Kalispell to East Glacier, MT

Day 2 Must still be on Tampa time since we awoke at 6am local time (8 Tampa time).  I think we were just too anxious to get on the road and see the sights. We were treated to a vast array of selections for the free continental breakfast so I chose a blueberry waffle, boiled egg, OJ, and coffee.  But you could really pig out on biscuits and gravy, cold cereal, oatmeal, toast, donuts, OJ & Apple juice, and coffee, hot cocoa, or tea.

Off to Glacier but we've agreed we won't pay this hotel their $153 fee for our last night in Mt. so we're "on the hunt" for a place between Glacier and the airport as we make our way.

Temp at dinner time in East Glacier, Mt.

The morning air was 60 degrees when we hopped in to the car.  There is a 30 degree difference between the highs and lows in any given day and that makes for fabulous sleeping without AC.

Stops abound with the Flathead River, rapids, waterfalls, beautiful flowers, and snowcapped mountains! I only made two QUICK touristy type stops and one turnaround to get the photos we wanted on the drive.  I promised all those Montanans that I would be patient with them when they came to Florida in the winter. The morning temps warmed to 83 degrees and we were glad we used our Bullfrog sunscreen.  

Reaching Glacier, we presented our "Get In Free" old-timer's park pass and saved ourselves $25.  The Apgar Visitor center had a  line so we asked the nice Conservancy lady if she could pilfer a map for us.  She did and we were off!  But wait!  I forgot to bring my National Park Passport book!!!  OMG! Guess I'll be getting stamps and gluing them into my book as I go.  Darn!

Bear Grass

We've been seeing these white bulbous flowers along the roadside and found the Glacier Haven Inn Motel as a great place to pull off to get close up photos.  The owner saw us park about 30 yards from the motel and came out in his golf cart to make sure we were picking them.  I guess he had to reprimand another tourist who was picking them by the handfuls.  They have a light scent but they only bloom every 7 years and he didn't want his Bear Grass flowers disturbed.  He was happy to hear that we take only pictures and try to leave only footprints.


The sign the Haven Cafe advertised huckleberry pie and it was noon so it sounded like lunch to us! Unfortunately we found the door locked and shut up tight!  But wait! Haven, the proprietors' 13 year old daughter answered the door because, she said, we looked like her grandmother and not some of the scary people she's had trying the handle in the past.  Since they were closed, she graciously offered to give us huckleberry pie a la mode to go and her mother stopped cleaning motel rooms to check on her (and us) and she let us use the restroom too despite the 'RESTROOMS FOR GUESTS ONLY' signs posted EVERYWHERE!  ;-)  The mother takes care of the motel and opens the cafe for breakfast and dinner where she is the chief cook and bottle washer with her mother in-law making the pies and omelets.

Izaak Walton Lobby

Next stop, Izaak Walton Hotel, an Amtrak stop now but a train stop for all of its existence since the tracks run behind it. Since 1939, it housed train workers during the track's construction and continues to litter its surrounding hillsides with authentic cabooses used as cabins by guests.

Lupines

Train track side of the Izaak Walton Inn.

A "Cabin" for rent.

The Izaak Walton hike is just down the road and promises a suspension bridge at its end. A little difficult to find but we parked and hiked about 20 minutes, talking loudly to be sure to ward off unsuspecting bears.  At a couple points, we stopped to discuss continuing or turning back.  Twice we decided on one more turn in the path before we started back.  Finally turning our backs to the trail's end to return to the start, we were suddenly surprised by cowboys!  Yup, pardners!  REAL cowboys...short on words and moseying along with 4 pack horses and the 2nd cowboy bringing up the rear.  We did a baaaad thing and parted with each of us on each side of this narrow 2' path and the lead cowboy asked me to move to the same side as Melodie.  As they kept prodding along, I asked if there WAS a bridge down the path.  "Yup", came his answer.  "Very far?" I quizzed?  "Not far", was his reply.  And Melodie commented to the last cowboy, "It's always the responsible one bringing up the rear", and laughed.  HE said nothing but sort of stared at the both of us until he passed.  Weird.  I don't think I like the "strong, silent" types. We didn't dare take their photo.

We decided to give it a go since surely the cowboys and their horses had alerted the bears of human presence.  (We never did see or hear a bear but all the signs give me the heebie jeebies.)  We reached the suspension 2 x 4 bridge over the rapids and were warned by the sign to proceed cautiously.  Over and back, we were very proud of ourselves and our fortitude as the bridge bounced from side-to-side and up and down as each of us crossed.  Of course, Melodie had to be the show off.  "Look, Ma!  No hands!"

Final stop for the day was Goat Lick.  Mountain goats frequent this natural salt lick area and we were fortunate to get our fill!  Two separate mamas didn't disappoint with their kids.  We used our Condor-acquired patience to wait them out and got lots of great photos.

Someone asked for a train to cross the trestle just overhead of the forested area and their request was answered by the BNSF line.

During a waterfall stop on the side of the road (one of the turnaround photo ops), I met Dennis and Theresa who had paused on their trek back to Kalispell to fly his newly acquired aerial photo drone over the waterfall.

They had just purchased two oreo calves for the ranch.  "All 5 acres of a ranch", Dennis laughed.  That was a cute, expensive toy that I'll have to look into before the regs. don't allow me to buy it.

At 5216' elevation, we crossed the Continental Divide at Marias Pass and stopped for a little education into a local squatter, William H. "Slippery Bill" Morrison, as well as John F. Stevens, the civil engineer who set the path of the Great Northern Railroad across the divide in 1889.  This path provided the lowest elevation for building the railroad and the shortest route from the headwaters of the Mississippi River and the Pacific Coast.

We drove into Blackfeet Nation territory and arrived in the big town of East Glacier to check in to our room at the Whistling Swan Motel.  

Of course, we had to drive a couple blocks BACK to the trading post to check-in.  This trading post has everything from fudge to cleaning material and tourist souvenirs. A must stop in our near future. We ate dinner at their diner next door and enjoyed steak, salad, and french fries.  AGAIN no room for dessert and we even SHARED the meal!

Cottonwood

The cottonwood trees are in full bloom and blowing their seedlings to the wind. And the lilacs at our motel "home" bring back so many happy childhood memories of our bushes next to the house on Pine St.

Our room is terrific with two separate bedrooms with queen beds, a complete eat-in kitchen, and little bath.  Beware the shower!  I did take a shower but never did find the hot water setting on the dial.  It was quick, cold but refreshing.  I'm looking forward to Melodie's screams of cold when she gets in there!  And we DID find a more convenient and cheaper place to stay in Columbia that is family-owned and operated and nearer the airport for our final night in Glacier.

Time for a little Barefoot Moscato and bed.  We've decided!  NO ALARM CLOCKS on this adventure.  We'll get up when the sunlight or our body clocks wake us.  Night, night.