MIH – Calgary

We are taking care of a precocious little cat, named Flannel.  She’s very sweet but has little to do with us….until we give her a tuna juice ice cube.  Because Flannel is an inside cat it gives us a little more freedom to explore the area.  As we often do we take neighbor walks and use public transportation while exploring.  Our house is within a short walk to an area of Calgary called Marda Loop.  It’s a very sweet, vibrant, little suburb of the city.  During our time here they celebrate Marda Gras, a play on words for Mardi Gras.  The main street is closed off and a variety of vendors, activities, and music performances take place.  I had wanted to see the pet parade but it must have been a very short parade as we arrived just a short time after the scheduled start and it was already over.  There were certain aspects of the celebration that reminded me of home.

There was so much going on in Calgary, I think there was some sort of festival every day that we were there.  We went into the city during the Taste of Calgary festival.  Lots and lots of food and beverage vendors.  Unlike Taste of Chicago, tasting vouchers were much more reasonable and we enjoyed trying several different items.  It was a lovely stop after our walk in Princes Island Park. 

 

 Princes Island Park sits along the Bow River.  There is a short informational marsh walk which was very interesting.  The Shakespeare by the Bow theater company perform on an outdoor stage in the park as well.  The performances are by donation and we had planned to go but for some reason never did. 

We spent an afternoon walking around the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.  We took the bus, stopping at the nearest bus stop and arrived in a roundabout way to the sanctuary.  We didn’t see a whole lot of birds but we had a lovely time.  We made a nice connection with a young woman who was working there.  She was set up along one of the paths with a variety of animal skulls and we did the whole match the skull to the right animal and had a lovely chat.  As we walked along the path we encountered (up close) a deer. I’ve seen a lot of deer in my life but I’m still amazed at how sweet and innocent they look.  I’ve never really thought of the phrase “doe eyes” before, but in thinking about it and looking at the picture I have a better understanding of the term.

Downtown Calgary is like most other large cities.  There is a pedestrian only street (like Church Street in Burlington) that is filled with a wide variety of restaurants and shops.  Strolling along the street was very enjoyable.

The one thing that I have wanted to do while in the west was to go to a rodeo.  We just missed the Calgary Stampede so I think that at some point we will need to come back.

MIH – Calgary House/Pet Sit

Monday-Saturday, August 7-19, 2017

As we head to Calgary we drive skirt Glacier National Park.  We don’t have plans during this trip to stop as we figure someday we’ll head back this way to visit Joyce and Duain and we’ll explore it together.  Delaying it gives me more time to lose some weight and get into better shape.  Our friends are very fit and I am not….We do see our first glimpse of the Rockie Mountains.  The mountain range is massive making the mountains in Vermont seem so small. Impressive!

We have no issues crossing the border this time…phew! I drove over the border and had a nice interaction with the officer.  He would ask me where we were going, I’d answer and then he asked me again and I would answer.  After answering for the third time I came back with my own question of “Is there somewhere else we should go?” at which point he laughed and said …no, have a nice trip.  We enter providence of Alberta with a welcome sign that declares it as Wild Rose Country.

We’re scheduled to meet up with our hosts after 7:00pm but arrive earlier so we stop at an A&W for a bite to eat and to work on a crossword.  It’s interesting to see businesses that at one time had quite a presence in the States still have a big presence in another company.  Here in Australia Hungry Jacks (division of Burger King) and K-Mart are big.  K-Mart holds the position that WalMart holds at home.

Leave Victor, MT (sans Elwood) – 9:02am - 61° and sunny

Rte. 93N►35N►206N►2E►89N►2N►2A

Gas - Lolo Exxon - $2.38/gal

Cross the Continental Divide 1:15pm

Gas – St. Mary Exxon (before Canada, where prices are higher, as you can see even by the border town) - $2.99/gal

Canadian Border (very busy) – 3:02pm-3:23pm

Dinner break 5:30pm-6:30pm

Arrive – Calgary, Alberta, Canada 7:29pm

Miles traveled – 456.2

MIH – Travel Day, Overnight with Friends

Sunday, August 6, 2017

We get an early leaving Bozeman heading to Victor, MT where we meet our friends Joyce and Duain.  We will pass the Continental Divide several times during this trip, the first sign that we see highlights the crossing at about seven miles east of Butte, the elevation is noted at 6393’.

