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Moving out early from Deadwood, and once again taking advantage of the cheap buffet at the casino, I continue to head east in earnest.  First stop is in Wall SD to the famous Wall Drug Store.  Wall Drug is on the itinerary of BSA Troop 782, Livonia MI as they head to Philmont Scout Ranch in Arizona in the summer.  I remembered seeing lots of Wall Drug bumper stickers on the scout boxes of the older scouts.

I leave the RV at Wall Drug and take the Durango down the road about 20 miles to the east entrance of Badlands National Park.  By my most recent tally, this is my 11th National Park on this trip and my 33rd national property (monument, memorial, historic, trail, parkway, etc.).  I think I have more than gotten my money’s worth from my annual pass.

The Badlands are interesting in that you can be very close by and hardly see them.  Yet there they are with deep gorges and sharp cliffs that drop off.  The strata on cliff side is very interesting to view.  I did take a short nature hike where the most interesting site is all of the ‘Beware of Rattlesnake’ signs.

I could see where an outlaw could make himself scarce in this territory.

After I work my way back to Wall Drug, I hook back to the RV and head east into a wicked headwind.  About halfway across SD, I turn north towards the capital city of Pierre where I refuel, eat dinner, resupply and camp out overnight at Camp Wally. 

Moved directly out of Buffalo this morning and went directly to Devil’s Tower National Monument.  Many of you may recognize Devil’s Mountain from its key role in the movie ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’.  As you approach and first spot Devil’s Tower from a considerable distance.  It is the most conspicuous landmark in the area by far.

I take the scenic 1-1/2-mile hike around the mountain and take shots of all sides.  Interesting to note that nearly every shot I provide below has climbers included, usually a minimum of 3 to 4.  Hard to see in these photos but trust me they are there.

The NPS considers hiking and climbing an appropriate use of the park.  Also, the mountain has spiritual meaning to the area’s native Americans, and you will note below that there were a number of Spirit Offerings around the base of the mountain.

Spirit Offerings

Entered South Dakota today making this my 20th state visited on this trip, and number 44 lifetime.

Moved into Deadwood SD to camp for two nights and to visit Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills.  I got an early start the next morning and after a quick $5 all you can eat breakfast at one of the casinos in downtown Deadwood I head south towards the park.

Apparently, they have made some significant changes to the entrance to the National Park over the last several years, including parking structures, a new gateway entrance, a plaza dedicated to the artist and a parade of state and territory flags of the USA.  All of this frames the monument nicely and it was really an eyeful as you walk into the park.

I took the half mile sidewalk hike around the park including a visit to the Lakota Indian Village and close ups of the fellas.  This is as close as you can get as the rest of the area is closed off.

After leaving the park, I move further south through the Black Hills, and get one more view of the Monument from a considerable distance (about 10 miles).  I take the long way home and stop at several scenic viewpoints, lunch and the homecoming parade in beautiful downtown Custer, SD.

Mount Rushmore view as you enter the park

Close up of George

Close up of all the fellas

Lakota Village

Wooden Pigtail Bridge

Mount Rushmore from a distance

I broke camp this morning and made the short drive to the south side of Hardin to visit the Big Horn County Museum in Hardin.  This museum is sponsored by the local historical society, and they have done quite well at acquiring several good examples of structures from the surrounding area.  They are also adding a couple of new displays that will make this that much better.  Not a destination, but definitely something to see if you are passing through the area.

I left the museum and headed further south 15 miles to the Little Big Horn National Monument.  This park consists of the visitor’s center and cemetery I mentioned earlier, a museum, a pair of monuments to both natives and soldiers, as well as a driving tour of the battlefield itself.

I came to the park wondering to myself what went wrong.  The area is basically high plains with some undulating hills and a couple of nearby mountain ranges.  How could Custer not see all of those Indians?!?  How could he move into attack knowing he was dangerously outnumbered?  As I proceed through the driving tour, I continue to ponder these same questions as well as others such as why was he not better informed by his scouting corps? Why did he split his troops so many times (five by my count), and why did he allow them to attack at will rather than wait for everyone to get into position?

The site has markers placed where each combatant fell, identified whenever possible.  One of the pictures you see below includes Custer, and the last of his troops who surrounded him and tried to protect him to the last man.  His unit was annihilated, however several other companies that were a part of his total unit survived the night on a nearby hilltop that proved to be a fairly defendable position.

I left having more questions, mostly for Custer.  I now have a much better understanding of what happened.  Helps to see the battlefield in person.  I know historians have explored many of these questions over the years.

Markers where soldiers fell that fateful day.

