Glacier National ParkAug 22, 2010
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| Today the Texas Diva’s hit the road again! We are up early and it is nippy but pretty. Rita and I get the car all loaded which you know is no small feat. David and Louann are waving good-by – and yikes, the car won’t start. After much hand wringing and fretting, David and Louann get the car started. It appears we have left Gertie plugged in all week while we were playing and she drained out battery but good! We take Hwy 22 south which avoids the freeways. It is a beautiful rural drive with mountains and wonderful views. We made one little wrong turn and ended up in a little town where a kind ice cream shop owner got us back on the right tract. It is interesting to see Canadians eating ice cream at 11 am! We cross the border near Waterton Park. We were subjected to a small interrogation by the US Customs Agent: where did we stay, where Priddis is, did we bring anything back, how much cash did we have, etc. Then the fool asked us to open the trunk. I told him to be careful back there – one look at the overloaded trunk and then he sent us on our way. The dogs were quiet as mice and we did not even have to show our dog papers. We took the side trip up to Many Glaciers Hotel. We enjoyed the ride but by now it is getting pretty cloudy. We keep seeing the Red Touring Coaches from the hotel everywhere we go. When we reach the hotel which is located on a beautiful lake surrounded by the mountains and glaciers we have to go into an upper parking lot and hike down to the hotel. By now it is probably 45 and raining and blowing. Tough women that we are we hike down to the hotel. It is an old Northern Pacific Railroad Hotel made of logs but still in use today. We have lunch at a window table overlooking the lake and view. It is nice to sit and be waited on. Imagine our surprise to see a ROCKPORT TOURS BUS sitting a short distance from out car. It is the only Texas license plate we have seen - and it is complete with a Texas flag. I guess we aren’t the only South Texans escaping the heat. After lunch we head to the Going To The Sun Highway in Glacier National Park. The views take your breath away. There are so many lakes, rivers and waterfalls. I think Glacier has more “water” than any of the other parks we have seen on this trip. As we climb the weather becomes cloudy and then it starts to mist. Then the mist turns to rain and the temperature keeps dropping settling in at 42. The higher we go, the more we are convinced there is a flake here and there. At one point we are in a mountain cloud, so it is like driving in a dense fog. By now the drive has gone from beautiful to harrowing! Oh let’s not forget the road is under construction and is in some places a one lane unpaved road. When there are two lanes we are next to the rock face and the oncoming cars are scared sh**tless and driving on the middle line. There are small waterfalls coming off of the rock face into a grate that takes them under the road. The man ahead of me (from Montana) likes to weave over and see if he can get the water to splash on his car!! As we descend to the lower elevations the weather clears and the sun comes out again so we can enjoy the views. Tonight we are at the Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge. The hotel is nice and Whitefish looks to be a pretty town. We dine at Caio Mambo a fun Italian restaurant - the food and service are great and seem cheap having been in Canada for a week. |
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