Day 14: Crossing the Border

We left Glacier National Park by 9 am, heading north on Route 89 and reaching the US-Canada border in less than 20 miles.  No problems going through Canadian customs, and on we went, along Alberta Route 2.  Surprise---we very shortly saw the Rockies disappearing off to the west and our travel took us through wide open plains.  Who knew?  But then, my knowledge of Canadian geography is about nil.

Approaching Calgary, the mountains (snow-covered and huge) appeared again, far off to the west.  Driving through Calgary, a city of over a million people, was somewhat challenging (so I was glad that Dan was driving), but in Calgary we connected with the Trans-Canada Highway.  About sixty miles west we reached our destination: Banff National Park. 

I had reserved for three nights in their “Village 2 Campground” and was surprised to find that our site was in a long rectangular parking lot, with RV’s and trailers lined up end-to-end, as if they had parallel-parked.  Strange!  We had a very small area to the inside for a few chairs and a table, but not much. 

Having arrived early in the afternoon, the three of us headed out on foot to explore the town of Banff.  (There is bus service into town from the campground, but of course, they do not allow dogs. )  After a walk downhill of about thirty minutes we were there, and WOW, it is tourist-y!  Lots of expensive looking hotels and restaurants, gift shops, candy shops, coffee shops, and all packed with people.  It was a challenge to walk along the sidewalks with Ranger, with so many legs around him and so many interesting smells (not to mention all the bits of food that people had dropped).  We had a long uphill walk to return to the campground, and it was nice to get back to the relative peace and quiet.

Upon checking into the campground, we received stern warnings of two things: 1) keeping all food and attractants in the RV, so as not to bring in bears, given that one had been sighted in the area recently, and  2) absolutely no alcohol, it being a long holiday weekend in Canada.  So we had a bit of beer in coffee mug and Nalgene bottle along with our hamburgers, being very discrete about it! 

No photos for awhile, as Verizon in Canada is a bit problematic so I can't use but so many minutes on my phone which I use as a hot spot.  

Day 13: A little sunshine, a little rain, and LOTS of wind!

Now this is nice scenery to wake up to!

Thinking of waking up, one thing that is noticeable here is how long the day is.  When I went to bed at around 10:00 last night, it was still dusky, light enough to walk around without a flashlight.  I happened to wake up for awhile around 4:30 am and it was already getting light!  A combination of latitude and late June, I guess.

It did not get quite as cold as expected last night, but the wind blew hard all night....and also all day today.  Several locals we spoke to said that yes, it is usually this windy. These are about 20 mph winds sweeping down over the mountains (which are still covered with snow).  So if one is in the sun and out of the wind, the weather is quite nice, lower 60's.  If you're in the wind, however, that wind-chill factor sure takes over.  Brrr!

This park seems to be full of ground squirrels like these:

This one has a burrow right next to our picnic table, and Ranger has sniffed around the hole but not actually encountered the critter.  He does notice their high-pitched squeaks but he hasn't been able to figure them out yet, nor has he had an opportunity to give chase.

This morning we took the Beaver Pond trail which runs above St. Mary Lake.  We were on the lookout for bears, as was emphasized in the trail brochures that are given to everyone upon entry to the park.  We had not yet bought any bear spray---we got some later in the day---but I could not imagine using it with today's strong winds anyway.  Well, no bears (either black or grizzly) were seen along the way, but we did add a few new birds to the trip list, including the mountain bluebird.

The trailhead for Beaver Pond was at the site of a ranger's cabin, built in 1913.

The signboard described life for the family who lived there in the early 20th century, including having a mountain lion get into the attic and having a bear shred all the laundry strung out on the clothesline.  Not the life for me!

We decided to have lunch at the restaurant at the St. Mary's historic hotel, an excellent salmon sandwich for me and roast beef for Dan.    In order to see a bit more of the park, we drove to Rising Sun area, about 6 miles west of St. Mary along Going-to-the-Sun Road.    (Going-to-the-Sun is open from the east side of the park only 13 miles in, and vehicles longer than 21 feet are prohibited west of Rising Sun.)  Unfortunately it was raining by the time we got there, so we just drove through the campground (not as nice as ours) and the picnic area and headed back to our area, where a light drizzle soon gave way to more sunshine.  But still that wind!

Tomorrow we cross the border into Canada.  

