DAY 10 – 12 ~ GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Wow, what a beautiful drive on 93 thru north Idaho into Montana.  We climbed up to 5000 feet on a winding road following the Clearwater River through Bitterroot National Forest into Missoula.  The river was running full with lots of rapids.  When we reached the top of Lolo Pass we stopped at the visitor center and had some lunch out behind the center sitting in the warm sun with snow at our feet.  This is the same route Lewis and Clark traveled in 1804 as they traveled westward to find the Pacific Ocean. 

We continued driving over the pass and downhill still following the river but now it has a different name (Lochsa River) and the rapids are flowing the opposite direction.

 

This was a very long drive.  After 307 miles and 7 hours we finally arrived at the KOA in West Glacier, Montana.  This KOA is one of the best we’ve been in.  200 sites spread out on several acres.  Some in the woods, some out in the open.  The sites are level and nicely landscaped.  There are several comfort stations.  Two swimming pools, one for family and one for adults.  There is even an ice cream shop and a small café. We had a great view of the mountains from our site. It was sunny and quite warm as we settled in.  The rains started during the night and continued the next day.  Oh well. 

We had two full days to enjoy Glacier National Park.  The main road that goes over the pass, Going-to-the-Sun Road was closed.  We have visited this park several times and each time that highway has been closed.  We just visit too early.  There is still snow on that pass when we visit in the spring.  Next time we will visit in the fall. 

  

Our first stop is Polebridge, a one building town on a dirt road that is just outside the park boundary.  The one building in Polebridge is the mercantile and bakery.  They make the best cinnamon rolls.  This time we also had a huckleberry bear claw.  Yummm.  Before we left we bought a loaf of huckleberry beer bread to enjoy back at the trailer. 

 

We drove as far as we could on the Going-to-the-Sun Road seeing the sights and making a stop at what we think is Avalanche Creek, which was running hard with lots of rapids.  On the way back we visited McDonald Lake and lodge and had a nice lunch there.  It was a beautiful day with great scenery.

Avalanche Creek (I think)

     

I think this is Avalanche Creek running into McDonald Lake

McDonald Lake

The next day we visited Waterton Lakes National Park on the north side of Glacier NP.  Waterton is actually in Canada (British Columbia).  There are no roads going into Waterton on the west side of Glacier so we had to go south around the boundary of the Park to East Glacier. Then go north crossing the border into Alberta and into Waterton.  It was a two-hour drive, but very scenic.

  Lower Waterton Lake

Middle Waterton Lake

We stopped at Prince of Wales Hotel and had High Tea with a view of Waterton Lake.  It was a beautiful day with good food and great scenery.

 Back of Hotel overlooking Waterton Lake

Those 3 big windows is the lounge where we had High Tea.  

 

This is the town of Waterton Lake.  

In Canada the National Parks are built around towns.  So the public actually live inside the park and run businesses.

Wild animals such as elk and big horned sheep make themselves at home in front of businesses and on resident's lawns.  We have actually seen elk relaxing on people's front porches.  We came across this big horn sheep resting on someone's lawn.  

Tomorrow we head back to Alberta, Canada to visit Banff and Jasper.

DAY 6 – 9 ~ IDAHO

Now we head north making our way through Idaho.  We will spend the next four days in the cities of Twin Falls and Boise and an overnight stay in the small town of Grangeville before we head into Montana.

DAY 6 - TWIN FALLS

It was an uneventful drive into Idaho to Twin Falls.  After 249 miles and 5 hours we arrive at 93 RV Park about 6 miles outside of Twin Falls.  This RV park is right next to Highway 93, thus the name.  It’s an okay park, small but clean and nicely laid out.  At the entrance is a large area of bearded irises in full bloom…beautiful. 

Even though we are only staying one night we did unhook and drove into town to have a late lunch, early dinner (@ 4pm).  After the meal, it was still daylight so we decided to visit Twin Falls landmark, the Snake River Canyon and Shoshone Falls.  There is another set of falls called the Pillar Falls.  But the Shoshone Falls is the more famous of the twin falls.  This time of year, in the spring, the Snake River swells with snow melt, creating an awesome display at the waterfall.  Later in the year it dries up. The falls plunges 212 feet into the lower Snake River making it one of the tallest waterfalls in the US.  The 1,000-foot span of Shoshone Falls is actually a series of falls; Bridal Veil, Bride’s Maid, Bridal Falls, Two Graces, and Sentinel (the largest).

Snake River Canyon

 

Our first wild animal sighting - a Marmot!...

DAY 7& 8 – BOISE

It was an uneventful drive to Boise.  After 146 miles and 3 hours, we arrived at High Valley RV Park about 5 miles outside of Boise.  This park is a very nice park with almost 200 sites.  There is a pool and spa, a playground for kids and a very nice rec hall.  The book exchange is awesome.  Three tall, large book shelves full of books to exchange and part of one shelf is full of DVDs and VHS to check out for free.

 

 

 We are in Boise for a short stay.  We visited the Idaho Botanical Gardens.  These gardens are a must see if you ever visit Boise.  50 acres on a site that in 1973, served as the State Penitentiary’s farm and nursery.  The penitentiary walls boarder the garden.  Being spring time, the garden is in full bloom and it is beautiful!  Lots of bearded irises all over the grounds.

 

This one is interesting; variegated irises.  Saw an ad from Cottage Gardens in Petaluma.  They sell them there.  Going to get one when I get home.

Later in the day we did some shopping at Trader Joe’s (yeah!).  This will be our last chance for a month or so to shop TJ’s.  To find it we drove all over town and passed the state capital a few times trying to find TJ’s (it’s right in the heart of the city).  Boise is a large city.  It is the capital of Idaho.  There are lots to see and do here; zoo, aquarium, and several museums.

DAY 9 – GRANGEVILLE

After Boise we headed north through Idaho with an overnight stop at Grangeville before heading into Glacier National Park.  This was a nice drive as we climbed up to 5000 feet on Hwy 95.  We followed the Salmon River which was running full and rapid with snow runoff.  Lots of rapids.  Saw lots of kayaks.  No rafts though.  Probably too fast and dangerous for the bigger boats. This part of the drive was very beautiful. 

After 190 miles and 4 hours we arrived at Bear Den RV Park.  This is a smaller park with 35 sites.  It has a nice landscaped area.  Our site had a nice view across the valley.  We could see a golden meadow full of canola flowers.  The seeds from these flowers are pressed into canola oil.  We found a nice café in town to have lunch and on our way back to the trailer, the dark clouds opened up and we were treated with a thunder storm.  Quite the show. 

This pic was taken after coming back from lunch; when the thunderstorm hit us.

 Fields of canola flowers.

Tomorrow we drive into Glacier National Park for three days.