We meet Joyce and Duain at the Lolo Peak Brew Pub for lunch.  It’s interesting to visit small breweries and to see how they compare to those back in VT. It’s so nice to see our friends.  For over a decade we’ve talked about visiting them and I’m so happy that we finally get to. 

As I mentioned we’re dropping Elwood off and then heading to a couple of house/pet sits in Canada.  We will return in a few weeks and spend a little more time with them.

It’s a relatively clear day, something that has been missing from the region due to the forest fires.  Later on we do see/breathe some of the poor air quality resulting from the fires.  The picture below was taken near the Lolo Brewing Company later in our trip. The orange spot is the sun and it really did look like this.

Leave Bozeman Walmart – 8:14am - 55°

Rte. 90W►93S

Cross the Continental Divide 9:30am

Gas - Exit 127, Butte Exxon - $2.39/gal

Noon Lunch in Lolo, MT – Lolo Brewing Company

Arrive – Victor, MT around 3pm

Miles traveled – ?

MIH – Another Travel Day

Saturday, August 5, 2017

In Vermont you feel like it takes forever to get from one place to another because it’s so rural.  Well Vermont is nothing compared to driving out west. We’re headed to the home of our friends Joyce and Duain in Victor, Montana.  We’ll leave Elwood (camper) there and proceed to a couple house/pet sits in Canada.

Today is another long drive day.  We leave South Dakota and go through part of Wyoming before Montana welcomes us.  As we drive through Wyoming there is a marked difference in the landscape.  My travel journal states: Wyoming brings with it mountains, changed from rolling hills – then becomes a sea, tan with clumps of some sort of green shrub, for as far as the eye can see – relatively flat and rolling.

There are multiple wildfires burning in this whole area of the country, affecting air quality.  Duain texts us reports for Bozeman, MT as it is there that we will be spending the night (Walmart parking lot).

Leave Hot Springs, SD-7:45am - 68°, cloudy, rain forecasted

Rte. 18W►89N►16W

Gas – Custer Exxon- $2.79/gal (we’re trying 91 octane to see if it performs better)

9:16am - Welcome to WY

Gas – Buffalo Exxon $2.79/gal (again 91 octane)

 1:16pm – Welcome to MT

Gas – Columbus $2.38/gal (back to 87 octane, clearly not enough difference to warrant extra expense)

Arrive – Bozeman, MT Walmart - 5:35pm

Miles traveled – 524.6

MIH - Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore, & Books on Tape

Wednesday-Saturday, August 3-5, 2017

Using the Beymont Inn as home base we start exploring the area.  There are several attractions within a short drive; Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore National Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park.  We visited Wind Cave and Mount Rushmore, drove by Crazy Horse and drove through Custer State Park.

Wind Cave National Park – This is one of the oldest National Parks and probably one that is the least well-known.  I don’t really know how well-known it is, I’m just saying that because I’ve never heard of it and there were not many people visiting at the time that we were there.  I also think that it is easily bypassed by people heading to Mount Rushmore.  I would strongly suggest that if you are in the area and you want to see Buffalo in a natural environment that you stop here.  Of all the places that we would see Buffalo, this is by far the best.  Most of the other areas you see them along the main road or while stopped in traffic because they are crossing said road. 

At Wind Cave you can take a bit of an off-road (dirt) loop that takes you to fields where they roam (yes, the song just popped into my head, perhaps it popped into your too).  We saw a total of two other cars on this road, but for the most part we were alone.  We could literally stick our hand out the window and touch them if we so chose….of course they are wild animals so we chose not to.  We did, however, get out of the car and switched positions so that Wilson could be the passenger for a while and watch the buffalo a bit more closely.  Of course after we did that (I was initiator) I commented on how dumb that was.  For some reason I had no fear, just a simple, basic respect of the animals and I wasn’t worried about them charging at all.  The wonder of it all seems to make me lose a bit of the natural fear that I carry with me.

There are, as the name implies, caves at this park.  Having been there, done that at Carlsbad I had no desire to explore the caves.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial – Mount Rushmore was definitely on my list of must sees.  I’ve heard from several people that it was a huge disappointment but I didn’t feel that way at all.  I found it incredible!  We walked the short looping trail that took us to the Sculptures Studio, a mini museum.  We learned many things that left me with a general sense of awe, not unlike how I felt when we visited Hoover Dam many years ago.  The ingenuity, hard work, and perseverance of a project like this is amazing.  The construction of the sculpture began in 1927 and was supposed to incorporate the bodies as well as the heads but funding was cut off in 1941 so the project was declared complete.  With the completion of each head there was a dedication ceremony; George Washington (1934), Thomas Jefferson (1936), Abraham Lincoln (1937), and Theodore Roosevelt (1939).  These presidents were chosen by Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor, because of their roles in preserving the Republic and expanding its territory.  Borglum created plaster mask which were hung by cables and used by the workers for comparisons and measurements.  The project lasted for 14 years and amazingly in that time there were no worker fatalities. 

Did you know?  Thomas Jefferson was the first author in America to record an ice cream recipe?  There’s a young woman that Wilson and I knew long ago that I would love to share that information with.  She LOVED Ice Cream!

 Crazy Horse Memorial – We saw the Crazy Horse Memorial from a distance but chose not to explore.  The memorial started in 1948 and is far from complete so we felt there was plenty of time to see it at a later date.  The finished memorial will depict the Oglala Lakota warrior, Crazy Horse, riding a horse and pointing into the distance.  When complete I believe it’s supposed to be 10x the size of Mount Rushmore.  Even given the larger scale I find it hard to believe that the work has not progressed further, it’s been nearly 70 years after all.  I imagine funding and environmental concerns delay the process but one would think with current technology that the process would be quicker….

Custer State Park – We had a nice drive through Custer State Park but didn’t explore any further.  There was an accident which caused a bit of delay, but we amused ourselves by listening to one of the Longmire Series books which we’ve been downloading and listening to.

Books on Tape NOTE:  Books on tape are great while you are traveling long distances.  Prior to our leaving VT, I made sure I had access to the digital offerings of our library.  By chance I chose a series, written by Craig Johnson, set in Wyoming (actually this is what caught my eye since we were heading that way) depicting the life and adventures of local Sherriff, Walt Longmire.  Wilson and I both thoroughly enjoy listening as the narrator pulls us along the story.  NOTE:  Netflix has a series based on these books….Wilson and I DO NOT like it.  We both believe that the actors chosen don’t fully fit the pictures that we have based on the narrated books.  I suppose if you’ve never read or heard the books read then you might like it buy I think you’d be selling yourself short.

Other things to note:  I know that I've said many times that I felt that my parents are on this journey with me.  Things pop up that remind me of this periodically.  In Hot Springs there were a couple of businesses that let me know that they were with me.  Interestingly enough, it seems as if my parents may have switched roles....at least the signage would suggest that.  

 

Oh yeah, the bicycle sculpture was interesting as well....

MIH Travel Day – Getting closer to Mount Rushmore

Wednesday, August 3, 2017

Today is a travel day.  We’re headed to the Beymont Inn in Hot Springs, SD. We had looked for campsites in the area but there were no openings due to the bike rally.  The written log that I keep in the car has several random notes which I will transcribe here, despite their nonsensical nature.

Rolling hills dotted with cows, Black Angus cows perhaps – very few trees.  Is this the type of landscape that Lewis & Clark saw on their explorations? Are traveling through what is considered the Plains?

After only and hour and 45 minutes of driving we enter Mountain Time.

