Laura and I drift on out of town. We have lost our co-pilots, so we’re traveling alone, each in a vehicle.
Day 12 – Chamberlain to St. Paul
The storm has moved on by morning, so we depart in sunshine. We cross the Missouri River at Chamberlain, and the terrain is much different than before.
Day 11 – Billings to Chamberlain
Today is our longest day on the road. The trip notes are all about fuel stops, mileage and motel options.
Day 10 – Glacier National Park to Billings
We awake this morning surprisingly not dead from grizzly bear attacks. I am amazed and grateful to be alive.
Day 9 – Glacier National Park
This day began with a drive up Going to the Sun Road. Words do not easily describe the scenery.
Day 8 – Glacier National Park
We moved to another spot in the same camp to get some distance between us and the Winnebagos and those generators. Now, off to do some hiking. What a beautiful day – hotter than we thought, but we’ll take it. We chose trails that were surrounded by big trees, and I have to keep reminding myself the Rocky Mountains are all around us. We’ll get that straight tomorrow, but today is Glacier on a micro level, where you look down to see the cool stuff.
Day 7 – Missoula to Glacier National Park
We awake in our motel room after dreaming of glaciers. No, not the ones in Glacier National Park, but the ones whose meltwater is feeding the “hot” water lines.
Day 6 – Leavenworth To Missoula
Today is a long driving day to set up our approach to Glacier National Park. Eastern Washington and Montana are large expanses of this continent, separated by a skinny slice of Idaho.
Day 5 – Seattle to Leavenworth
Our trip into the Cascades is punctuated by road repair, RVs and diesel trucks, and punctuated by clear cuts. Ick.
Day 4 – Newport to Seattle
Up in the morning, Beverly Beach State Park is quiet in the way that a nervous stomach is quiet. It is definitely time to hit the road.
Day 3 – Rogue River to Newport
Our Rogue River campsite was near perfect. The river is very pretty and the trees are big and shady.
Day 2 – Ukiah to Rogue River
There is a lot of California north of the Bay Area. We’d already come three hours north to Ukiah, and it’s another seven hours of driving to get to the Oregon border.