June 29, 2016, Wednesday

Today is our last day here in Livingston, MT even though we are closer to Pray and Emigrant, MT.  We found some great places near us and took the opportunity to take some photos of old buildings that were built in the early 1900's.  We wanted to float the Yellowstone River today but did not get ready in time and we did not have reservations so we decided that we would wait until another town and try again.

We did run into some great cowboys who needed help rounding up some stray cows and we both volunteered to go out and help as much as we could.  You will not believe the rides they gave us.   These things were fast as lighting and very friendly.  We had the cows rounded up in no time!!!  Montana has it all if you cannot find a horse just stick around there will be something to ride!!
Their names were Col. Mustard and Butter.

We found a couple of old saloons also, if you are thirsty or looking for the bad guys try these out.

After rounding up the cows and having a sarsaparilla at the local saloon we went into Livingston and found the farmers market which takes place every Wednesday.  There were all kinds of vendors there and we bought some tomatoes and lots of sweets for Cindy.  The wind was crazy here.  Just as we arrived the wind must have gotten up to about 50 MPH.  Locals said it was not unusual for that to happen in this area.  It blew their stuff all over the place but they were prepared with anchors to tie down their tents.

Moving Day!! June 27, 2016 Monday

We moved from the Glacier Mountain National Park to Livingston, MT.  I should say 18 miles south of Livingston.  Did not know that when we booked the RV park but poop happens.  This is not a bad RV park however.  We are backed up to the Yellowstone River which is pretty.  We have a few mountains in front of our RV and a lot of pasture land where the deer and antelope play.  It is beautiful in my opinion.

Usually, on moving day there is not much to report.  The trip took about 8 hours when it should have taken about 5 hours.  Some of the reason is that lady ridding in my Ford Truck tried to take us to another location twice!! (GPS not Cindy)  I'm not sure what happened, but there could have been points programmed that should not have been there.  But regardless, when we did arrive in Livingston we had to call the RV park and get directions, because the lady was definitely lost. (Again GPS not Cindy)

We made it and got unpacked and the RV set up.  Now normally, we do not go out to eat much on these trips.  Mainly because I like to fix things around the campsite and so does Cindy.  However, moving day is different.  We are usually tired and do not want to cook so we either eat left overs or a sandwich.  Yesterday, we both wanted a good juicy greasy not good for us (and Marie was 5000 miles away from us(veggie person))  hamburger.  Now remember we are 18 miles from town and 51 miles from Garner, MT.  So we asked the locals and found a hideaway bar and grill about 5 or 6 miles away.  Missed it the first time, but finally found the turn and arrived at the bar and grill.  Now either Cindy was starving or had lost her mind, because she went inside and ordered a meal.  Now, this was after seeing the flies and other condiments flying around, inside.  For me it was just like when I was out here in 1998 and 2000 with the motorcycle guys.  We ate this food to keep our strength up.  Some of us even had a liquid diet of beer.

Now here are the photos of where our RV is parked

This is the Yellowstone River that runs behind our RV site.  We see fishermen and rafters going down the river.  The river is the only free running river without a dam nor is it damed with anything else.

This is the only place within a 20 mile stretch that you can buy a meal. Old Saloon Bar

June 25, 2016, Satruarday

First thing this morning we called Ashley Caryn Clayton and wished her a happy 29 th. BIRTHDAY!

We rode back through the Glacier National Park today.  We went on the West side where there is not as much activity and cars.  We went to a community called Polebridge.  It is about the only thing that is between West Glacier, MT and the Canadian border.  Once upon a time, you could cross the boarder  about 22 miles from here.  But they closed the crossing some years ago.  You can still drive to the border on the dirt road if you like and we tried but the further you go the rougher the road got and I did not want to take any chances of a flat tire or other trouble.
The community of Polebridge has been here since 1914 and they are still using some of the buildings. For example, the Mercantile store was built around this time and it is still in operation today.  They have a bakery that does most of the business now, but still have camping equipment and backwoods necessities that you need to stay alive.