We pass portions of the Badlands, brief glimpses of walls of gray rock which seem to sprout from the straw colored fields.  Cliffs… The fields are dotted with large, round bales of hay – they look like straw cows standing in a field.  The exit for Badland National Park (131) passes by.  Although there is interest in stopping it’s not part of our plan for this trip.

We stop at a Cabela’s in Rapid City.  It is here that we learn that Cabela’s allows camping in their parking lot, like Walmart.  We purchase a new set of binoculars, as the ones we had are not that strong.  We also purchase the yellow, plastic stabilizer supports which I have been lusting for since we purchased our camper.  The stabilizers are a belated birthday gift for me.  I’m extremely happy about getting rid of the wooden boards that we previously used.  I’d like to say that my excitement of the purchase is totally practical (we no longer need to contend with wet wood) but that wouldn’t be totally true.  I like the aesthetics of having all of our stabilizers match…I also like the fact that plastic is a lot easier to deal with while wet and they come with their own little holder which keeps things nice and tidy.  Always the thrifty travelers, we apply for a Cabela’s card and save money on our purchase.  We also get two gifts for signing up, a travel mug and a cap.  I promptly commandeer the cap and leave Wilson with the cup.

While in Rapid City we stop at a AAA to pick up maps.  Wilson loves maps!  I love the GPS on my phone, but will reluctantly admit that having paper maps has been nice as well.  Rapid City has sculptures on the street corners of the presidents.  While Wilson was in AAA I took a few pictures of them. Warren G. Harding and his dog are pictured below.  I love finding little surprises like these sculptures in places where we stop.  It’s such a delightful surprise!

Leave Boondockers in Oacoma, SD after a very windy night – 7:40am - 59°

Rte. 90W►79S►385N

Gas - Exit 192, Murdo/White River - $2.35/gal

Entering Mountain Time – 9:14/8:14am (my notes say we’ve traveled 173.5 miles and that the sign is on 91, but without a map in front of me, I’m not sure if this is a typo as my route notes don’t take us on 91

Gas – Rapid City, SD – Phillips 66 - $2.29/gal

Arrive – Beymont Inn, Hot Springs, SD 1:48/12:48pm

Miles traveled – 263.8

MIH – Boondocking in Oacoma, SD

Wednesday-Thursday, August 2-3, 2017

Today we start our journey to Mount Rushmore.  Our first stop is a local radio station where they do a little travel segment.  Our Blue Earth hosts suggested that we record a little piece about our travels.  Of course I jumped on the opportunity because I love being on the radio.  We recorded two short segments about our journey.  It was promised that they would send me a copy of the final segments but even after another request through email it never happened…Oh well…

It’s a couple days drive to get to the area of Mount Rushmore so we stayed with a boondocking host in Oacoma. SD.  There is really little to say about the boondocking experience as we just parked for the night and packed up early the next morning. 

We did make a stop at a Welcome Center in Chamberlain, SD.  As often happens we were pleasantly surprised with what we found there. It was relatively busy here as we hit the area just before the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  The Welcome Center had a little museum dedicated to the Lewis & Clark expedition, as they camped here in1804. It also had a beautiful sculpture of representing the Lakota and Dakata peoples.  Dignity, as she is called, stands 50 ft. tall and is situated with a view of Missouri river.  There was a small quote in the Welcome Center, written by the sculptor, that struck me:

Dignity

Her name is Dignity.

“Standing at a crossroads, Dignity echoes the interaction of earth, sky, and people.  It brings to light the beauty and promise of indigenous people and culture that still thrives on this land.  The intent is to have the sculpture stand as an enduring symbol of our shared belief that all here are sacred, and in a sacred place.”

Leave Blue Earth, MN – 8:20am (arrive at radio station at 8:28am, departed station at 9:08am) - 62°

Rte. 169N►90W

Gas - Exit 399, Love’s $2.14/gal

11:18 South Dakota welcomes us – sign depicting Mt. Rushmore, Great Places-Great Faces

Stop at Chamberlain, SD Welcome Center (exit 265)

Arrive – Oacoma Boondockers 3:27pm

Miles traveled – 281.1