Glacier Park at St. Mary

Today we had an awesome breakfast at Glacier Park Lodge and then packed up and headed for the eastern entrance to the park at St. Mary.  We entered the park and stopped at the visitor center for some information about boat tours.  We were thinking that we should take a boat tour of St. Mary Lake.  The St. Mary entrance is on the Going to the Sun Road – the best road through the park with awesome vistas of mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and glaciers.

Glacier Park Lodge

Since we were too early to check into the Rising Sun Motor Inn, we thought we would drive to the St. Mary Falls trailhead and do the .8 mile hike in to the falls to take some pictures.  The whole parking area was jammed at the St. Mary trailhead, so I consulted our map and suggested that we go to the Sun Point Nature Trail for a .7 mile walk.  The Sun Point trail is closed!  We drove on to the Sunrift Gorge trailhead and finally found a space just barely off the road to park.

Light coming through Sunrift Gorge

The overlook for Sunrift Gorge is just a short (but steep) climb off the road.  We stopped for quite awhile to experiment with photo settings and got a few good pictures of the water flowing through Sunrift Gorge.  We noticed that we could hike .2 miles back into the woods to see Baring Falls and we decided to try it.  Our lesson from yesterday was: always take your walking sticks even if the walk is short.  This proved to be a really good lesson learned.

The path was either level or downhill and the downhill sections were rocky.  A walking stick is particularly useful in a rocky trail.  When we got down to Baring Falls, we took lots of pictures – it was beautiful with rushing water, clear sunlight and a cool breeze.  Dennis even let me take a picture of him!  Then we walked back knowing that the way back was mostly uphill.  We got back to the car feeling accomplished and drove back toward Rising Sun to see if we could check  in.

Baring Falls with Dennis and on its own

Do you remember that I mentioned that we always have unplanned adventures during our travels?  This is where we had one of those.  Dennis said, “I don’t have my cell phone.”  I don’t know how well you know Dennis, but his cell phone is very important.  I asked where he had put it.  He put it in one of his pockets (cargo pants, lots of pockets).  When we were walking, his walking stick got stuck in the cracks on a bridge and he slipped.  We both thought he must have lost the phone at that point.

I got out my phone and called his phone just to be certain.  Sure enough, we did not hear it ringing in the car.  We turned back with the plan that I would go ahead to the falls as quickly as possible and look for the phone there while Dennis took the path more slowly and looked for the phone along the way.  I called his phone several times while I walked and the only message I received was “no service.”   I was frustrated, but thought the phone might be underwater and dead by now.

Several people stopped to help us along the way back to the falls.  We learned that there is a lost and found for the park.  We learned that a couple ahead of us had spotted a bear.  One man helped us search the water under the bridge where we thought Dennis lost the phone – no luck.  We turned back and resigned ourselves to calling Verizon to have them discontinue service – that meant existing with only my phone!

When we got back to the car and turned ourselves toward Rising Sun again, I started to say “look at the floor” thinking that sometimes things slip out of pockets and lodge themselves beside the door.  As I said it, I spotted the black phone against the black carpet of the car!  We were very happy to find the bad little phone that played a trick on us.  The big benefit from this adventure is that we walked to and from Baring Falls twice and got a good workout in – yay us!

So, we are staying tonight and tomorrow at the Rising Sun Motor Lodge.  It is a rustic motel in the park.  Like Glacier Park Lodge, it has no TV.  It also has no internet except at the restaurant (Two Dog Flats), so we are forced to eat and drink while we are posting and checking our email – oh dear what is the world coming to?  We have observed that Americans are pretty spoiled with the many amenities and services that are available to us at all times.  It is so nice to truly unplug once in awhile and enjoy the scenery and people and each other.

The scenery and the Rising Sun Motor Inn

The internet server at Rising Sun is so inadequate that we have to post the pictures later!(Added pics on August 26th)

Into the Mountains at Glacier Park

We had a leisurely morning with a good workout and a nice breakfast.  Then we drove to Glacier.  We learned that the haze we could see was not a storm cloud or morning fog, it was smoke.  The large fire in Utah and two smaller fires in Montana have thrown a haze of smoke over the whole area.  Even when the sun came out this afternoon, we could see the haze when we looked toward the mountains.  You may see it in some of the pictures we took this afternoon.

