Places Visited:
Montana: Butte, Missoula, Coram (small city @ west entrance to Glacier NP, Polebridge & Glacier NP

Saturday, August 11, 2001
Wal-Mart Super Store: Butte, Montana. Elevation 5,484 feet

I got up bright and early and took the Saturn to get 4 new tires and
an alignment. It was time for the new tires so this was nothing out
of the ordinary. I took the laptop and cell phone with me while the
Princess got an extra hour or so of beauty sleep.

After getting the Saturn taken care of we headed off to downtown Butte
to tour the Copper King Mansion. This "palatial estate" was hardly
fit for a man purported to have made 17-million per-day. It was
opulent beyond imagination. However, with an income of $17-million
PER-DAY it was only a couple of hour's worth of income. Later we
walked into the lobby of the beautifully restored and historic Finlen
Hotel. Then we ate Buttes famous pork chop sandwiches for lunch.

The rodeo arena two blocks down the road from our motorhome was
featuring Saturday night bull riding with a dance following. You
guessed it, so I want say any more.

Sunday, August 12, 2001
Wal-Mart Super Store: Missoula, Montana. Elevation 3,162 feet

We worshiped with the First Baptist Church in Butte. It was a grand
old church from the 1880s. The building was 1907 vintage with a top
of the line pipe organ that had recently been fully restored. Only 24
individuals were in attendance this morning, hardly a smattering of
folks in this nice size church. The preacher delivered his message on
"what counts". Christians know the message contained in John 3:16 but
have a way of getting side tracked on other issues. His admonition to
the congregation was to put aside the petty differences and
concentrate on what really matters. Joyce and I do not know what
strife had become this once grand old church but it certainly did give
us a vivid picture of what can happen to a church when they relegate
the teachings in John 3:16 to a back seat. The simple message in John
3:16 is that whosoever (ALL) believes will have everlasting life. The
preacher's point was that ALL believers would have everlasting life
not just those with a certain point of view or a particular dogma. A
voice deep inside of me was shouting that this message needed to be
delivered to FBC in Pensacola by none other than J.P.

After church we connected the Saturn to the motorhome and headed off
to Missoula, Montana. Several locals have told us not to miss the
scenic ride on Montana highway 1 starting just off I-90 at the town of
Anaconda, Montana and ending at Drummond, Montana 49 miles to the
west. What a beautiful and scenic drive through an awesome canyon.
Anaconda is famous as the town that smelted much of the copper ore
mined in Butte. The smokestack is all that remains of the old smelter
that is visible to the public. That smokestack is enormous, 585 feet
tall, with a 60' inside diameter at the top. They say that the
Washington Monument can fit inside. This smokestack is billed as the
largest freestanding masonry structure in the world. Montana highway
1 was a very scenic drive and only a short distance out of our way.

We descended over 2,000 feet in elevation today, and the temperature
got higher, much higher. The temperature at night only got down into
the 60s. Above 5,000' the temperature usually gets down to the
mid-40s.

Monday, August 13, 2001
North American RV-Park Coram, Montana. (West gate to Glacier NP):
Elevation 3,209'

For a change we got up early and took off to Glacier, NP. It was a
beautiful drive. We did not go the most direct route because several
people have encouraged us to drive up Montana 83. From Missoula we
had to backtrack, to the east, a bit on Montana 200 until we could
catch Montana 83 north. This route had it all, mountain lakes, alpine
forest, lush hay fields, amber wheat fields, lumber mills, all located
between two mountain ranges. Just after noon we got to the North
American RV-Park and set up. Lucky Joyce got to do laundry. This was
our first chance to download e-mail in several days an event both of
us look forward to.

This is huckleberry country. Everyone is picking wild huckleberry.
Roadside stands are peddling wild huckleberry jams, preserves, ice
cream, milkshakes and a variety of other huckleberry items. We have
been eating wild huckleberry jelly and it is wonderful. The
huckleberry milkshakes and ice cream are super also.

This is also cherry country and the same stands that sell
huckleberries are selling cherries. The area grows several kinds of
cherries but the ones we like are the Rainer or Queen Ann cherry. They
are a yellow cherry with a slight blush. To us these cherries taste
like sweet candy. There is no tartness at all. At $4.00 a pound they
better be sweet! AMEN! They are good and worth every penny.

Tuesday, August 14, 2001
North American RV-Park Coran, Montana. (West gate to Glacier NP):
Elevation 3,209'

Joyce and I drove over the "Going to the Sun" highway in Glacier NP
today. This is the most beautiful National Park and also the most
awesome road we have experienced on our trip. We saw mountain goats
and a single grizzly bear up close. The road cut through Glacier NP
on the Going to the Sun highway is truly magnificent. The grades are
pretty sporty (6%) for about 12 miles. We drove it in the Saturn and
I had to use 2nd gear going up and down. Second gear usually holds
our speed in check going down all but the steepest grades. Second
gear would not hold our speed in check without frequent help from the
breaks. This grade was not as steep as the Teton pass outside
Jackson, Wyoming. However, this grade went on for 12 miles while the
grade on the Teton pass, as I recall, was only about 5 miles. Twelve
miles of 6% grade makes for a truly exciting ride. On the west side
there are numerous narrow places where it is obvious the road was
constructed in the 1920's. Many drivers are cheating on the yellow
line if you get my drift.

