Helena, Montana

Here we are on Sunday.  John's gofer hunt was successful and guys had a lot of fun.  Mary & I went downtown to Farmer's Market.  About a block long and only a few veggie places.  We went to Wal-Mart and got a few things we needed and then showed me around airport area.  Guys met us and we took a tour of the city.  This is us on the tour train.  The courthouse was just beautiful.  A thunderstorm was brewing and John got it on film for you.  It rained a few drops on us while we were on train and that was it.  We saw this fire tower (they used it in olden days to see fires in downtown).  The town burned to the ground many times.  Nice walking area downtown and we had the best prime rib dinner.   Saw lots of deer in rural lawns eating trees and flowers.  We saw some beautiful old homes (actually mansions).  Here are Jim, Mary & us at their house.  We learned to play some new card games and enjoyed hanging out at their house and watching the view and the storms roll through.  Unfortunately we only had a little rain. JVP 

Helena, Montana

We arrived here in Helena on Wed and went to our trailer park and got set up.  Went into town and met with our Navy friends at their printing shop.  After work we went up to their house which is outside of town up on the hills.  What a gorgeous view they have and was fun to watch the sunset and storms roll through.  Friday, John & I went on a boat tour called Gate of the Mountain.  We went down the Missouri River and saw the high limestone cliffs and heard about the history of this area.  Lewis & Clark traveled extensively in this area.  We saw a young bald eagle, pelicans, hawks and other birds (don't remember all the names).  What a great trip and only cost $10 for 2 hour ride.  When we got back we moved the motor home to Jim's shop as it is closer to them.  We had wine time in our home and showed it to them.  Also drove into town and saw their new home (4300 ft).  Nice home too (they want to be closer to their kids in town and stuff going on in here).  Today is Sat. and Mary & I are going to Farmers Market and guys went gofer shooting on a farmers property.  Farmers don't like them digging holes as their animals fall into them and get hurt so they let us hunt them.  

Great Falls, Montana

First day here at Dick's RV Park we got set up and went to Visitor Center.  Drove down to closest falls but most of the water is being deverted to make electricity.  Went to Super Wal Mart to get groceries, got my nails done and just hung out.  We barbecued that evening and went to show to see Wall E.  Weather has been great=great big blue skies and temp is in 80's.  Today we clipped Max's nails which was quite a job.  We drove to Charlie Russell Museum and looked at all his art work, sculptors and guns.  We've been here before but it was fun doing it again.  Than we rode down to Ryan Falls.  It was a beautiful park to have a picnic and water going over dam was spectacular.  We had to walk across the swinging bridge=felt like Indian Jones!  This was the first waterfall that Lewis & Clark came to which they had to carry their boats along shore and than found another falls.  John had the motor home washed today=2 cute teen age girls did it and didn't cost that much.  The picture of the elk was painted by Charlie Russell and was to be sold and go out of state but lot's of people bought an inch of the painting and raised enough money to keep it here in Montana.  

Glacier Nat. Park

  Sun, Aug 3rd we spent the day in Glacier Nat. Park.  We decided to drive the park by ourselves rather than take a tour.  Their is only one main highway called Going to the Sun, which is 50 miles across.  What a beautiful park!  It is a huge park and the water is that beautiful blue/green color and so many waterfalls and Huge mountains.  It is not made from the ice age but small glaciers from about 10,000 years ago.  The mountains are covered with trees, glaciers and tower above you.  It is a hikers Paradise since their are thousands of trails and really the only way to see anything.  We walked down to see a few of the waterfalls, had lunch at a restaurant at the end of the park and then drove home along the edge of the park.  It was a beautiful day with a lot of clouds around and even had a few sprinkles.  They are working on the road once you get to the top-only one lane so we had to wait at the light for awhile.  Luckily it wasn't too long=guess it can be an hour wait at times.  We drove by THE WEEPING WALL=where it is sheer rock with water running the length of it and a waterfall far up the mountain.  On the way home we saw some mountain goats along the side of the road climbing the mountain.  Did some laundry,made spaghetti for dinner and got beat a game of cribbage.  This has been a nice RV park close to the Nat. Park.  Weather has been in the 70's at camp and in the Nat. Park 60's.

