Hello and welcome to Mike and Donna's retirement adventures.
After many years of working and taking care of family, we decided to look for adventures in other places.
Donna's retirement came at the request of her former manager (little Hitler) on 9/27/21 after 18 years with the IT vendor at the San Diego Convention Center. Mikes retirement began 46 years to the day, after high school on 3/18/22.
We have always liked cars and driving; we love to travel. We decided life on the road could be a new challenge/adventure for us.
In August (2021) we ordered a new home: An Airstream 30' Classic and a new Dodge RAM 2500 Diesel truck to tow it.
On Friday December 2, 2022, we finally took possession of it.
Have fun following us down the road.
August 26 - 30 Breckenridge, Colorado (Breck as the locals call it)
Tiger Run RV Resort
As the terrain in the valley began to change to those gigantic rock mountains, we began to see velvet green soaring peeks, rugged and awesomely beautiful, stretching into the horizon.
We passed an occasional train. Why is it we act like kids when we see one???? “Look – there’s a train”! And…. the tunnels just keep on coming – they are an amazing!
The Eisenhower tunnel is the longest mountain tunnel on the Interstate Highway system. It’s an engineering marvel…
Here, we are at almost 12,000’ – and we’re feeling it. Man oh man – we are definitely not used to being this high up in the sky. 5000’– 7000’ no problem. The higher up we’ve gotten, we hate to admit it, but these old farts have to take it much slower. Not much hiking – a few short ones – and that was it, unfortunately.
One of Colorado’s most popular art installations, the Breckenridge Troll is a 15-foot wooden sculpture built by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Sitting happily in the forest less than a mile from the road, this gentle giant is easy to access and a must-see on any trip to Breckenridge.
The nearby towns of Frisco and Breckenridge were very touristy, but neat. We walked the streets, poked in and out of stores and admired the local artistry. Being as this is a huge ski resort area; we enjoyed viewing the gondolas and slopes from afar – LOL!! Nope – Donna is not going up that steep gondola to view the area from the top!!!!
This leg of our trip was special as we got to see some longtime friends. In our past lives in Northern Virginia (Leesburg), they were our neighbors twice – yep twice!! First - when we owned our first single family home, they moved in next to us. Several years after that, we found some land, custom built a house, and they bought a lot two doors down from us and moved in. We had great times with Darrell and Susan Burkey. They moved to Silverthorne – just outside of Breckenridge in 2020. They built a beautiful home on a mountainside with views that are simply breathtaking (forgot to get pictures).
Darrell is an avid hunter and makes trips to northern Alaska every year for weeks at a time. Susan has gotten involved with training dogs for the Blind. Such great and loving peeps!!
We spent many hours at several breweries eating, drinking, laughing, and getting caught up on stuff. We’ve stayed in touch since we moved from VA in 2003.
August 23 - 26 Grand Junction, Colorado
Canyon View RV Resort
The Colorado mountains are calling…………………….
There’s that word again – “resort”. We will admit, this place is probably the nicest we’ve stayed in. Nice sites, plenty of room between neighbors, great bath houses, and beautiful mountain views!!
We hadn’t planned a thing to do while here except rest up and get caught up on some paperwork and phone calls. Not a bad thing sometimes…….We enjoyed grilling outside until-----------here come the winds and monsoon rains!! It’s THAT season so Mother Nature put on quite a nightly show. BIG Boomers!!! We enjoyed seeing two double rainbows on the same afternoon – pretty neato……….
August 19 - 23 Moab, Utah (near Arches National Park)
Portal RV Resort
Super nice campground! We normally don’t stay in the “resort” campgrounds however, in the middle of nowhere, there isn’t much choice. It was a nice change for us – and the views weren’t too bad either!!
With the winding road and mountains up ahead, we knew we were in for a bit of a thrilling drive. The Mediterranean blue skies and white puffy clouds provided a stunning backdrop.