Glacier NP is noted for several things other than the Going to the Sun
highway. One of the unique things about this park is the glacial
carving that makes up so much of the scenery. Large valley glaciers
(10,000 years ago) altered the landscape in a magnificent way. In
addition to the glacial aspect of the parks geology most of Glacier
Park is an enormous slab of Precambrian Belt rocks (a BILLION or more
years old,) that has been "overthrust" on top of Cretaceous
sedimentary rocks only 65 to 100 million years old. The fault line
instead of being vertical lies almost flat so that the older
"Precambrian" rock is thrust over the much younger sedimentary rock.
The Precambrian rock is very hard so it erodes slower. Much of the
glacier action has been on these very hard billion-year-old rocks.

Wednesday, August 15, 2001
North American RV-Park Coram, Montana. (West gate to Glacier NP):
Elevation 3,209'

We took a cruise on Lake McDonald in Glacier NP. It was a picturesque
one-hour cruise that was ok but nothing special. At the west entrance
to Glacier NP Alberta, Canada had a Welcome Center. We visited the
welcome center and picked up several pounds of literature in
preparation for the next leg of our journey. Joyce spent some time
moseying through gift shops inside Glacier NP. So far, our day was
certainly nothing "to write home about", just a casual day of low-key
sightseeing. That would soon change.

Earlier in the week we met a wonderful couple in the RV-Park from
Roswell, Georgia a bedroom community of Atlanta, Georgia. The more we
talked the more it became apparent we had a lot in common. We made
plans to eat dinner together tonight. The plan was to meet at 6:00
and drive about 25-miles to Polebridge, Montana and eat at the
Northern Lights Saloon. The owners of the RV-Park and several others
have told us the Northern Lights Saloon is a "must do". We have also
heard park employees talking about the bread and other baked goods at
Polebridge. It appears that Polebridge is "THE PLACE".

Joyce and I cleaned out our Saturn and wiped out the door jams (out
west the inside of car doors gets dusty going down the gravel roads).
At 6:00 sharp Joyce and I pick up our friends and we head off to
Polebridge. The road to Polebridge begins inside Glacier NP a few
miles north of the west entrance. About 5-miles down a nice paved
road things change, the road becomes gravel. We are on a very wide
gravel road but it has not been graded recently, possibly not in this
century. Roads like this are where the term "washboard" originated. I
slowed down, way down like 10-mph. Some Montana vehicles were driving
slowly others were flying by like they were on the interstate.
We are getting nowhere fast when the jokes started flying. It seems
that the owner of our park had told both of us about another GOOD
restaurant where we should eat lunch. As luck would have it both
couples had followed his advice and eaten at the "Two Sisters Café" on
the east side of Glacier NP near the entrance road to Many Glaciers.
Neither couple was impressed with the "Two Sisters Café" and both of
us were wondering why it had been recommended. We both laughed about
shooing flies, the waitress that was virtually non-existent and a
variety of other things that made the "Two Sisters Café" a place
neither couple would recommend. As one couple would mention something
like the flies the other couple would bust out laughing since their
experience was identical. By now we were seriously out the boonies.
When you are in the boonies in Montana, trust me, you are
waaaaaaaaaaay out there. Electricity and lights are something that
has been left waaaaaaaaaaay behind. At this time the jokes turn to
whether the "Northern Lights Saloon" is going to be another "Two
Sisters Café". We only see another car every 10-minutes or so.
Another 30-minutes or so heading north on this road and we decide to
flag down a car coming the other way to see if there really is a
Polebridge somewhere up the road. The first pick-up we flagged down
turned out to be a young tourist and his bride. When we asked if
there was a Polebridge up the way we were heading they gave us a look
like we were out of our minds, then the young man said they had passed
it. We asked something about eating there and the look on the young
woman's face was priceless. The mortified look on her face told us
that she was certain we had lost our minds. Now we knew we were on
the correct road, how comforting! The look on that girls face had all
of us wondering what we were facing. More jokes and a few more miles
up the road we spot another vehicle and flag it down. This time a
native Montana man assures us that Polebridge was just 10-miles
farther. TEN-MILES on this road! By this time we are committed. Our
friends kept saying that the road looked paved at the top of the next
hill. I agreed it would look paved. However, it was just a mirage.
When we got to where it was supposed to be paved there it would be
more of the same washboard. Somewhere along the way the road did
become paved, in a sense. The pavement solved the washboard problem
of the last 20-miles. However, with the pavement came "car-holes",
potholes would not be descriptive of these holes. These holes were so
large and deep that if a tire fell into one the car would get stuck on
the frame. We laughed hysterically. The paved road was not an
improvement. Someone, locals I presume, had spray painted orange
florescent rings around the most dangerous "car-holes". Using both
lanes and driving no faster than 10-miles per hour we continued north.
Finally, one-hour and thirty minutes later we start seeing evidence
of human habitation. Not much, mind you but we did see a fence here
and there and on rare occasion we could see what might be classified
as a residence. Sometimes it is hard to tell a house from a barn or
outbuilding. At last we spot a small wooden sign proclaiming
Polebridge with an arrow pointing east. Another sign pointing strait
ahead says Canada 20-miles. At this point Canada was a serious
option but we turn east, after all "the best food around" was supposed
to be found at the "Northern Lights Café" in Polebridge. As we pull
into Polebridge both couples are roaring with laughter. There are two
buildings (the town consists of those two-buildings) that have NEVER
seen a paintbrush much less been painted. Signs admonish drivers to
slow down so as not to stir up dust. Both buildings are out of the
1800's. One is a mercantile store and bakery the other turns out to
be the Northern Lights Cafe. Just stepping into the mercantile
building swept us back to the turn of the LAST century. Memorabilia
hung on walls. We have found the BAKERY that everyone in these parts
has been raving about. Our friends stocked up on a variety of
specialty bread. I was still looking for the restaurant everyone was
raving about. It turned out to be the building next door. There was
no sign just several large groups eating at wooden picnic tables
scattered around the yard. We laughed some more and joked amongst our
selves about what we had gotten ourselves into. Eventually we wander
inside and get into a line where a man was taking orders. It was a
SLOW process. No one was in a hurry. Eventually, we worked our way
to the front of the line and got to order three prime rib dinners and
one pork loin along with appetizer and drinks. One of our friends
asked if she could substitute something. The man told her NO! Then
quickly told her that she would love what she wanted to substitute.
There was NO attempt at customer satisfaction. We now have something
else to laugh about. By this time we are approaching the giddy stage.
It was time to pick out one of the tables scattered outside. Lucky
for us a group had departed while we were in line. We enjoyed our
appetizer then in short order our dinners were delivered. This is
where our luck changed. The steaks and pork loin were EXCELLENT. The
accompanying side dishes were also excellent. The food was every bit
as good as we had been told. For desert we each had a big piece of
the chefs home made pie with a huge scoop of ice cream. What an
experience! The drive is almost forgotten with the good food.