Onward and across country

We have been in Idaho for a few days.  We camped at Blue Lake Campground where we have camped for years.  It has been closed for a few years and are glad to see it open again.  Not many people there but since we parked on the top of the hill and could be seen from the highway a few more people came in.  We should have gotten a break in our stay since we brought them more business but is was an inexpensive place anyway and we need to keep them going.  We went to our friends Bob & Laurel's place and found all kids gone to summer school so had a nice quiet visit.  They have a Pomeranian dog named Minny and a puppy named Max.  They just love those 2 dogs and they are so cute.  Max and Buddy got out of car and were met by wild cats-Buddy just missed getting his eye taken out so they stayed in car after that.  Buddy got Max's virus so we been up all night taking him out to potty.  Today after their medicine they are both fine and we have had a couple good nights sleep (other than the trains that go by at night close to our motor home).  We went out for Chinese dinner and picked kids up from friends houses in town.  Next day was real cloudy and did spit a few drops of rain.  Met Bob & Laurel in town for breakfast as Laurel had massage appt. for pinched nerve in neck from holding phone while working.  Saw all their families homes being built on the property and apartments they have built in bottom of hill.  Laurel got a call, they needed her at work for a short time so I went with her.  We picked up their 18 year old boarder, dropped her off at work and than I drove her car 40 miles to the border of Canada to this boys' adoptive parents house in the country to get his things.  Unfortunately everything had been thrown outside and gotten wet.  I felt so sorry for him but he took it really well, sorted through it and took what was still usable.  I just wanted to get home before anybody came.  It was quite an experience for me since I don't even like to drive my own car when I'm not familiar with the area.  John & Kenny got to work on a small wood project they both enjoyed.  Nice seeing everybody here and keeping up with their lives.  Left late this morning after we had coffee at motor home and drove to a park here at edge of Glacier Nat. Park here in Montana.  Diesel was $4.59 today.  Tomorrow we go explore the park.  It is beautiful here with mountains all around, big blue sky with puffy white clouds and temp in 70's. JVP

End of July

Tonight we are in Idaho.  We have spent the last 2 days in Goldendale, Wash with our friends Scott & Doreen.  First day we caught up on news, met their grandson Brent who is staying with them for the summer while he attends local college, laundry and getting Max medicine from the local vet.  He's better now.  Next day was cloudy, windy and had a few sprinkles.  We drove down the hill to Maryhill and got peaches and tasted local wine.  Had a great barbecue and played a few games of Spinners(a dominoes game).  The guys won both nights.  

Found out that Calif had had an earthquake so had to call all the kids and see how everybody was.  Just minor breaking of dishes and picture frames on the floors.  We seem to always be on the road when catastrophic things happen.  Missed the big quake in Big Bear, the 9/11 Towers crash and now this earthquake.  We have had a nice drive through Washington today.  Left late from Goldendale and had lunch at Preston Winery in Washington.  Tasted a few of their wines, too.  We decided to spend the night here just outside of Spokane before heading to our friends house in Idaho.  Weather is sunny and warm at last but will be 49 Deg. this evening.   

Long Beach, Washington

  Weather here along the coast of Washington, has been typical beach with fog in morning and clear by afternoon.  It has been in the 60's.  We drove to Cape Disappointment=named because the Capt of a ship couldn't find the safe way in to the river and ran aground.  We visited the lighthouse and were sore the next day from climbing the steps to the top.  Visited the state campground and had clam chowder in Ilwaco on the pier.  The next day we drove through Astoria and went to Tillamook, Oregon.  We enjoyed the tour of the cheese plant and the samples.  Had an ice cream=really yummy and did some shopping.  We ate lunch we had packed on the way back home.  Even though a weekday there was a lot of traffic going home.  Max has had his usual traveler's diarrhea=at least it took him a month before he got it.  He's been on a special diet and medicine and is doing better now.  John is certainly glad that he can sleep in now and not have to be getting up at all hours with him.  We discovered some friends from Fantasy Tours trip in our campground and have been to dinner with them at Crab Pot.  Had good seafood there.  Have enjoyed having Pat & Elmon to share dinners, wine and camp fire with.  Sat we did some laundry=it was really drizzly and than went to beach to see the sand sculptures.  They were really fun and lots of kites flying too.  Walked the town and looked for treasures and ice cream.  Ran into our friends Keith & Pat again for lunch at the Loose Caboose.  They leave tomorrow too for a month along the Oregon coast, Pat & Elmon left for Washington to see their friends and we are now in Portland.  It was overcast here but much warmer.  Did some house cleaning to get rid of  forest camping and got car washed=it was dirty from sand and mist.  We  spent the evening with our friends Joe & Colleen's kids here.  Had a great barbecued salmon and veggie dinner and saw pictures of places they had been and where we are going in Michigan. JVP