Soon the shades of brown and red presented themselves off in the distance. We knew we were getting close – it wouldn’t be long before we saw that wonderland of natural beauty with over 2000 arches, and hundreds of other towering spires.
After getting all situated at our site, we took off for Arches National Park. We had been here several years ago with our besties Jon and Becky Harry, but just traveling through the area in our MINI Coopers.
Mother Nature is simply just…...something…. else! The “WOW” factor is off the scale in Arches…...Since it was late in the day/evening, we stopped for a few pictures of the moonlight on the mountain formations, the stars started to twinkle…. then off to get some needed sleep – LOL!!
Dead Horse Point State Park was an easy drive from Moab, so we decided to poke around 2000 feet above the Colorado River. Legend has it that cowboys once corralled wild mustangs on a narrow point here, giving the park its unique name. Stunning State Park!!! Dramatic views of the river and the scenery below…...
Arches is another National Park that requires a timed vehicle entry. We managed to snag several so we spent two days and evenings trekking the many miles of breathtaking landscape and hiking to many of the natural arches. Wowzer………………
We were hoping to see some big furry four-legged creatures, but sadly, we only saw ravens and lizards.
Being as we visited during the “monsoon” season, every evening the storms rolled in and out, giving us the most fantastic lightning shows we’ve seen in a LONG time!!!
One of Mike’s bucket list items was to drive an off-road vehicle (Razar). We booked a guided tour with one of the local places for an evening sunset drive. Okay…. let’s just say that on flat ground, Donna was fine. Once we started UP and DOWN the STEEP terrain, not so much! It scared the crap out of both of us…. We stopped on a crest to see the beautiful sunset. Shortly after, the monsoon rains blew in and we got soaked – LOL!! Mike had a great time, however, Donna did not………...We can say we did it, but not sure Mike would do it again either!!
Look at the center of this picture is a dinosaur footprint fossil.
If you’ve not been to Arches, it should be on your bucket list……….
August 18 - 19 Beaver, Utah
Beaver Camperland
The most exciting part of this one-night stay was the pleasure of driving back through the Virgin River Gorge. Up and down once again – white knuckles by the time we reached the other side – luckily with no wind!! It was a quick overnight stay to break up mileage as we head to our next awesome adventure.
Rain, rain – go away………….
The campground was nothing to write home about, but it was a place to rest our very tired bodies after a non-stop 9 days in Vegas – LOL!!
August 9 – 18 Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas RV Resort
As we made our way through the HOT desert once again (are we crazy or what?), we had to traverse the mountains one more time. The Virgin River Gorge is no joke, especially when towing our 30 ft. trailer – wowzer!!! Slow and steady is the name of the game. Our ears began to clog once more! It wouldn’t be long before we got to the other side, and we’d be able to hear each other again– LOL!!!
Vegas – here we come….
It bears repeating that this desert heat is no joke…. setting up after arriving in 108-degree heat was NO FUN…..but………being here is just what the doctor ordered….Our besties Jon and Becky Harry, along with Dino in tow, made their way from Huntington Beach, CA to spend a weekend with us!!!!! Can’t tell you how happy we were to see them….. We spent the weekend eating, drinking, laughing, chatting, and staying cool inside – LOL!!!
Other friends from SoCal, Joe and Donna, passing through Sin City met us for a very enjoyable dinner.
This leg of our adventures brought us to Vegas for Donna’s High School reunion. She graduated from a DOD school in Subic Bay, Philippines. Her father RAdm. Shelton was the CO of the base and Commander of US Naval Force Philippines during their 3-year time there. Every so often, someone decides to have an all-school reunion (classes were very small) and this year it happened to be in AUGUST – in VEGAS – where it’s HOTTER than hell…. What happens in Vegas – stays in Vegas – a good time was had by all for sure!!!
It was SO awesome to see so many old friends and make some new ones.