While we were eating we struck up a conversation with some locals.
They told us that around 60 individuals lived in the area during the
winter and around 80 in the summer. The area he was referring to
included an area 20 plus miles to the north and south. From our
conversation it appeared Canadians up the road also frequented the
place. We asked if there was a better road we could use to get home.
They laughed and asked if we came in on the GOOD road or the BAD road.
We said the BAD one. They laughed again and wanted us to point to
the way we came in. All of us pointed to the gravel road heading
south. They laughed and laughed then informed us we had come in on
the GOOD road. One of them told us that flat tires were a common
occurrence. He related that one day earlier in the week he had passed
four vehicles with flat tires. That comforts me.

We started home a little after 9:00 knowing that an hour and a half of
rough road was ahead of us. Before loading up we knew that we had
best visit the little boys and girls room because there was nothing
but washboard and pine trees for the next several hours. The men's
room did not have running water. What a hoot! The women's room had
water running to the toilet but a large sign told the ladies not to
put paper into the toilet. Here was another thing for us to laugh
about. Where do you suppose they wanted them to put the paper?

The food and the experience is one none of us will ever forget. We
all agreed that we would do it again in a heartbeat if we could talk
someone with a big "bubba-truck" into doing the driving.

Thursday, August 16, 2001
North American RV-Park Coram, Montana. (West gate to Glacier NP):
Elevation 3,209'

Joyce and I drove east on Montana 2 skirting the southern end of
Glacier NP. All along Montana 2 there are mom & pop RV-Parks. The
drive across the continental divide on Montana 2 is EASY. Any RV can
make this passage with ease. There are no steep grades or
switchbacks. We ate lunch in the Glacier NP Lodge. Our waiter told
us that the Northern Lights Saloon was his favorite place to eat. We
discussed our experience with him. He said that he did not think that
Montana had graded the road this year.

The Lodge is a magnificent structure built by the Northern Pacific
Rail Road. Lunch at the Lodge came with a wonderful view. If you are
in the area walking through this lodge is a must. The main support
beams in the Lodge are trees from Oregon with 50 to 60 inch diameters
that the Rail Road brought in especially for the Lodge.

After lunch we drove around the small town of East Glacier. For
RV'ers there are several small mom & pop parks a block east of the
highway going through town. These parks were advertising full
hook-ups for $15. You do not need directions, just drive your RV
around and look for them. The streets are wide and only a few blocks
long.

We drove the going to the sun highway back to west Glacier. This road
is virtually indescribable you will just have to experience it for
yourself.

Friday, August 17, 2001
North American RV-Park Coram, Montana. (West gate to Glacier NP):
Elevation 3,209'

Today we hiked the trail of the Cedars and part way to a lake located
on the west side of Glacier NP. The rest of our day was spent doing
household chores prior to leaving for Canada tomorrow morning.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix