds and a reflective lake only required us to sit back and be patient.

 

This reminded us of the Arizona flag.

 

It just kept getting better

until it was gone. 

Thursday we decided to drive around the lake. We headed around the top of the lake and down the east side.

But we were stopped by a road closure due to a wildfire.

We turned around, went back to Lakeside and headed south on the west side of the lake. 

As expected, we were turned back again, just past Polson. But all in all it was a nice drive.

If you're interested in old machinery and oddities, visit the Miracle of America Museum in Polson. We did not go in, but these were a couple of the unusual items along their driveway:

 

 

I love stuff like this! 

It makes me smile, and there is nothing better than that.

News From McGregor Lake, MT

July in Montana:

Sometimes it's the little things that are special. These three tiny flowers were ever so perfect.

We have been at McGregor Lake RV Resort for a month now. I am really looking forward to moving on Sunday. McGregor Lake is very pretty, but we do not have a view of it, and there is no nearby public lake access. 

I choose this location for the month of July in hope that the weather would be pleasant and that there would be opportunities for us to hike on "easy" trails. The weather has been great, but unfortunately the walks have been far and few between.

The RV park itself is fine. Spaces are level and easy to get into. The spaces are large enough, but we still are quite close to our neighbors. Lots of repellent is required for evening outdoor activities. We were fortunate to get a satellite-friendly site. However there is no cell service other than through the park WiFi, and that has been a bit temperamental.

A few days after arriving, we found a trail on the far west end of the lake that looked promising. In the past it would have been a wonderful hike, but not so this time. The trail was very narrow, rocky, and full of tree roots. I did not take my hiking poles, and for some reason I experienced a bout of vertigo. I think we had gone about a half mile before I had to turn back. It made me very sad. I hope I can do better another time.

Next to the RV park there is a little road that goes to a small lake called "Little McGregor Lake." 

 

There was a short, easy path along one side of it. I am happy to say I did not have any repeat of the vertigo, and had no problems that day.

After we had been at McGregor Lake for a couple of weeks, just hanging out and not doing much, we decided to take a recommended day trip with our Jeep. It was 57 miles back west on Highway 2, to Kootenai Falls Overlook and the Swinging Bridge which are just outside of Libby MT.

The day started out with a bit of rain, but by the time we got to the Falls it had cleared and was beautifully cool. The rain may have also discouraged a few of the others that may have planned a stop there, because when we first arrived the parking lot and trail were quite empty.

The beginning of the trail was what I like, wide and smooth.

 

It did get a bit more rocky further on but was navigable.

The falls were well worth the drive. Quite wild.

The white water tore through the rocks for some distance.

Beautiful!

The Swinging Bridge is a well-constructed one over the Kootenai River. It was originally built to help the Forest Service access the area across the river to help fight forest fires.

It does sway quite a bit.

It was a day when there were fewer people around because of the rain. I wonder what it is like when there are more wanting to go over and back.

We have been over to the city of Kalispell a few times for grocery shopping and picking up prescriptions. We have not talked to many people, and have noticed that mask wearing is very limited even though Montana's vaccine rate is fairly low. I have not been comfortable being indoors with the locals under these circumstances, so we have just kept our masks on and tried to maintain some distance.

 

On Sunday we will hitch up and continue our journey east on US Highway 2. We are only going 46 miles to a resort on Flathead Lake. Hope the weather stays nice.

Eggplant in the corner

 

So... 

Why is there an eggplant in the corner of our bedroom?

Was it a "bad" eggplant and made to take a time out?

Did it escape from a grocery bag?

Is it lost or just shy?

Is it some sort of weird good luck symbol?

None of the above. Eggplants are delicate and should be used within a few days of purchase. They do not do well stored in the refrigerator, and can quickly become over ripe if left out in a warm place. 

We stopped at a grocery a few days ago and I bought enough fresh produce to last a week. All were "top priority" on my meals list. We have no cool, dark storage place in the rig. The bays are not cool in summer, and with the extreme heat we have been having, I have notice that even the insides of my cubboards are hot. My kitchen counter space is very small and always subject to some heat from the windows. I have open wire baskets, next to the table, where I usually store onions and potatoes, that are fine in the winter when it is cold outside, but they are presently against the sunside wall and are a bit warm.

The Alfa has a basement air conditioner and the cool air comes up out of the same vents as the heat from the furnace. Thus, this corner was  the coolest place for my eggplant to rest for a few days. This would not work if we were driving. 

 

We made it safely to McGregor Lakes RV Park, 66 miles west of Glacier, on Thursday. The scenery on US 2 was beautiful. Many different things to see: mountains, wheat fields, rivers, forests, and scrub land. Even the small towns were interesting. The two lane road was smooth and the traffic was light in most places. 

Praise be, the temperatures are a bit cooler. Thursday night there was a short thunderstorm. I was a bit worried about possible lightning-strike fires. Last night we had to close the windows and use a blanket to keep warm in bed.

This 40-space RV park is right on Hwy 2, but we do not hear any traffic. There's not mcuh to hear. The spaces are open enough to get satellite TV, but there is no cell service of any kind. We usually use our Verizon hotspot, but the park does have free Wifi, and so far it has been fine. We were asked not to stream any movies or Zoom. They said that when someone does, it really slows down the internet for everyone else. All it takes is a few selfish people. So far no problems though.

 

Craig took this picture on our walk around the park last night. He noted there were five black and white trailers all in a row. Our spot, more toward the front of the park, is larger.

We will be here for a month.