Part of the reunion was a double decker bus tour, through the streets of Vegas and the famous Fremont Street. We had an absolute blast!! We all felt like we were back in high school – whooping and hollering at people walking on the streets. A trip to Vegas is never complete unless you visit Fremont Street. Because we didn’t get to spend much time the night before while on the bus tour, we just HAD to go back and experience it firsthand. It’s a crazy place with things you may or may not want to see–
LOL!!! Some things you can’t “unsee”!!!!
After all the trips we made to Vegas or through Vegas in the past, we never visited the Hoover Dam. Although it was another brutally HOT day, we made the trek to see the amazing Dam!!!
While we were at the dam Mike, wearing his USS Oak Ridge hat met another sailor Brian, he was on the ship a few years after. They exchanged sea stories of drydocking submarines from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and took a picture.
“Hotter than Hells Pepper Patch”……………………………………………………………………………………………
August 5 – 9 Cedar City, Utah
Cedar Breaks RV Park
One thing’s for sure…..a lot of Utah landscapes really do look the same. With barely a change in the monotonous drive, hey – we recognize that sign! We’ve been through here before – 9 years ago on an epic road trip with our good friends, Jon & Becky Harry, along with Emily Stemmerich in our MINI Coopers…..
Still some miles away from our landing place for several nights, familiar red rocks start popping up here and there. Our bucket list is getting shorter – LOL!!! The elevation change – up and down – really screwed with our ears!!!
We pull into our campground and its only 104 degrees…..we’re hot – the tires are hot – the Sandman is hot and we’re ready to get set up and relax a bit. Unfortunately, it takes a while to cool things down so patience….while we sweat off 5 pounds--------
Excitement is in the air as we have the chance to visit 2 sets of friends that moved to the area from California. Joanie/Craig Berkwitz and Rich Gallup/Carolyne Vincent.
We met Rich and Carolyne near St. George (45 minutes away) for lunch. It was great catching up with them! She has family in the area and California was just too far away so she and Rich up and moved back to the area, earlier this year. When we were all in CA, we would meet them for dinner on Friday nights at the local American Legion which was where Donna’s Dad liked to go. Always a fun time chatting the night away…..
We met Joanie and Craig many years ago through owning our beloved MINI Coopers. We are all avid British car lovers and both owned MINI’s and Morris Minors to putts around in.
They graciously played tour guide as we visited Cedar Breaks National Monument, Bryce Canyon, and Zion. All on our bucket list – Yayyy!!! All three parks are beautiful in their own way.
As it is August, it was quite HOT. However, afternoon thunderstorms seemed to roll in daily to cool things off a bit……
After a long day touring the red rock formations, we went to Milt’s for dinner – a popular place in the middle of nowhere, for Steak and Prime Rib – oh so yummy!!!
They are quite happy in their new neighborhood and have completed moving in – after many trips from Utah and CA and back to get their stuff. It was great to see them and get somewhat caught up on life in general…..
Utah – the Beehive state – neat highway signs…..
Moving on to more exciting things!!!
August 3 - 5 North Salt Lake City, Utah
Sun Outdoors
SO many more fires burning in the state and states we just went through! The smoke from northern regions is being pushed south so the skies along our travels have been muted in color……
From Idaho to Utah there isn’t much….the occasional dust storm (which thank goodness we weren’t a part of), and many Deer Migration areas (haven’t seen a one yet).
No thanks! I think we’ll “pass” on this road – LOL!!
We arrived late in the day to set things up. It was a long drive in the blazing heat….wow it’s hot here!!!! Not our favorite of places we’ve stayed. They assign your site and ours just happened to be VERY tight with very little room to maneuver.
Only for 2 nights so we didn’t make a big deal about it with management.
Since we had been through this area several times in the past, we elected to forgo driving to the Bonneville Salt Flats and the Great Salt Lake. Instead, we decided to spend a bit of time in downtown Salt Lake City. It was a quick drive, and a quick visit because the heat was just too much. We came upon “South Temple” street where the metal Falcon frames the state Capital from afar. How cool is that?????