Yesterday was not entirely a good day for us.  When we came back into range for cell service, Cindy had a message from a very close friend of many years.  The friend asked that Cindy call her back that it was an emergency.  Not knowing what to expect, Cindy called her back and the friend told us that her only child had been killed in a car wreck at Wade Green Road and I-75.  The accident happen early on this Saturday morning when the daughter was on the way to her job at Kennestone Hospital.  We ask that everyone who reads this blog to say a special prayer for our friends, Donna and Dan Thomas. It was their daughter Danielle, only 21 years old, who was killed.  Danielle was not married and was finishing up college and working as an intern at the hospital and still lived with Dan and Donna. (Danielle was such a great young lady whose life was cut way too short.)

The top photo is the store that has been here since 1914.  The other is a cafe and I am not sure how long it has been here.  Now this is the only thing around for about 30 miles and it is in the wilderness.

We did see some wild life on the way back.  This is an 8 point deer still in velvet.  The bottom photos there are several bucks near this one laying down.  You have to look hard or you will miss them.

And a river runs through it!!

June 23, 2016 Glacier National Park

We arrived here in West Glacier on Tuesday, June 21, 2016  without incident.  We set up the RV and rested the rest of the day.  It took 7 1/2 hours to drive here from West Yellowstone, which is more than I like to travel pulling the RV.  Makes me tired and grumpy.  I know this is a surprise to some of you!  On the next day, Wednesday, June 22, 2016 we went to Kalispell, MT only about 30 miles from here to get some truck work done and pick up medications at the Walgreen's there.  I had to have Firestone Air Bag Suspensions put under the truck to raise it up when I put the RV on because it was setting to low when attached.  Some of you remember last year and the RR tracks where I did about $8,000 damage to the RV going across.  Well, I do not want that to happen again.  Now the rearend sticks up a little more than it did and should take care of the problem.  It sticks up because I have 50 lbs of air in them.  We will try this first before adding more.

Ok, so now we are caught up.  Yesterday, we went for a drive on the "Going to the Sun Road", which is the most popular drive in the Glacier National Park.  We entered on the West side of the Glaciers and drove to the East Side.  This is the only route through the Glaciers center and it only goes East or West.  The road is about 48 to 50 miles long (depends on which documentation you read) and it is of course winding.  It takes about 5 to 8 hours to get through here depending on how many times you stop and time spent at each stop.  It took us 8 1/2 hours to complete the trip but we had a side trip to the Middle Glacier which is about 8 to 10 miles from St. Mary's on the east side.  St. Mary's in near or on the Blackfoot Reservation.  The Blackfoot sold the land to the government back in the 1800's for 1.5 million.  The Blackfoot Indians had had hard times in 1883 and 1884 so some saw the money as a source to keep them from starving.  Of course, there is controversy about what was sold.  The Indians claim that only the mining rights were sold, not the land itself but the government found a way to get everything.

Here is a photo of Lake McDonald.  This lake was created by the Glaciers over the years.  The Lake was created by these Glaciers about 20,000 years ago.

These are photos of the loop section of the road.  Here you meet yourself coming around the corner.

Here are the water falls.  we started taking them at the base of the mountains not knowing that the road was going to carry us above them before it was through

My DW

This is one of the tunnels that you have to go through on the road.  Very narrow and you have to be careful in a dully

The above photo is at Logan Pass, which is at the very top of the Glaciers National Park.  There is a visitor center where this photo was made.  Behind us and out of range are skiers on a small hill.

This is a photo of the lake at Middle Glacier.  The water is green and it is clear as a bell.  There was a damn with a small water fall at the lake as it appears below

June 23, 2016 Glacier National Park

We arrived here in West Glacier on Tuesday, June 21, 2016  without incident.  We set up the RV and rested the rest of the day.  It took 7 1/2 hours to drive here from West Yellowstone, which is more than I like to travel pulling the RV.  Makes me tired and grumpy.  I know this is a surprise to some of you!  On the next day, Wednesday, June 22, 2016 we went to Kalispell, MT only about 30 miles from here to get some truck work done and pick up medications at the Walgreen's there.  I had to have Firestone Air Bag Suspensions put under the truck to raise it up when I put the RV on because it was setting to low when attached.  Some of you remember last year and the RR tracks where I did about $8,000 damage to the RV going across.  Well, I do not want that to happen again.  Now the rearend sticks up a little more than it did and should take care of the problem.  It sticks up because I have 50 lbs of air in them.  We will try this first before adding more.