As a splurge, we are staying one night in Glacier Park Lodge, one of the great lodges built in the National Parks during the railroad boom.  This hotel was built 100 years ago.  It is lovely and rustic.  The rooms have no TVs (but there is wireless internet as you can see).  The hotel has two restaurants and a lounge, a large hall, and several gift shops and it has balconies on every side.  Here are some pictures.

 Our room.

 Our shared balcony.

 The great hall - note the huge logs that are the main structure!

After we settled into our room, we went down to the lounge for a snack and a local brew.  We took our maps and were discussing where we would go.  I wanted to go to Running Eagle Falls.  It sounded like a nice walk and was relatively short (.3 miles).  Our waitress, Jillian, brought us a map of the Two Medicine Rivers area (where we were headed) and showed us where to park for the walk.  She also told us about another relatively short and easy walk to Paradise Point.  She said it was good for sunsets.

With map in hand we set out.  It was a 12 mile drive to get to the park entrance.  We found the trailhead with no problem and got out our cameras and walking sticks.  It was a short and easy walk as promised, but we wandered off track to get some different pictures.  Here is what the falls area looked like.

Running Eagle Falls from a distance.

 Falls up close

 Bittersweet berries

  Panoramic view of area

Since that walk wasn't too strenuous, Dennis agreed to go see Paradise Point.  When we got to the hiking site, the legend on the map indicated that it was .6 miles to the Point.  Dennis didn't like the sound of that and when we began the walk, we saw that much of it was hilly and on rough terrain. We persevered and the view was worth it.  After that vigorous walk, we decided that we could eat as much as we wanted for dinner and headed back for a very nice meal in the hotel dining room.

 View from Paradise Point

 Trees and skeletons of trees

Mountain looming over lake.

We had a beautiful day and are looking forward to more park activities tomorrow.

Rich in Land, Sparse in Population

As we have driven across the top tier of states, I've been struck by the quiet, open landscapes.  My curiosity prompted me to look at some of the data about the states.  Michigan has more than 9 million people, Minnesota has 5.3 million.  In contrast North Dakota has fewer than seven hundred thousand and Montana has just over one million.  No wonder those landscapes look so open.

I am curious to meet some of the residents long enough to talk with them to see how this isolated environment suits them and how they suit their environment.  The one thing our drive confirmed yesterday is that a sudden economic and population boom is not necessarily a good thing.

We drove through Williston ND - very slowly.  They are reconstructing every stretch of road, especially US 2, in order to support the massive increase in truck traffic for hauling heavy equipment.  The boom in Williston is an oil boom that includes fracking, oil pumping, gas pumping, storage, and some clean-up (I hope).  You can see the atmosphere change as you approach.  There is so much work going on that the dust has been flung into the air and a haze of dust hangs over the area for miles.  There is a lot of noise, a lot of traffic, a lot of temporary (ugly) housing.  I know it is my tree-hugger imagination, but I kept thinking of that scene in the Two Towers when Saruman tells his Orcs to destroy the trees and whatever else they need to build his army.  I am sure that Williston was not green and bucolic before the boom, but I am equally sure that is was not as ugly as what we saw.  I wonder where the "happy" medium is between economic security and preserving and sustaining our environment.

We were very glad to leave Williston behind - until US 2 disappeared before our very eyes.  It seems that a section of the road is going to be rebuilt and perhaps expanded, but there were no signs and no warning.  Suddenly the paved, two-lane road, became a dirt road and we thought we had taken a wrong turn.  We came to a poorly marked stop and waited with several other vehicles until the one-lane traffic cleared and we were allowed to proceed.  Again, all of this with no signs or markers except a few orange cones and some large equipment digging, smoothing, and tarring.  I have to wonder about any municipality that would just rip out the whole road with no detour plan or clear signage about the project ahead.