We got very few pictures of Temple Square as it was all under construction – not so pretty at the moment. Construction started in 2019 and expected to be completed in 2026. Looks like quite a bit of $$$$ is being sunk into the updates…..
Pretty cool art work along the streets…………….
August 1 - 3 Idaho (near Twin Falls)
Twin Falls 93 RV Park
The only exciting part about getting here was at a Rest Stop in the middle of nowhere –
LOL!! Another Airstream pulled up alongside of us and we spotted another one across the highway going in the opposite direction.
More high desert in Idaho than we ever imagined! We felt like we were back in parts of So Cal driving through The Grapevine…...agriculture, brush, dead grass, and an occasional train!!
We traversed this part of the country several years back with our besties Jon and Becky Harry. We took our MINI Coopers from So Cal to Twin Falls and back – with many stops along the way. It was an epic road trip.
It was fun to be back at Shoshone Falls, Dierkes Lake, and the Perrine Bridge (the underneath is currently under construction). Many a brave sole have Base Jumped from this 486-foot-high truss arch bridge to the landing spot below. It’s the 8th highest bridge in the US. The breathtaking Snake River curves its way through the deep canyon below. The area is great for hiking…………...when it’s not 104 degrees outside!!
July 28 – August 1 Caldwell, Idaho
Boise of Airstream Adventures
The air was filled with smoke. The 1000’s of acres burned were visible along our route and many types of fire equipment passed us to wherever they were needed next. We saw power lines downed and pure devastation of the area. It was so sad to see…...
As we traversed through more mountain passes, one called Deadman Pass – kinda scary – we made it safely to the other side.
Ever wondered what a wind turbine blade looks like up close and personal? Well…. here ya go – LOL!!
Don’t care to know how much snow they get in this area, but they are prepared – plenty of warning signs and metal snow fences along the way.
A quick pit stop – we look pretty good in between those big rigs, right????
And here we are at Boise of Airstream Adventure. The Sandman needed some warranty work done and a few minor things tweaked, so we took full advantage of their FREE full hook up area at the dealership!! Super nice they provide this for their customers. We will admit though, it’s very strange camping out in the middle of an industrial park. But hey, we’ll take free any day – LOL!!!
We scheduled this appointment months ago (January) we knew we would be traveling this direction. Sadly, even after 2 follow up calls to ensure they had the parts we needed, they in fact, DID NOT!!
Not Happy Campers at the moment…...
We had a few other small items fixed since we were already there. But now what do we do about getting the REAL issues fixed???? One part (a broken roman shade) is nowhere to be found – ugggg – the other part(s) – more important, shower door enclosure parts that had leaked because the door wasn’t installed properly to begin with. The part was due to arrive AFTER we left…but they did rehang and caulk the door, so fingers crossed, it won’t leak again. We’ll figure out getting the cosmetic stuff fixed down the road…………...
Journey – at 40K miles, needed some new shoes. Since we’ve not really been in any metropolitan cities lately or any coming up, we took advantage of a Discount Tire only a mile away – Yayyyy! Damn - tires are expensive!!! Wowzer……
The air quality has been terrible from the fires blazing all around us. We could tell it was sunny under all that smoke, but it sure made for eerie looking skies!! But beautiful sunsets!
July 27 - 28 Stanfield, Oregon
Pilot RV Campground
So much agriculture – everywhere!! 1000’s of empty crates just waiting to be loaded up and delivered to your grocery store.
Ever wondered where the brand “Darigold” plant is? Well, here it is in the middle of Oregon – LOL!!
After checking with the campground manager and with our next destination regarding the fires and road closures, the major fire was under control and I84 was open. We made the decision to trudge forward. We discovered that one of the roads we had planned on taking on this leg of our adventures, was in fact closed. That forced us on a bit of a longer way around – which took us partially through the Mt Rainier area. Oh boy! It was a bit scary towing on the very narrow National Park roads and then continuing on through the mountains outside of the park. It was a LONG driving day!