Ok, so now we are caught up.  Yesterday, we went for a drive on the "Going to the Sun Road", which is the most popular drive in the Glacier National Park.  We entered on the West side of the Glaciers and drove to the East Side.  This is the only route through the Glaciers center and it only goes East or West.  The road is about 48 to 50 miles long (depends on which documentation you read) and it is of course winding.  It takes about 5 to 8 hours to get through here depending on how many times you stop and time spent at each stop.  It took us 8 1/2 hours to complete the trip but we had a side trip to the Middle Glacier which is about 8 to 10 miles from St. Mary's on the east side.  St. Mary's in near or on the Blackfoot Reservation.  The Blackfoot sold the land to the government back in the 1800's for 1.5 million.  The Blackfoot Indians had had hard times in 1883 and 1884 so some saw the money as a source to keep them from starving.  Of course, there is controversy about what was sold.  The Indians claim that only the mining rights were sold, not the land itself but the government found a way to get everything.

Here is a photo of Lake McDonald.  This lake was created by the Glaciers over the years.  The Lake was created by these Glaciers about 20,000 years ago.

These are photos of the loop section of the road.  Here you meet yourself coming around the corner.

Here are the water falls.  we started taking them at the base of the mountains not knowing that the road was going to carry us above them before it was through

My DW

This is one of the tunnels that you have to go through on the road.  Very narrow and you have to be careful in a dully

The above photo is at Logan Pass, which is at the very top of the Glaciers National Park.  There is a visitor center where this photo was made.  Behind us and out of range are skiers on a small hill.

This is a photo of the lake at Middle Glacier.  The water is green and it is clear as a bell.  There was a damn with a small water fall at the lake as it appears below

Sunday June 19, 2016

Well it has been several days since I have posted a message. I was sick with a urinary track infection and had to be taken to the clinic at Old Faithful, inside Yellowstone Park.  This is the closest place to get checked. They do not have lab service so after seeing a Nurse Practitioner we had to travel another 2 hours to a bigger clinic to have labs done.  Now you know I was sick to let Cindy drive my truck an hour to the clinic, but I was hurting.  Anyway, got medication and I am doing much better now. My DW took good care of me. We have been just hanging out at the RV park for a few days. We really had seen all of Yellowstone before the sickness so it did not matter much.

Yesterday we went to a Rodeo in the evening.  It was a cheap one and it was only 6.5 miles outside of West Yellowstone where we are staying.  It was located on the side of the road and you pull into a field to park.  The stands were not covered and the bleachers looked 50 or 60 years old and I was not sure they were going to hold everyone but they did.  It was locally owned they said and I am not sure where they got the cowboys and cowgirls who were in the rodeo.  They had the traditional stuff , riding bulls, horses and roping calves, both singles and doubles.  Problem was they did not rope but one calf, did not stay on any bulls or horses bucking.  You are suppose to stay 8 seconds and then they judge how you ride and your style.  Problem was they were bucked off as the gate opened.  Well, I guess they tried  their best.  They did let the children chase a calf around the arena to get a prize if they got the yellow ribbon tied to its tail.

Today is Fathers Day and we just hung around the RV all day watching Golf (US Open) on TV.  We decided to go out to eat around 5 PM.  Cindy wanted Mexican and she had seen an American/Mexican Restaurant in town that she wanted to try.  I was not fully in favor and suggested a place called Amigo Mexican Restaurant.  But we went to the other one and I should have know when I walked in and we had a blonde white female waiting on us that this was not going to be a good thing.  We ordered and they brought the food to us.  Cindy wanted an enchilada, one vegetarian and the other cheese enchilada.  Well the blonde brought two dinners for her, one order of cheese enchiladas and the other order was a dinner of veggie enchiladas.  I got a burrito not that that was interesting.  But the food tasted awful.  I cannot explain the taste but I will tell you that I looked in the kitchen because I could see it from our table and there was not the first person who was illegal and had crossed the border to cook in Montana.  They were all Americans!!!!  Needless to say Cindy got sick when we got home. Lesson learned.

OK, here are the rodeo pictures.