Once we were through that unpleasant stretch, we drove and drove on smooth, two-lane road through flat grasslands, cattle ranches, and rolling hills that became increasingly rocky.  We saw mountains in the distance on our last 50 miles.  I think we'll see more terrain changes today and maybe even get a nature trail walk in too.  Here are some photos of the changes we have seen on our drive.

 Change of scenery into Wisconsin.

 Ashland WI - Lake Superior.

See that little orange sign that says End Road Work?  That was just not true!

 Geographical center of North America in North Dakota.

 Old church in very rural setting in North Dakota.

This is what the roads looked like for miles and miles in Montana and North Dakota.

America The Beautiful

Here I sit, in Havre MT.  It’s early due to the fact it’s Central Mountain Time and my body is still on Eastern Daylight Savings Time.  Our next stop will be our first destination, Glacier National Park. 

The planning, for these trips of ours, focuses on identifying the destination (s), studying the areas of interest and attractions our destination offers, the trails, the out of the way places. Then loosely scheduling the trip.  Yet as in past trips nothing can completely prepare us for the travels to and from our destination.  

This year’s trip out can be summed thusly:  96 to 127 to 75 to 2 and we arrive in Montana.  Of course that doesn’t even come close to what we experienced from the flat mid Michigan geography to the Big Mac, to US2 and its beautiful route across the top of Lake  Michigan, across the UP to Duluth, the drive through the forests to Devil’s Lake and the farm lands  of North Dakota and now Havre.  This brings to mind the words of one of my fave songs:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Not only could the stops we’ve made be destinations, the beauty of our land, as always, is stunning.  We could have spent a couple weeks in Duluth.  It’s vibrant water front, many museums and night life is so enticing.  The Devil’s Lake area is a fisher’s paradise and I could tour the  lakes for days.

One other thing; we are traveling at the time the farmers are harvesting wheat and corn.  Talk about ‘amber waves of grain’ in Minnesota,  North Dakota and Montana!  The amount of farm land here is truly overwhelming!  MaryAlice commented that the US could easily supply grain for the whole world if we didn’t make Twinkies …. I posited that we could supply the world even making snack food.

 What an incredible land we have here and how rich we are in natural resources.  It’s easy to become jaded about our world, that it’s all going to hell in a hand basket, that our resources are all spent and that it’s all downhill from here.  That could not be further from the truth.  

An example of why I like road trips; in Minnesota we drove across a small stream,  it’s name was Mississippi! Another example: we stumbled upon an education center in Minnesota that featured a mocked up logging camp and provided the history of logging and how the industry has become sustainable.

And now for our main course:  We drive a couple hours today an get to the  Glacier National Park. 

I haven’t touched upon some of the nice people  we’ve met… guess that will have to wait for later…. Now to exercise, have breakfast and  roll !!!

D

(oh I haven't made any observations  about Williston ND,  there is an oil boom happening there... temporary lodging for thousands... if you need a job... you'll get it there!   I will talk about that later)

Forest Lands to Grass Lands

We are in North Dakota today in Devil's Lake.  Did you know that there is a town in ND named Michigan?  Unfortunately, we were driving too fast for me to get a picture of the sign.  So when we tell people we are from Michigan, I wonder what the response will be?

We left Duluth MN this morning and drove through miles of very isolated wood lands on a two lane road with almost no traffic and no billboards.  It was beautiful and peaceful.  The road became a four lane highway near Bimidji MN and the terrain became less wooded and more agricultural.  We couldn't help but notice that some towns are too small for fast food franchises.  There are Dairy Queen stands and A & W drive-ins but no McDonalds or Taco Bell or Burger King.  I think this is great for general health, but it was difficult when I really wanted some caffeine! 

As we drove into North Dakota the terrain gradually changed to grassland.  The horizon seemed to recede and the land stretched away on each side of the road in shades of green, gold and brown.  We saw the wheat harvest in progress.  It made me want to grind my own flour and thank the wheat farmers for the abundance they produce.  And I'm sure the farmers are not the ones who reap the big profit!