It was a quick overnight stay. Not too bad a place other than it was located right behind a Pilot Truck stop so we had the pleasure of listening to several 18 wheelers “idle” all night long. We had the A/C on all night as it was HOT, so that helped drown out most of the noise. Nice clean place though…..
July 23 - 27 Randle, Washington (Near Mt St Helens and Mt Rainier)
Cowlitz Falls Recreation Area Campground
The anticipation grew and grew as we got closer to our next bucket list location(s)…..
It took us a while to get there….we’ve not driven in real traffic for many months. We hit the Seattle area and wow – felt like we were back in California again. Yuck!!!
Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens – here we come – yayyyy!!! But not before we drove another white-knuckle mountain road! Man, these mountains are something else…..Mike is a pro though. No problem he says.
The campground was beaaaauuutiful…..beautiful trees and lush ground cover. We had a perfect spot – paved pull through with full hook ups……….sweet! Our first view of Mt. Rainier was just a few miles down the road. Wow!!!!
The day after we arrived, we took off for Mt St Helens. (Notice the state of Washington uses his head on their road signs.) It was a beautiful clear day, so the views were spectacular………..the drive up through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest - part of the Cascade Mountains, to view what blew it’s top in 1980, and is still active today, was jaw dropping!!! We marveled at thick trees, waterfalls, and wildflowers in full bloom.
As we got farther up Windy Ridge, the landscape changed from lush green to partially mountain covered trees and what was left after the massive eruption. Trees strewn into the mountainsides like toothpicks, still very visible today. A 1972 Grand Prix that was driven by the Parker family, is a stark reminder of that day – the “Miners Car”..
On Sunday morning, May 18th,1980, she erupted, shaken by a 5.1 earthquake, the north face of this tall mountain collapsed in a massive rock avalanche. In seconds this slab of rock and ice slammed into Spirit Lake, crossed a 1300-foot-high ridge, and roared 14 miles down the Toutle River. The blast was lateral, not vertical. Looking into the crater you can see twin lava domes, is she getting ready for another blast?
To this day, Spirit Lake is filled with the thousands of trees that were stripped from the mountainsides, floating around from that disastrous day. On a positive note, the Forest Service is helping to regenerate the area with new trees.
Currently one of the main roads into the North entrance is closed indefinitely due to a massive landslide. The South entrance we went in, is only open for 26 miles – closed the rest of the way for the same reason. From one of the overlooks stops, the views? Spectacular….you can see Mt St Helens, Mt Adams (which currently had a small fire burning – you can see smoke in the picture), and Mt Hood which is in Oregon.
Mt. Rainer – being one of the most popular attractions on the west coast and one of the oldest National Parks, requires a timed entry. We were lucky enough to get one of the few tickets released at 7pm each evening. Off we went to explore the active volcano, glaciers, meadows, and forests……………Oh my goodness! Another amazing place!!! We felt like we were back in Glacier National Park. Every turn was a different view. We just couldn’t get enough!! Although it was a bit foggy most of the day, we enjoyed the scenic views we could see. Hoping that the fog would burn off as we were at around 10,000 feet, we stopped wherever we could to enjoy the many sights……
Oh, those waterfalls!!! And the tunnels!!!!
Ever stand on a rock polished by Glacial Ice?
Most of the hikes within Mt Rainier are pretty difficult and way beyond what we wanted to do. However, there was a couple that we managed to do even though it wasn’t the nicest of days….Yayyy!!! We hiked in Mt Rainier – LOL!!
Reflection Lakes area – one of THE most photographed and popular views….and we could see why……lovely!!!
As the day was drawing to a close and we made our way back down the mountain, look!!!
The fog is clearing!! We can FINALLY get a clear picture of Mt Rainier summit!!! The day was a success………………..
We’ve been keeping a close eye on fire conditions for the past several days. There are multiple HUGE wildfires burning in the direction that we are heading. Roads are closed and 1000’s of acres are up in flames….ugggg…..