Day 12: Moving farther north in Montana

We awoke to cloudy skies at Wayfarers, but no rain.  After putting everything away and filling the water tanks, we headed to Kalispell where we did some grocery shopping.  From there we followed Route 2 east and around the southern edge of Glacier National Park, our RV being too long to be permitted on Going-to-the-Sun Road through the park.  (As we found out later, that road is still closed due to snow!)

Our current campsite is in St. Mary Campground at Glacier.  Here’s a picture of the visitors center:

We have finally gotten out of the rain, but the temperatures are much lower and it is extremely windy.  Tonight it’s supposed to drop into the 30’s. 

Our site is good but very narrow and “backward” so that the table and fire ring are on the opposite side from our door.  In addition, the parking area is very narrow, with trees and shrubs close in on both sides.  Still the view of the mountains is pretty spectacular. 

We walked to the visitors center in late afternoon and found out that the shuttle buses to take visitors into various areas of the park are not yet running (from Apgar to St. Mary) as it is “too early in the season” and  the road is still closed due to snow.  So tomorrow if we want to see more of the park, we’ll need to drive the RV in.  We’re limited to a location six miles from St. Mary, but it might be worthwhile driving that far, then exploring that area a bit.  This being a national park, our dog is not welcome on hiking trails, so Ranger will likely spend much of the day in the RV. 

This campground, like the last one, does not have electricity, so we are working off the batteries, using minimal electric power---much more like real camping.  

Day 11: Rainy day in Montana

This photo was taken in late afternoon, looking over Flathead Lake following a day of drizzle.  So it was a lazy day, lounging around in the RV, reading, with an occasional foray out to give Ranger a chance to move around and take care of his business.  The park has been unusually sparse in terms of birds, but Dan ventured out while I was napping in mid-afternoon and saw some swallows and Western grebes.

It was a relief when the clouds broke up late in the day, so we were able to grill dinner and sit outside almost until dark, which in this last week of June is after 10 o'clock.  

Here are some pictures from the previous day when we were out-and-about more:

Shops in downtown Bigfork

Ranger admiring outdoor sculpture in Bigfork

Day 10: Bigfork, Montana

It seemed a shame to leave our pretty little campsite at Beavertail Hill, but with reservations farther north, we needed to move along.  We traveled west to Missoula, then north on route 93 toward Flathead Lake, which is the largest lake in the state.  And large it is!  When we approached from the hills overlooking it, from the south, it stretched on and on.  The road along the east side leading to our destination at the north end was 35 miles.   We turned in at Wayfarers State Park, just outside Bigfork, for two nights’ stay.

With the short drive we arrived in early afternoon, and with perfect weather we set out to explore the town a bit.  A walk of about one mile took us into Bigfork which is very small and very artsy.  The downtown is dominated by galleries, coffee shops, and restaurants.  It was surprisingly quiet on a Wednesday afternoon, this last week of June still being early for tourists.

The state park is small with just about 30 sites, with no electric or water hookups, so we are “roughing it”.   We can turn on the generator, as needed, but for now we are using minimal electricity and using water from the tanks. 

The weather forecast was for probable rain over the next four days, so it was not surprising to hear the patter on the roof very early this morning.  It is a light steady drizzle, enough to keep us inside most of the day.  This is when it is very nice to NOT be tent-camping!  

Day 9: Montana

We got an early start out of Billings and continued west on I-90 through Bozeman and Butte.  Shortly after getting on the highway, Dan said, "Karen, look ahead", and there were the Rockies, looming far ahead of us, with lots of snow on them.

Around 2:30 we pulled in at a small state park right off the interstate, Beavertail Hill State Park.  A few of the reviews of the park online complained about hearing train noise (tracks run parallel to I-90) and highway noise, and indeed we did hear the occasional train, but our site right along the fast-moving river was peaceful and the sound of the running water muffled any other sound. Great for sleeping!  Dan managed to get his Montana fishing license online and spent some time fishing along the river while Ranger and I walked the one-mile nature trail. There were rain showers on and off, mixed with occasional periods of sunshine,  with temperatures in the low 80's.  

So much better than a KOA!  While the lack of water hook-ups at the site and the lack of hot showers were a bit of an inconvenience, that was minor.  The great scenery, the little gray chipmunks (fun to watch for both Ranger and us!), and the privacy made this a wonderful stop along the way.  

A few more pictures

While we have good internet connection at the KOA in Billings, I'll post a few more photos:

Our campsite at the KOA in Billings, which was the first KOA ever opened.  

View out the back of the RV at the Billings KOA. These are bluffs along the Yellowstone River.

This was the campground in Mandan, ND at which we stayed two nights ago.

