Once back in the lower 48 from Alaska we moved the rig the
next day to Lake Goodwin Resort in Stanwood WA which was only about 3 miles
from where we parked it for the trip.
We were in need of some serious down time before moving again.
For the first few days we were parked next to this unusual
camper. When my girlfriend Karen goes
camping she refers to her camper as a cottage, maybe she should trade her
camper in on a true cottage complete with a back porch.
For the first few days we just rested, did
laundry and unpacked. The campground
was located on the lake so there was lots of activity especially on the
weekends. Adjoining the campground was
a state park with a swimming beach that was packed everyday. So we got out the metal detectors in the
mornings and looked for lost treasures.
I did find a small silver ring and Mark found a silver quarter, not bad
but we are still looking for a huge gold ring with an even huger diamond!
When we roll into to a new town and know we will be there for
a bit we look on craigslist to see if there is anything interesting. Well we came across this post for help
wanted at the Aquafest in Lake Stevens so we checked it out and got hired by
Davis Shows Northwest to sell game tickets.
After four days and all the people we were happy to check
off being a Carney. I really give
those folks credit, especially when the show closed on Sunday at 5 pm they
immediately started tearing it down as they would be pulling out the next day
to do it all over again in another town the following weekend. It was a cool experience and really gave us
an insight to the carnival world. So
after resting up from that gig we started packing things up getting ready to
head to Montana.
We have friends that we
worked with in Mesa AZ that live in Polson MT and they invited us to stay on
their property. So for now our
destination is Polson MT.
The first night on the road we stayed at the Grant County
Fairgrounds in Moses Lake WA.
This was a huge fairground with over 500 sites and very
nice, cost was $15 for electric and water.
When you are looking for a short stop over always check the fairgrounds
in the area, as you may get lucky like we did.
I have to comment on the amount of agriculture in the western part of
WA, it is almost like Iowa with corn fields everywhere. We have never seen so much hay, hay bails
were everywhere with huge storage facilities all along the interstate.
Normally we don’t travel over 200-250 miles a day but we
weren't that far from our destination so we pressed on. We were only in Idaho for a short bit than
into Montana. Once we turned off the
interstate we followed the Clark Fork River for a while which made for a beautiful
drive.
We arrived at our friends Jim and Linda Hadley’s home in
Polson MT that evening. Got the caravan
set up with full hookups next to their garage and then enjoyed a nice meal
while we got caught up on what we all had been doing.
The next day we all went into town for breakfast and then
they showed us some local sights.
Polson is located on the southern shore of Flathead Lake which is the
largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River and one of the
cleanest in the populated world for its size and type. It was raised 10 ft by Kerr Dam.
A few days later we ventured out to Glacier National Park,
which is our nation’s 10th National park.
Known for is glacier-carved jagged peaks, turquoise and
emerald lakes, and U-shaped valleys it is a must see. Established in 1910 with its lowest elevation at 3,150 feet and
its highest at 10,466 feet at the summit of Mount Cleveland. At any national park that you may go to in
the summer they are always packed with people so if you plan to camp you better
make reservations the year before.
Since we didn't have reservations to camp we spent the day seeing the
points of interest on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Our first stop was Lake McDonald being the largest lake in
the park at 10 miles long and 1 mile wide.
The water is so clear but oh so cold.
Avalanche Creek has beautiful blue colored water caused by glacial silt.
One way you can see the park and leave the driving to
someone else is taking a tour on the famous Red Buses considered to the oldest
fleet of touring vehicles.
I was glad Mark was doing the driving, as the
road was narrow.
The only switchback on the Going-to-the-Sun road affords a
scenic view of Heaven’s Peak at 8,987 feet.
We started our journey down in the valley by the
creek.
Haystack Creek Falls cascades its way from mountaintops to
the valley floors. The falls are 492
feet tumbling over hundreds of steps on its way down the hillside, under the
road and then down another cliff.
If you look closely you can see the cars hanging onto the
steep mountainside as they make their way along the narrow road. As a matter of fact vehicles over 21 feet
long (including bumpers) or over 8 ft wide (including mirrors) are prohibited
on some parts of the road due to rock overhangs.
Across the valley, Bird Woman Falls cascades 492 feet
from the slope of Mt. Oberlin.
Traveling on…
At Big Bend we were able to get great views of Mt. Canon and
Mt. Oberlin plus the valley below.
At Oberlin Bend there is a boardwalk that offers views of
the valleys and the road as it winds across below the Garden Wall. We were lucky to see a mountain goat
watching the cars go by and posing for pictures.
The continental Divide, also called the Great Divide, is a
natural boundary line separating waters that flow into the Atlantic Ocean or
Gulf of Mexico from those that flow into the Pacific Ocean.
Jackson Glacier Overlook offers views of a glacier.
At Sunrift Gorge we took a hike down to Baring
Falls.
We there you have it, Glacier National Park through our
eyes!
****************
Jim and Linda took us for a boat ride on Flathead Lake to
Big Fork showing us the sights along the way.
There are some huge mansions on the lake that are only
weekend retreats, must be nice.
The first one sits high on top of the hill with the
caretaker's cottage on the shore.
Next up is just a small home on the point.
OK enough of expensive real estate that the average person
can’t afford. We had lunch then
wandered around the quaint downtown area pop in and out of interesting
shops.
Once back on the boat we had a lovely ride back following
the shoreline enjoying the sights. The
water is an awesome blue/green color but still to cold for this NC girl to
consider jumping in.
Thank you Jim and Linda for a wonderful day on the lake!
The following day the weather was perfect for a bike ride so
we cruised along the lake ending up back at Big Fork.
Our first stop was the Garden Bar for some refreshing adult
beverages on the back patio. It is a
really cool bar with revitalizing misters and signs from local businesses all
over the outdoor garden area.
Next stop was the…
We enjoyed the beer and the atmosphere; actually during our
travels we haven’t had a bad micro brew yet!
On the ride home we stopped at a roadside cherry stand to purchase some
wonderful local cherries picked fresh that day. The east side of the lake is known for cherry production.
The upcoming weekend in Polson was the Classic Car Show Festival. On Friday night some of the classics cruised down main street. Mark volunteered to help direct traffic.
Saturday was the actual festival but we had made plans to
move, sorry we missed it.
I want to send out a big thank you to Jim and Linda for a
wonderful time and great accommodations.
****************
We made plans earlier in the year to get solar put on the
rig in Billings MT then in October we will be working the Sugar Beet Harvest in
Sydney MT, so on to Billings.
Thanks for following your travels.
***********************
Check out my handmade jewelry at my Etsy store Wandering Designs
