Glacier National Park

We had a choice to stay in the Walmart parking lot an extra day or two...or head on up to St. Mary's.  Liz, Mitch and I took the St. Mary's choice. After arriving at the campground Thursday and watching the other rigs roll in all evening we were happy to have come early and staked our claims.  The new reservation system was to take affect June 1, so directions were to pay for only one night and check back on Friday for what may be available.  When checking back today Liz and I were able to remain in the sites we chose until Monday. Mitch will have to switch her site Sunday nite but then if you saw her blog post regarding the view out her window you may understand that someone would know to reserve that site. As we looked around at the available sites and the limitations that many had for larger rigs. Liz called Birdie and Nan and went ahead and made reservations for both of them coming in tomorrow for sites that we thought would accommodate their rigs with a minimum of leveling required.  

Someone asked for a picture of what Walmart parking can look like. It is so exciting isn't it? There is a second "Fun Finder" trailer sitting next to Mitch's....and they didn't even say "Howdy".  There were several other rigs in the lot making their way to somewhere else.

There was also this vehicle, whose owner apparently has strong feelings regarding his right to smoke. The plates said he was from Kentucky....   If the car hasn't already been on the "People of Walmart" site....look for it.

Mitch, Liz, Nan and I borrowed Herbie and drove over to the famous "falls" and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. There is a fish hatchery in there somewhere, also, and the springs that the explorers wrote about finding near the falls.

One of the falls was lost when the dam went in but they built the dam so that they could show another of the remaining falls.  After all that paddling UPSTREAM and all to get out and have to portage around 18 miles of falls was pretty challenging.

This is a picture of the falls before the dam was built right after the railroad bridge was built in 1901.

And then we headed over to the spring and the hatchery. The spring area is on the left of the walkway.  I tried to imagine how surprising a find it would have been as they explored the falls.

You can see the water rolling to the top of the spring.

Looking directly down into the water .

Quiet now, the baby fish are busy growing in their tubs....  (The big fish were outside swimming around...)

After the springs we went over to the Lewis and Clark Center.  We watch two short movies. One about the complete trip and one specifically about the portage over the falls. There were several school classes also wandering in fairly well mannered groups but the place is so big that we really didn't feel overcome by students. Three of the classes watched the second movie with us and though both Liz and I are both retired teachers we learned a new concept.  I will need to check it out with my daughter who is an artist and an art teacher.  

The children were reminded several times to use their "Fine Arts Behavior".....  Okay, we were in a museum, maybe that was it.  As you can see in some following photos, we found out about "Fine Arts Behavior," after we had gone through most of the museum.  Mitch might have benefited from some reminders. We are all picking up useful knowledge and information on this trip. There are times one must use his or her Fine Arts Behavior.....

The display inside the building showing five men pulling the boat up.  As you can see on Nan's blog we were not as strong as these guys. Nan did win the pulling contest.

This was a picture taken during a reenactment.

The following photos were taken during a reenactment also.  These were interactive, educational displays.  And, yes, that 15 pound baby and cradle board was heavy even when Mitch put it on correctly.

 

As we were leaving the center a woman stepped out of what looked like a small office and congratulated us for having so much fun.  All we could figure is that she had been watching security cameras. We did have fun.

We got back to Walmart and three of us gathered our wagons to head to St. Mary's campground in Glacier National Park.  Birdie was off birding with some friends and Nan was waiting to pick up her mail that was being delivered Friday.  Liz, Mitch and I headed up the highway with mountains in the distance reminding us that the land would not stay flat forever.

As we made our way closer to the park we had to drive past the skeletons of trees from a past forest fire.

It is easy to understand why the "Going to the Sun" road is still closed when this is still hanging around at the lower levels.

Now isn't this a picture for an RVing advertisement with Mitch's little trailer on the left.

Liz and I and the dogs took an early morning walk Friday, up the road and along the lake.  Herschel was happy he found his first bear scat.   We had to remind him that it was not breakfast.

 Later in the morning Mitch drove us up the road as far as it is open.  We got out here and there along the way and did some hiking and more picture taking but that those stories will be for another day.  

And to answer Kathleen's question we don't always eat dinner together but there are some very fine cooks in this group and we "often" find ourselves with a reason to share what is being cooked ...or "needs" to be eaten.  I have not found my specialty, yet.  Others have also observed that I was the least likely to be able to invite four friends in at one time for any reason.  Some how the dog crates as useful as they are to the dogs don't make good dinning tables.  I will need to wait for warmer weather and offer an outside venue!