View of the Missouri River, looking toward Bismarck, ND.

Day 8: North Dakota to Montana

It was a long day of travel today, over 425 miles from the middle of  North Dakota to Billings, Montana.  

Knowing we had many miles to cover, we did not stop at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota, but it did afford some great views of multi-colored rock formations and buttes.  I wish I had been able to capture some photos, but at 60 mph.....not possible.

I remembered eastern Montana as rather boring scenery, and that was true.  Some rolling hills, some cows, some sagebrush.....many miles.

There wasn't much between ND and Billings, and we ended up at a KOA, parked parallel to two other RV's, with about 10 feet between.  Basically a parking lot.  The campground is packed, and as we sit here we can see a steady stream of additional campers coming in.  We ended up ordering a pizza rather than trying to grill dinner.   Hoping for a more enjoyable stop tomorrow night.  

Day 7: Minnesota to North Dakota

Today we finally got out of the rain and humidity, with sprinkles on the morning walk with Ranger and dark clouds in the rear-view mirror most of the way through Minnesota.  We took US Route 10 to Moorhead,  passed through Fargo, and took I-94 to Bismarck.  Our campsite is in Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park in Mandan, along the Missouri River.

I enjoyed the drive through North Dakota more than I expected to.  The land was very green, with rolling hills and lots of little ponds on which we frequently saw small ducks (unidentifiable at 60 mph). Our campsite is in an open grassy area with some trees for shade.  There were many party boats pulled up on a sandbar near the campground, with loud music and lots of people, but things quieted down in the evening.  On our evening walk we saw yellow warblers and black-headed grosbeaks, nice additions to this trip’s bird list.  We appreciate the lower humidity, and it should be good sleeping tonight, with lows near 50 predicted.  

Day 6: Minnesota

Our day at Charles Lindbergh State Park ended up being a quiet one, with much time spent inside, out of the clouds of mosquitoes.  Dan used the time to get better acquainted with his GPS unit, while I made pasta salad for the upcoming days’ luncheons and vacuumed the RV to get out some of the mud and dirt of the past week.  We ventured out for a 30-minute walk along some of the trails, well-covered in insect repellent, which did some good but was not totally effective.

Ranger acted strange all day, trembling and panting as if a thunderstorm was imminent, which was not at all the case on a beautiful sunny day.  There was some sort of festival going on in the town of Little Falls, from which we occasionally heard loud booms, so maybe that was what was bothering him.  He seemed exhausted by the end of the day.

Our next-door neighbors in this park were a young couple with this unusual rig.  It is a combination camping trailer/ice house, so in the Minnesota winters they pull it out on the ice to fish.  It is beautifully finished off inside, with much insulation and wood paneling.  They said that they always spend their New Year’s Eves fishing, and last winter at one point, they were out in -40 degrees, fishing (and were quite snug in their little hut)!

We are officially west of the Mississippi now, though just barely as the “mighty Mississippi” flows through the town of Little Falls, where we’re camping.  Next stop: North Dakota.  I hope we leave the mosquitoes behind. 

Day 5: Wisconsin to Minnesota

Friday was another travel day, up I-94 through Eau Claire, crossing the Mississippi near the Twin Cities, and on to Little Falls, MN, where we have a campsite for the weekend. Except for very slow traffic going around Minneapolis  (no accidents, no road construction---a mystery backup), the trip was uneventful.

 This park was the summer home and farm of "Lucky Lindy's" family. (They lived in Washington DC in the winter, as his father was a congressman.)  It's right on the Mississippi River which, on this morning's walk with the dog, was invisible due to morning fog.  

We arrived to sunshine, finally, and we hope to have everything dry by the time we leave.  Unfortunately,  Minnesota has been having the same weather as Wisconsin----lots of rain---and this park is muddy with lots of standing water.  This is the site across the road from ours:

So this is an environment just lovely for mosquitoes, and we were hit with swarms of them as soon as we got out of the RV.   Back to long pants, long sleeves, with the addition of lots of repellent.   This was a great opportunity to try out a gift that Kelly gave to  Dan: a Thermacell mosquito repellent which burns some sort of cartridge and is supposed to clear an area  15 x15.  We lit it up while Dan grilled chicken last night, and it certainly seemed to work.  Now....as far as trying out the muddy hiking trails....we'll see.  The rangers were talking as we registered about which trails were just muddy and which were impassable. Not a good sign.  

Day 4: Blue Mound State Park, Wisconsin

And the rain continues….

