Glacier National Park

This morning began with a very healthy breakfast--egg whites, steamed veggies, tea....and...well...huckleberry pie.  I found a restaurant called Bojangles that was recommended for its pie.  After being seated at the counter, I asked the waitress if it was too early for pie, so I'd know how to order.  With sparkling blue eyes, she quickly replied, "It's NEVER too early for PIE!"  I knew I'd found the right spot.

After filling up the dessert-tank, Max and I departed to Glacier National Park.  On our way we passed two helicopter tour businesses.  All of a sudden the car veered off the road and into the helicopter tour parking lot.  At the exact same time, Max gave me "potty eyes."  So, I had to get out and take him for a walk.  While I was giving Max some time, a very nice man came out to tell me all about his helicopter business.  Knowing that Going To The Sun Road was closed, I thought I'd listen because this would be a great way to see the park without being able to drive very far in.

So, I said, "Okay, let's go!"  And we did...

It was too windy to get above the Continental Divide, but this trip was absolutely worth it.  Such beauty, I cannot believe, except that I saw it with my own eyes.

Here is the car from above the helicopter business.

Max says, "woof."  This means---I love Glacier!

Fall colors on the ground.

Onward and upward!

Day One: To Kalispell, MT

God is brilliant when he goes to excess.  I've always heard that moderation is the key to a happy life.  Could be that we as humans aren't savvy enough to know when going overboard is just right.  Today I've seen a lot of God's heavy handed creation.  For instance...when God made the Columbia River Gorge green, he made it so green, almost blue!  But that could have simply been the blanket of thick blue fog tucked into the Gorge's corners this morning.  The fog looked like periwinkle polar fleece.

Then there was gold.  I came out from under the covers to find that once past the Cascades the land is rolling hills leading to plains of grasses so shimmering in the new sun that King Tut himself would be jealous.  The gold turned into a choppy jute carpet in southeastern Washington knotted and twisted with short, crunchy, combustible-looking shrubbery.  Max quickly discovered these low-lying shrubs had stickers on them.

I was overwhelmed by a gorgeous area called Coeur d'Alene just inside the Idaho border.  Beautiful sparkling cobalt water and the cleanest, best designed rest stop I've ever seen.  Max and I got out and played under beautiful cedars on a carpet of thick, green grass.

From there, the drive into Montana was incredible.  The topography changed from chubby nannies sleeping against St. Bernards, to giant angular eagles taking flight from their downy nests of evergreen trees.  Rock formations came one after another, each more beautiful than the last.  

Tonight, though, the most startling display I've seen in a great while.  God peppered the sky here in Kalispell with more stars than there are numbers.  Max and I went for a nice walk after arriving and settling in to very comfortable quarters.  It was nearly pitch black outside.  The air is the perfect temperature...that of summer being challenged by fall with a sprinkle of higher altitude thrown in.  The stars twinkled like they knew they were being watched and wanted to put on a show.  I'm lucky to have been in the audience. 

Clearly excess—but wonderfully so.

Departure Set

This Monday, September 27 I will be departing Salem in the wee early morning hours for a full day of driving.  I have been fortunate to have a home with good friends willing to host me in Kalispell, MT on Monday and Tuesday nights as I am set to explore Glacier National Park while there.

My living room, dining room, kitchen, and guest room are littered with gear, food, bags, containers, and all (hopefully) the necessities Max and I will need over the coming weeks.

I'm now set up on a Sprint 3G/4G network so I can post from remote locations.  I also have a Skype account and small camera that may allow me to video some postings from the road.  If anyone knows how to do this...please call.

The Road

"You will find that it is all very familiar...the strange and faraway places where you've never been. The wild unknown leads you to a place just around the corner.  Take a picture when you get there...the road is you."

- J. Bebe and R. Hammond from the movie Elizabethtown

The Route

View Roadtrip Fall 2010 in a larger map

Road trip help---calling all friends

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.  I will be writing to you about my adventures as I head from coast to coast in the coming weeks.  With me on my quest is my dog Max...or "Sir Maximillian Guinness."  He'll probably have something to say from time-to-time. 

I will be going through the following states:  Oregon (home), Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, California, Nevada, and a brief stay in Canada north of the Great Lakes.  That's 27 states, 2 countries, and the District of Columbia.

If you have friends or family in any of these states and along my route (see the Google Map), please let me know.  I'd love a place to stay, cook, or shower.  Just ask if your friends are dog-friendly.  Max is everything friendly as he is a mellow mutt.  I'd be happy to buy groceries and make a nice dinner in exchange for your family and/or friend's hospitality.

If anyone signs on to help me out, please email me their name(s), phone number, and email address so I can contact them.  My dates are flexible right now, but I will call with lots of notice to let people know when I'm in the area.

Thanks y'all!