July 18 – 23 Bothell, Washington
Lake Pleasant RV Park
Ever heard of the Snoqualmie Pass? Neither had we…..the “Passes” in this part of the country go in between HUGE mountains so here we go folks……..what goes up must come down! Another bit of white knuckle driving!
Acres and acres of corn fields, Gala apple tree orchards, cherries, grapes, and SO much more!! In between the “desert” areas, the agriculture fields were AMAZING!! The state of Washington ships over 10 Billion – yes 10 Billion apples a year. Wowzer!!! As we got closer to the big cities, we passed winery after winery but didn’t get a chance to stop at any – darn it!!!
And look – another animal crossing! We just LOVE seeing those…..
Nice RV Park but boy was it TIGHT!! This was one time we were very glad to have a pull through site……
Did someone say wedding? Why yes….the whole reason we planned to be in this part of the country was Mike’s niece was getting married. It seems families these days – when they live miles and miles apart, only get together for weddings and funerals – LOL!!! Mike’s brother Steve flew in from California, our daughter and her family flew in from Virginia (missed the wedding because of the whole IT debacle and got stuck in VA for 2 days because flights were cancelled/delayed), and other cousins flew in from all over. It was a fantastic day at a beautiful outdoor venue.
We spent the next 2 days after the wedding getting together with the family for lots of food, drinking, laughing, and storytelling….tons of fun!!
July 14 - 18 Othello, Washington
Potholes State Park
Where the heck are we? Dang this place is off the beaten path….
Before we left Idaho, The Sandman REALLY needed a bath. We had found a car wash that had an RV bay so off we went to get some of the yuck off….
Look at those Canola fields!!! Yep – that Canola Oil you use to cook with comes from these beautiful yellow flowers…..
You know how in your mind, you picture somewhere you’ve never been, but you have an idea of what you THINK it looks like? But then it’s not??? Well, that was how we felt about driving through this part of Washington State. We had always pictured thick forests, tall trees, you know, that kind of thing! Well…………..it was like being back in the desert again – no kidding!!! Dry grass, brush stuff, a few watering holes here and there, boulders, and just not much of anything……..at least in this part of the state…..
But then……….as we got closer and passed by and over the Potholes Reservoir, we turn into the State Park road and WOW!!! The green oasis of a park in the middle of farm country was beautiful!!! Surprised?? Yes, we were…..and the neatest set up of a campground we’ve ever been. 6 round “pods” that look like flowers. You drive into your pod via the “stem”, then there’s a big circle in the middle, and the camp spots are all off the circle like pedals from the flower!! You pull into the middle and back into your sight – easy peasy!!!!
Yayyyy!!! Easiest back in we’ve ever done…..we love that – LOL!!!! Each pod was encased in very tall trees….pretty cool….huge day use area with a boat launch and playground for the kiddos.
Potholes got its name after the water-carved geological features that were formed during the last ice age. Nestled on the northern border of Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, the park is between Spokane and Seattle, east of the Cascade Mountains.
It was HOT – over 100 degrees each day while we were there so we didn’t do any hiking or bike riding. Better to stay inside and hydrate in the shade!
We saw so many apple orchards, turns out Washington state produces more Gala apples than any other state.
The town of Lake Moses, about 30 minutes away, had all the amenities we needed – laundry, groceries, diesel, and a nice lunch on the lake. Another few down days (so to speak) was fine with us because we have a VERY busy week coming up…….stay tuned!!
July 10 - 14 Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Wolf Lodge Campground
After an EPIC 10 days at Glacier National Park, a bit of downtime was nice. Did we say that??? We are so used to being on the go, it was odd to not have ONE THING planned while here.
As we made our way through the interesting and changing terrain of Montana into Idaho, BIG BLUE sky country was abundant. So dang pretty! But…we knew we would catch up with those mountains sooner or later……no problem….