There was steady rain and much thunder all night Wednesday, and we awoke to a soaking wet campsite.  It was a good morning to lounge around and read, have a big breakfast, and listen to the rain on the roof.

There was a break in the weather around noon, so we were able to get Ranger (and us) out for a bit of exercise.  We walked up the park road to the top of the “mound” where we were able to climb an observation tower that provided a view for miles around. In better weather it would have made a great picture!   A trail through the woods brought us back to the campsite where we were able to enjoy our recliners outside for a few hours of reading before all the Dorgans arrived for another visit.  It was too wet to sit at the picnic table so we all stood around for awhile, then headed into Mount Horeb for dinner at the Grumpy Troll Brewery and Restaurant.  By this time, the sky was black with an approaching storm, but fortunately it resulted in just more rain, no high winds or hail.

Early to bed, with another drive tomorrow, and again we listened to a steady drumming on the roof as we fell asleep. 

Day 3: Illinois to Wisconsin

Good day or bad day?  This third day was mostly positive, though it certainly had its challenges.

Driving north on I-39, we went through a big storm with heavy rain and high winds. This was not totally unexpected given the miserable weather forecast for the coming three days.  However, by the time we arrived at Blue Mound State Park, outside Mt. Horeb, WI, the rain had stopped, and there were even a few rays of sunshine peeking through the clouds.  After setting up, we had some time to relax outside and read in the much-more-comfortable low 80’s temperatures, a relief after the heat of the trip so far.  The site here is set back in the woods, with dense vegetation, and the area is muddy with the past few days' rains.

Tim, Mike, and Eugene Dorgan arrived around 4:30, having driven up from Iowa following Gene and Mike’s visit to Tim’s house.  Kak and her friend Susan arrived soon afterwards, giving us a full house of Dorgan siblings, all except Sean.  We visited, drank some cold beverages, and enjoyed some bratwursts for dinner, with the rain holding off all evening. 

However, shortly after everyone left, the rain began again and it continued, hard (and loud on the roof) all night, and into this morning.  The hourly forecast shows it stopping around noon----we can hope----but I don’t think this day will provide much opportunity for exploring the many hiking/cross-country skiing trails in the park.

Later in the day we’ll re-connect with all the relatives, probably going out for dinner somewhere in Mt. Horeb.

Meanwhile…..the rain continues.

Day 2: Kentucky to Illinois

As I said to Dan late yesterday afternoon, "I hate Indiana!"

That's probably not fair. It's the stretch of Indiana along I-65 between Louisville and Indianapolis that I hate.  (Then again, I'm not fond of the end by Gary, but we didn't have to travel through there yesterday.)  It's a boring  ride, and we were jarred by a road badly  in need of repair, with mugs clanking in the cabinet and the screen door vibrating.  And then there was the road construction (much needed, I admit)----it went on and on. We sat in back-ups repeatedly, and in the end it was over nine hours in the RV to get  out of Indiana and into Illinois.

We spent the night in a small Illinois state park which we visited two years ago: Moraine View State Recreation Area.  When we were here before, the weather was rainy  and cold---I  remember pulling out our winter squall jackets to walk Ranger!  On this trip, it was windy and hot.  While it did cool off a bit in the evening, we ran the AC (again) in order to get a good night's sleep.  (AH, camping!)

The campground was about 5% full on this Tuesday night, so there was plenty of privacy.  Somehow we managed to select a spot about 3 sites  away from someone with a large black dog that keeps barking at Ranger, but I think he considers it good entertainment. 

We both had much needed showers in preparation for tomorrow's travel to Wisconsin where we will  see the whole pack of Dorgan sibs (all except Sean).

Day 1: Virginia to Kentucky

After a busy weekend of preparing and packing, we set off on our Alaska adventure this morning, Monday, June 16, at 9 am. The start of the trip followed a familiar route: I-64 west to Staunton,  then picked up I-81/I-64 to Lexington, then back to 64 into West Virginia.  The weather was sunny and hot, despite some possible thunderstorms in the forecast.  About 30 miles into Kentucky, we got off the highway and stopped at Carter Caves  State Park for the night.    The campground is nice, but if it were full (as it is in July and August according to the young man at the registration desk) it would feel a bit crowded. As it is, we have no close neighbors.

Ranger settled right into the usual routine, enjoying today's two rest area stops---lots of interesting things to sniff!  I suspect he was more than ready to go, after following on our heels all weekend, perhaps making sure that we didn't leave him behind.