Custer (with the flags) and his troops on the hillside and a monument honoring both the natives and the soldiers that fought here.

Moved down to SW Montana today, set up camp then took the short drive down to Little Big Horn National Monument to check out Custer’s last battle ground and to scout for space for the rig so I can come back in the morning to spend the better part of the day.

Made a brief stop at the Visitor’s Center, then toured the National Cemetery that is a part of the park.  The graves here are veteran’s from various wars, not necessarily the battle.

Moved down to Great Falls today and made camp.  After a quick lunch I head on up into Great Falls and ride approximately 24 miles on The River’s Edge Trail along the Missourti River.  This trail has some very scenic and some not so scenic vistas as you ride about east and north of downtown Great Falls.  There are a couple of short uphill pulls, but otherwise this was a fairly easy ride.  Was able to squeeze this ride in before dinner.

A note about the KOA where I stayed in Great Falls.  There is a young family managing this park and they have gone to great pains to plant lots of new landscape beds with flowers.  They have also planted small plots of vegetables in several different areas of the campground, and they offered that you could help yourself to whatever you liked.  This was a nice bonus to staying at this particular KOA.

Moved over to the east side of Glacier NP today, camped in St Mary, then headed out to grab some lunch and do a part of the park.  Bad news about lunch (and everything else for that matter).  The season is over, everything is closing.  Finding any services open at this point is a crap shoot.  I did manage to find a bar open for lunch.

After lunch, I moved up into the Many Glaciers area of Glacier NP.  Drove to the end of the road and went on a couple of short hikes, the highlight of which was a little downy woodpecker.  Heard him before I saw him.  I was walking slowly through a little stand of quaking aspens and heard the familiar tap tap tap.  He posed for over 30 photos, and even gave me some time to change lenses.  He stayed within about 15 feet of the trail and in the sun for the most part so I could get lots of chances.  One of the first shots I took was the best.  As a parting goodbye, he gave me that familiar woodpecker cackle as I moved on down the trail.

And this is the third park where I managed to find and walk on the CDT.  First Rocky Mountain, then Yellowstone with Tracey and now Glacier.

On the way back to camp, hit horrid traffic.  That’s what I get for being on the road in Montana right in the middle of rush hour . . .

Downy Woodpecker

CDT Trailhead

Montana Rush Hour Traffic

On Saturday, I head up the eastern portion of the Going-to-the-Sun road to site see and hike.  I hike up the trail to view two outstanding waterfalls and get a lot more opportunities for some great landscape photos.

Wild Goose Island in St Mary Lake

Blackfoot Mountain

Going-to-the Sun Mountain

St Mary Falls

Virginia Falls

Virginia Falls

An Aster at Virginia Falls

Sunset over Two Medicines Lake

I took these photos as parting shots as I head south and east from Glacier National Park on Sunday morning.

I took these photos as parting shots as I head south and east on Sunday morning.

  Glacier National Park
Went into Glacier NP today and took two radically different hikes.  First drove up the mountain as far as I could go to Logan Pass on the ‘Going Into the Sun’ Road.  The NPS has the road closed from here east while performing some major reconstruction of this 75- year-old road.

The first hike was a snow hike.  One and a half miles and about a 200 foot elevation change in about a foot of snow.  About halfway up I noticed some very fresh tracks and sign in the snow.  They seemed fairly fresh, but I had little idea how fresh.  Once I reached the overlook to Hidden Lake, everyone was chattering about the Mountain Goats that had just passed by.  It turns out that I was pushing a foursome, including a male goat up the mountain in front of me.  I was the only one who saw sign, and unfortunately the only one that did not get to see those responsible.

The second hike came after lunch and was about a 3.5 mile pull up about 500 feet in elevation.  The trail follows Avalanche Creek all the way up to Avalanche Lake which is formed by four waterfalls descending from Sperry Glacier.  Check out the Aster photo.  Wow!!!

Waterton (CAN) Glacier (USA) np

Waterton (CAN) Glacier (USA) NP

Waterton (CAN) Glacier (USA) NP

Snow hike to Hidden Lake

Snow hike to Hidden Lake

Snow hike to Hidden Lake

Logan Pass

Logan Pass

Fall Colors at Glacier NP

Waterfalls draining into Avalanche Lake

Mountain Aster

Avalanche Creek

Avalanche Falls

Missoula Montana, home of Big Sky Brewery, maker of Moose Drool Brown Ale.

Drove into Missoula and made camp at Jellystone Park.  Yes, with Yogi, Boo Boo, Cindi and the rest of the gang.  Then went into town to locate the brewery.  Stopped in for some sampling and a couple of souvenirs.

