Westward to Glacier National Park, MT

5/5/2016 –  We are finally bound for Alaska after much anticipation and planning after an extended visit with the Daniels family. We enjoyed visiting friends and family celebrating several birthdays, dinners out and a few rounds of golf with friends.  We started off a few days late due to some needed repairs on the RV to prepare for the journey to Alaska, but we did have some extra time built in the itinerary, so no worries.  Got a late start on day one leaving Bordentown NJ at 3:00pm, tried to make it to Ohio, but fell about 50 miles short. Spent the night at Camp Wal-Mart, did some shopping and turned in for the night.  The only excitement was waking up in the morning to find two idiots had parked right in front of the RV.  With some careful maneuvering, we were able to get out without too much trouble, but I was really tempted to soap their windows and leave a special message. 

Rolled through Ohio without too much delay and settled in for the night in Bristol IN at a really nice, well maintained and secluded campground (Eby’s Pines RV Park and Campground) just outside of Elkhart, RV capital of the world.   Happy to say the RV is running great after the spruce up at Pioneer Truck, total four wheel brake job, fluid changes, belts, and filters and she is purring like a tiger.  Keeping an eye on the devastating wild fires in Alberta Canada to see if we will need to make changes to our planned itinerary to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks.  There have been some reports that portions of the Alaskan Highway have been closed due to the wildfires and 90,000 people have been evacuated.

 Day three finds us in Black Water Falls WI, land of the cheese heads.   1100 miles down, 2400 miles to go to Prince Rupert and our ferry to Ketchikan AL, but lots of adventure before we get there on 5/31.  Spending the night in Camp Wal-Mart, and our camping neighbors are a new rock group by the name of “Bridge to Grace”, make sure you check them out as they recently released their first album in August 2015.  After we checked them out online and listened to some of their music, we bought their album, a shirt and skull cap, and wished them good fortune in the future.

Day four we traveled from WI to MT some 500 miles and spent the night at Silver Wolf Casino in Wolf Point MT.  Tiny little casino no bigger than an oversized garage, which we found was the average size throughout MT. Upon arrival it started to rain and the wind kicked up to 25 mph continuing through the night.  We were also right next what turned out to be a very busy train track.  Chippy counted at least eight passing trains through the night as the motorhome rocked with the wind.  I slept right through it, but Chippy not being a sound sleeper had very little sleep.    The day was spent traveling through North Dakota over hill and dale past farms and ranches of enormous proportions.  Passed through Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Painted Canyons which were really beautiful.

 

 

Our final day’s travel to Glacier National Park proved very interesting.  The rain continued from yesterday but turned to snow and ice later in the day with 20 to 30 mph crosswinds buffeting us all day long.  By the time we reached Shelby MT some 300 miles into the travel day, the precipitation finally stopped and only the winds remained.  The final 130 miles to West Glacier was a much more pleasant drive with amazing views of Glacier National Park in the distance as the winds finally calmed.  After the scenic drive circling the outer route of Glacier, we arrive at our home for the next five nights while we enjoy this beautiful national park.  We were surprised to see about 15 other RV’s at the campground this early in the season as we settled in for a relaxing night next to the campfire.  The temperature is a comfy 59 degrees outside but as the sun finally sets around 9 pm, the cool night air makes the fire a welcome comfort. 

 

 

 

The only thing I can say about our first day visiting Glacier National Park is WOW, what an amazing place this is.  Today we spent the day driving the “Going to the Sun” road and hiking through West Glacier, visiting Apar Village, Avalance Creek, Lake McDonald Lodge, Lake McDonald, and Polebridge.  The only wildlife we saw were prairie dogs and deer, good thing since we forgot to take our bear spray, which will not happen again.  The snow covered mountains reflecting their magnificence in the lake was simply amazing.  The streams, rivers and waterfalls feeding Lake McDonald were the only interruption of the quiet beauty of the park.  We are too early in the season to be able to traverse the entire “Going to the Sun” road from West Glacier to St Mary’s, a 48 mile route, so we will have to take the long way around the park to see the other side, not a problem as driving is what we do, LOL.  We finished off the day with a visit to the  general store and bakery in Polebridge and treated ourselves to a homemade pecan cinnamon bun as we sat on the porch and took in the scenery.