We arrived safe and sound at Wolf Lodge. As it became clearer that tourist season was in full swing, we could tell by the PACKED campground. Not one empty spot our entire stay. Nice place – nice people – food trucks and a band on Saturday night – what’s not to love about that??? We enjoyed rockin’ out!!!
The downtown area of Coeur d’Alene was pretty cool. We saw lots of great shops and restaurants. The city parks down by Lake Coeur d’Alene were beautiful and packed with peeps who were getting a swim in, as it was over 100 degrees the entire time we were there. There are tons of things to do at the lake including boat cruises and sea plane tours. It is also home to the longest floating boardwalk in the world at 3300 feet long!!! What a unique experience…..
The Scenic Byway on one side of Lake Coeur d’Alene offered stunning views from the top. Yellowstone Trail Road on the other side also offered beautiful views along with some gorgeous homes!!!
Very pretty area…………..onward………
July 1 - 10 West Glacier, Montana
Moose Creek RV Park
As the day dawns, lucky we are to have the freedom to travel. Embrace the world and let the journey unfold.
Making our way through the beautiful Montana countryside, the weather seems to change on a dime. Blue skies to threatening thunderstorms.
What is that up ahead??? Oh….it’s an animal crossing bridge – how cool is that???
Of all the places we’ve traveled, this amazing place is one we’ve never been to. We’re here!!!! Another bucket list for us. The excitement is hard to contain when you’ve got these
HUGE, gorgeous mountains staring at you……..OMG……………awesome……Glacier National Park…….
The drive to the campground was pretty cool. After getting off the main highway, the 2 lane road followed the HUGE Flathead Lake. Man what scenery!! Plus a few horse crossings here and there.
Glacier National Park requires a vehicle pass to enter at 3 of the main entrances between 6am – 3pm. They are available on line 120 days prior to the date you want. We were not successful getting advance passes. However, you CAN get in before 6 or after 3 without a pass. The day after we arrived we got our butts up at 4:45am to get ready and be in the park before 6am. Yayyy! We did it…….was it worth it??? You bet ya!! The other multiple days in the park we were successful getting passes each night at 7pm when about 1200 next day passes are released – excellent!!!!!
We entered thru the West Entrance…. The main road from west to east and vice versa is the famous Going to the Sun Road. Man oh man!!! Words simply cannot describe the pure beauty that Mother Nature has provided within this massive National Park. If you are squeamish about heights and no guard rails to speak of, this road is NOT for you – LOL!!!
However you can take the “Red Bus” tour. We drove it at least 10 different times. Glacier – the Crown of the Continent - a showcase of melting glaciers, alpine meadows, carved valleys, THE most stunning waterfalls, and spectacular lakes!!
The only animal we didn’t see was a Moose – but what we did see? Wow – we were like 2 little kids every time we spotted a furry four legged creature – LOL!!!
And here we are along the Continental Divide again…….can’t keep count how many times we’ve crossed it…..
Oh – and don’t dare have 1 spec of a tire over the parking space line or you’ll get one of these!!!
Glacier is a hiker’s paradise! Some hikes were WAY too difficult and long for us. We chose the somewhat less difficult ones this time around, mostly because Donna’s ankle was still not 100%. Our biggest accomplishment was the hike to Hidden Lake – up hill – thru the snow – around a couple of very steep curves. Yayyy – we did it!!!!
Another hike called Trail of the Cedars was just a stunning trek thru the thick forest of 3 types of cedars. Along the way were beautiful moss covered rocks, waterfalls, and a variety of flowers and ferns. Wow!!! The prize at the end was Avalanche Lake – wowee!!!
There are several lodges within the park, the most famous being the Many Glacier Hotel.
Way on the northeast side of the park, what a beautiful setting on Many Glacier Lake. All of the lodges are Swiss in style and have no AC or TV’s. We had a nice “linner” and on our way out, we were treated to these cuties crossing a parking lot.
What a fabulous place. If you’ve never been, it’s a must see………………