Tuesday, I went downtown to walk around for a couple of hours and do a little window shopping.  About lunch time I decided to circle one last block and grab lunch near where I parked the car.  Passed a little hole in the wall on my way by and decided to dine there instead.

The Missoula Club has been in existence since 1890.  Think about that.  Missoula Montana 118 years ago was probably not much more than a cowboy town.  The walls are decorated with UM Missoula football photos including several pros.  One played in Detroit in the 1930’s.

Met a gentleman at lunch that has been around nearly that long.  Fred turns 90 in November.  He is currently writing his memoirs.  Should be an interesting read don’t you think?!?  He and the fellas get together every day at the club for lunch.  The eat the same thing and drink the same thing.  Shane the bartender just serves them without asking what they would like.

By the way, the menu was quite limited.  Hamburger or Cheeseburger.  Six different kinds of chips.  Drink of your choice.  I went with the Drool.

Missoula has a somewhat unique landmark in a park downtown on the shores of the Clark Branch of the Columbia River.  It is a homegrown Carousel.  Horses all carved by a local cabinet maker or by locals that he had trained.  He offered to build it if they would pledge that it would stay there forever.  The city council agreed, and the local citizens jumped in to help build it, erect a structure to protect it and a giant playground right next door.

Drove east in earnest and headed towards home for the first time.  Did not cover a lot of ground the first day, as I did not get on the road until well afternoon, and it was raining with lots of traffic.  On the 21st I crossed over into Idaho and back into Montana and the Mountain time zone.  The weather was pretty lousy, but northern Idaho looked to be quite interesting with some beautiful mountain passes and spectacular river views.  Finally landed in Missoula about mid-day.

Moved down from Bellingham to camp for 10 days at Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell.  Tamara flies into SeaTac on Thursday night for eight days of fun in and around the Seattle area.  Can’t wait!

North Cascades National Park

We head out early to drive and hike North Cascades.  After a long drive up we find several good overlooks and a couple of nature hikes.  We had a nice picnic lunch and stopped in the visitors center.  Dinner on the way back was at Buffalo Run just outside the park.

Anacortes WA
Head out early again and make the drive up to Anacortes where we meet our guide for a 3 hour kayak trip around Burrows Island.  We get our gear assigned and head out through the marina then across the channel to the island and begin circling around the north end of the island.  We see plenty of sea life and I think I spot a seal, but can’t remember the guide’s name to call it to his attention.

We are nearly to the Coast Guard station on the NW most corner of the island when our guide spots some considerable commotion just off of our bow.  As the activity moves out from behind the island we all realize almost simultaneously that we are within just a hundred yards of a pod of four Orca Whales.  This is an amazing thing to see especially from our vantage point.  We immediately stop paddling and hold our position as they move further into the channel and just a bit closer.  No fear of them coming too close as we are holding our position in some very shallow and rocky waters, but man what a view.  People pay big money and don’t get to see what we see.  Ultimately our guide determines that it is one male and three others that are either females or immature males.

After all of that excitement we continue our paddle and when we circle to the south side of the island and we see a number of seals.  This confirms for me that I had seen one earlier.

How great is that.  Orca whales and seals in the wild on Tamara’s first kayak adventure.

On the way back we stop in the towns of Anacortes and La Connor for a little walking, some lunch and some shopping.  In La Connor, we help roll up the sidewalks at 6p, then head back to camp.  If you ever visit this area, and are looking for a quaint little downtown district to walk and shop, definitely make it a point to visit La Connor.

Seattle WA
Today is a lazy day as we head downtown to walk the riverfront of downtown Seattle.  Much like San Francisco, the shore line is comprised of a number of piers, some still be used for shipping, ferries to Victoria, San Juan Islands and other ports along Puget Sound, and also some shopping and dining areas.  We walk almost the entire length of the shoreline including a stop for lunch.

Victoria BC
Out the door WAY early today to catch the very from downtown Seattle to Victoria BC.  Got an extended visit with the customs officials again today, but not nearly as bad as last week.  The weather  was a bit iffy, so we went straight to the British Columbia Royal Museum with a short photo op in front of Parliament.  Spent the rest of the morning there, then walked about downtown.  Had lunch at a Caribbean restaurant of all places.  Counldn’t get much further from home and ate Caribbean.  Did a little more shopping before catching the ferry home.

Woodinville WA
Spent our final full day together wine tasting and shopping.  First we went to a couple of vineyards for some sampling and making a couple of purchases, then on to shop in Bothell and at a little shopping village just above the campground.  Another very quiet and relaxing day.