August 10, 2010 ~ Tuesday
Missoula, MT ~ 75o ~ Clear
………..I want to see the mountains in your eyes”. I have been singing that song in my head non-stop since arriving in Montana yesterday. This is only my 2nd time in the state and I am warmly reminded why I enjoyed it so much the first time; it’s just beautiful. Last night we stayed in a picturesque little campground (The Rivers Edge) along the Blackfoot River right outside of Missoula. It was nestled in a little valley between mountains, right off the interstate, complete with bar, restaurant, casino & inn – one-stop shopping!! Of all the campgrounds we’ve stayed in over the past couple of years, this one ranks near the top.
We were here 7 years ago; Chip, our son Chase, myself & Chip’s parents, Bob & Lynda. We were in this very motor home & pulling a trailer loaded with our motor cycles. We dropped the bus & trailer in Billings, then rode our bikes over 2000 miles touring Montana, Glacier National Park & Yellowstone. That was my first BIG solo bike ride; had an absolute blast!! Chase rode with Chip; Bob & Lynda doubled up as well. The scenery was (& still is) heavenly but for me the serenity of riding solo in such a big, wide open space was both empowering and therapeutic.
Hhhhuuuummm, why am I even thinking motorcycles? Seems we’ve been passed by a few hundred already over the past couple days. That would be because Sturgis is having its annual bike rally this week!! Now it seems we are gonna’ “swing through Sturgis” on the way home – how coincidental. While I love riding bikes, I am not a big rally fan (been there, done that SO many times). I go along for a couple reasons only; good entertainment (watching adults makes total fools of themselves & to see the latest fashions in the bike world). Duh - I should have known that’s why Chip so willingly volunteered to eat Italian for lunch yesterday in Coeur D’Alene!! Guess it only makes sense to do the local thing while “in the area”. Maybe we can “swing thru” the mall of America in Minneapolis on the way home. Hey, fair is fair.
Ya’ll the past week has been wonderful! In my humble opinion, we have possibly seen the most BEAUTIFUL land ever; the Canadian Rockies (Jasper Nat’l Park, Banff Nat’l Park, Lake Louise, Columbia Icefield’s & a couple other points of interest). What can I say – awesome, majestic, pristine, massive, diverse; again God worked overtime. The weather was all over the place which, I feel, further enhances the scenery & the adventure. Too coincidental, I had a birthday last week which I decided to turn into a week-long celebration (and why not!!). It started with a pedicure in Dawson Creek, BC, then 2 nights in a great hotel in Jasper, AB (had a killer shower with all kinds of Koehler body jet fixtures), dinner out 4 times (but who’s counting), lots of pictures, lots of sightseeing & lots of wildlife (quite a bit of which was in Wild Bill’s Saloon in Banff)!! What more could you ask for while living the trip of a lifetime during your birthday – pinch me!!
Anywho – we are back in the states now; back to reality as we trek it on home. One thing I found kind of funny was that when we crossed the border from Canada back into the US, the transition was so obvious (not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing). Another thing I find peculiar on my journeys are the “panhandles” of certain states – why in the world did they go to the trouble of carving out a narrow little stretch of land sandwiched in between 2 other states or what have you, i.e. Florida, Oklahoma, Idaho. Regardless of our uniqueness, it feels real good to be “home” – one of the most magnificent, blessed & beautiful places on earth. Folks, we have it all right here and, after this trip, I feel we don’t quite appreciate “home” like we should; we all need to do our part & be active in whatever capacity (prayer, volunteering, voting, conserving, etc.). Never take this great land of ours for granted.
Stay tuned - I’ll keep you updated on the rest of the journey.
Xoxoxo to you all,
Missoula, MT ~ 75o ~ Clear
………..I want to see the mountains in your eyes”. I have been singing that song in my head non-stop since arriving in Montana yesterday. This is only my 2nd time in the state and I am warmly reminded why I enjoyed it so much the first time; it’s just beautiful. Last night we stayed in a picturesque little campground (The Rivers Edge) along the Blackfoot River right outside of Missoula. It was nestled in a little valley between mountains, right off the interstate, complete with bar, restaurant, casino & inn – one-stop shopping!! Of all the campgrounds we’ve stayed in over the past couple of years, this one ranks near the top.
We were here 7 years ago; Chip, our son Chase, myself & Chip’s parents, Bob & Lynda. We were in this very motor home & pulling a trailer loaded with our motor cycles. We dropped the bus & trailer in Billings, then rode our bikes over 2000 miles touring Montana, Glacier National Park & Yellowstone. That was my first BIG solo bike ride; had an absolute blast!! Chase rode with Chip; Bob & Lynda doubled up as well. The scenery was (& still is) heavenly but for me the serenity of riding solo in such a big, wide open space was both empowering and therapeutic.
Hhhhuuuummm, why am I even thinking motorcycles? Seems we’ve been passed by a few hundred already over the past couple days. That would be because Sturgis is having its annual bike rally this week!! Now it seems we are gonna’ “swing through Sturgis” on the way home – how coincidental. While I love riding bikes, I am not a big rally fan (been there, done that SO many times). I go along for a couple reasons only; good entertainment (watching adults makes total fools of themselves & to see the latest fashions in the bike world). Duh - I should have known that’s why Chip so willingly volunteered to eat Italian for lunch yesterday in Coeur D’Alene!! Guess it only makes sense to do the local thing while “in the area”. Maybe we can “swing thru” the mall of America in Minneapolis on the way home. Hey, fair is fair.
Ya’ll the past week has been wonderful! In my humble opinion, we have possibly seen the most BEAUTIFUL land ever; the Canadian Rockies (Jasper Nat’l Park, Banff Nat’l Park, Lake Louise, Columbia Icefield’s & a couple other points of interest). What can I say – awesome, majestic, pristine, massive, diverse; again God worked overtime. The weather was all over the place which, I feel, further enhances the scenery & the adventure. Too coincidental, I had a birthday last week which I decided to turn into a week-long celebration (and why not!!). It started with a pedicure in Dawson Creek, BC, then 2 nights in a great hotel in Jasper, AB (had a killer shower with all kinds of Koehler body jet fixtures), dinner out 4 times (but who’s counting), lots of pictures, lots of sightseeing & lots of wildlife (quite a bit of which was in Wild Bill’s Saloon in Banff)!! What more could you ask for while living the trip of a lifetime during your birthday – pinch me!!
Anywho – we are back in the states now; back to reality as we trek it on home. One thing I found kind of funny was that when we crossed the border from Canada back into the US, the transition was so obvious (not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing). Another thing I find peculiar on my journeys are the “panhandles” of certain states – why in the world did they go to the trouble of carving out a narrow little stretch of land sandwiched in between 2 other states or what have you, i.e. Florida, Oklahoma, Idaho. Regardless of our uniqueness, it feels real good to be “home” – one of the most magnificent, blessed & beautiful places on earth. Folks, we have it all right here and, after this trip, I feel we don’t quite appreciate “home” like we should; we all need to do our part & be active in whatever capacity (prayer, volunteering, voting, conserving, etc.). Never take this great land of ours for granted.
Stay tuned - I’ll keep you updated on the rest of the journey.
Xoxoxo to you all,
Cathy & the Gang
Shout Outs:
Happy Birthday Wednesday Randy
Happy Birthday Thursday Lynda
Army Graduation Congrat’s to Paxton
Army Graduation Congrat’s to Christian
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