We are staying at a mom and pop motel called the Fireside Inn.  They have a happy hour and we are about to join.  We are not sure what we will find in the way of dinner, but the room is comfy and clean.  Tomorrow is our longest drive day.  We will leave early, cross into Mountain Time, and arrive fairly late, but close to Glacier.  As always, I am in awe of the beauty of this land.

Pictures on the Way

Some Pictures from today's travels:

 We are now leaving troll territory - viewing the grandeur of the Mighty Mac.

 This is a view along US 2 in the UP - the road goes ever on and on...we were amazed at the lack of traffic.  There were times when there were no other vehicles in sight on this road.  An awesome drive!

 Trying to catch a good photo in Ashland, Wisconsin.  Dennis got a good (?) picture of his girlfriend.

Watching for the invaders from the castle!  This was a great park (Jay Cooke Park) in Duluth.  It is along the Lakewalk - a 6 mile stretch of paved walking and riding pathway.  In this park we sat at a viewing deck and watched young people with their children wading in Lake Superior.  The rock wall on the left of this photo was part of a tower that flanked a stone stage in the park.  The stage sat in a natural bowl of land.  We thought it would be great for music (there were electric outlets) or for Shakespeare in the park.

Anniversary in Duluth

We enjoyed Escanaba and loved Hereford and Hops Brew Pub.  The hotel had a decent breakfast available - a road warrior buffet with bread, waffles, cold cereal, yogurt, fruit, eggs, potatoes (not good), sausage, juice, and coffee.  We each had food we liked and were ready for the road.

We drove out Highway 2 and turned onto a small two lane highway 69 headed toward Iron River.  The territory we drove though was remarkably isolated.  So often when we drive, we ask "what do people do for a living?"  We were asking that often today.  The positive aspect is that we can see these are people who are not materialistic.  They are self-sufficient and have learned to live with very few needs.  The negative aspect is that these are people who have no social network of support.  There were very few churches, medical clinics, grocery stores, and pubs.

When we finally came back to Highway 2 and entered Ironwood and drove into Wisconsin, we noticed that the terrain was very similar to Michigan's UP and very rural.  Much of the land we drove through in Wisconsin was Indian Reservation land.  Then we came to Ashland on a bay of Lake Superior.  It was a charming small town with a beautiful lake shore that the community is working to restore.  We took a few pictures. 

We drove on to Superior WI which is a twin city to Duluth MN - practically a suburb.  It was large and prosperous in comparison to the small towns and villages we had seen earlier in the day.    Duluth is a BIG city and Dennis and I are not city people.  We came into Duluth around 2:20 pm and had a hard time focusing on getting around in the city.  We drove into the very chic Canal Street area by accident and slowed to a crawl.  The area was swarming with tourists.  We used our phones to look for hotel prices.  The lowest price we found was $260 a night at a Hampton Inn that had no vacancies.  That would not do, so we kept checking.

We found a Days Inn Lakeview that was out of the chic area and had a few vacant rooms and much lower prices.  It also has breakfast in the morning (we'll see how that is).  I told Dennis that next time I would check into hotels more carefully and find the perfect room for a reasonable price.  I believe in a splurge - especially for our anniversary - but I still want money left to splurge on other stuff!

So, I know you are wondering about the "romance meter" in Duluth.  There are many beautiful places that people think of as romantic, but I have to say that any restaurant that has a lovely view of Lake Superior and good food is a romantic place.  The Black Woods Grill filled the bill.  The salmon was perfectly cooked.  The wine list was decent and we were looking out the window at THE big lake.  We watched sail boats and yachts and fishing boats skimming over the crystal blue waters of the bay.  After dinner our compromise on an expensive hotel with a lake view was sitting on the steps outside the hotel and drinking wine together.  Romantic with a capital R.

Tomorrow we will drive across Minnesota looking for wild rice and other Minnesota treats and we will stop for the night in Devils Lake North Dakota.  All the people we have met have been helpful and friendly - I think that is a characteristic of midwesterners.  We are looking forward to seeing more new territory.