Day #10 Great Falls to Glacier National Park, Montana

We got up at 6:00 AM, had our free breakfast buffet, filled the minivan with gas (being thankful that prices had not gone up), and were once more on the road by 8:30.


Our first stop at Glacier National Park was the Cedar Trail that had a boardwalk which made it easy for Mom, Auntie and KC...oh and me, too.

Auntie and Mom loved the various plant life all around us.


KC found fascinating things closer to the ground.

The Glacier Pocket Guide lists this as an Uinta Ground Squirrel.

My aunt tried to tell me in Japanese that this was the flower that you always remember... you cannot forget it.

Aha! I finally figured it out. She was telling obtuse me that it was a Forget-Me-Not.


Streams were gushing and powerful with spring melt. They'd gotten a LOT of snow in both Yellowstone and Glacier.


Avalanche Gorge was beautiful. Art took this shot.


KC loved hanging by Grandpa's side. She knew her time with him was limited before she would have to return to Chicago and we would go the other way to Hawaii.


Father and daughter also got to spend precious time together.


We then went to the Village Inn where we were staying for the night at Apgar. This is my all time favorite spot at Glacier National Park.

I don't know what it is about this place. Perhaps it's the peace and serenity. (Don't forget that you can click on any photo to enlarge it.)

We were there before about 15 years ago with just our son, Jon. The water level of the lake was quite a bit lower then but the awe inspiring view had not changed. I wished he could have been with us to revisit this amazing place.


KC sat on the rocks since the water level was too high to play on the rocky shore, just soaking in the grandeur of the moment.


The Village Inn at Apgar


In the evening, KC was busy writing postcards to her classmates and friends. She did so happily, concentrating hard on drawing hearts and writing her name. Looks like she is definitely her mother's daughter, not to mention her grandmother's granddaughter.

All the large picture windows face out to the lake and mountain vistas.

I'm so glad we were able to share this precious experience with mom, auntie, Tiffany and KC this time.

Day #9 Sheridan, Wyoming to Great Falls, Montana

It's another long traveling day. We left Sheridan, Wyoming and went to Little Big Horn.

From the National Park website:
"This area memorializes the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry and the Sioux and Cheyenne in one of the Indian's last armed efforts to preserve their way of life. Here on June 25 and 26 of 1876, 263 soldiers, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer and attached personnel of the U.S. Army, died fighting several thousand Lakota, and Cheyenne warriors."


It was an overcast, rainy day. However, perhaps it was appropriate for what happened here.

General Custer went to Little Big Horn to attack the Indian village there. He and his men met a terrible end. However, what happened to the Native Americans after that was even more tragic.

I thought the Park Service tried to present a balanced view of the situation from both sides.


Back on the road again, we were on our way to Great Falls, Montana, just outside of Glacier National Park.

It rained almost the entire way.


In one area we had to cross over some flooded roads. That was pretty scary. I was worried the minivan would stall.


We saw a huge windmill farm along the way.


Our hotel in Great Falls was Heritage Inn, Best Western. They had a nice Laundry Room that we made immediate use of. I was so glad we invited our daughter and granddaughter on this trip. Tiffany was an IMMENSE help with driving, trouble shooting and doing all the chores to keep a journey safe and happy.


The Heritage Inn was really a nice hotel. We'd definitely recommend this place.


Tiffany brought this portable airbed for children which was a lifesaver everywhere we stayed. KC tends to roll around when she sleeps which would disturb poor Tif's rest if they slept together. She could also fall off the bed. The airbed was a safer (It has a lip around the edges.), better alternative.

And now... on to Glacier!

Day #8 Lead, Devils Tower, Prairie Dogs

We wished we could have stayed at the luxurious Fairfield Inn even longer. However, it was time to move on. Being from the Midwest and Hawaii, we found the tumbleweed that rolled our way endlessly fascinating.


Auntie Grace had never seen a lilac bush before so the trip would not have been complete until we found a wild bush to take a photo of and pluck a small sample of the blossoms to savor during the long road trip.


We stopped at Lead's Homestake Mining Company in South Dakota to learn all about gold mining and the famous Gold Rush.


Mom, Auntie Grace and KC tried their hand at panning for gold. KC liked playing with water. Auntie Grace was determined. Mom thought it was too much work for not much results.

Back in the minivan and we were on to Devils Tower, Wyoming.

Devils Tower was AWESOME!

I got this from the National Park website: "Why is it called Devils Tower? Some Indians called it Mato Tipila, meaning Bear Lodge. Other American Indian names include Bear’s Tipi, Home of the Bear, Tree Rock and Great Gray Horn. In 1875, on an expedition led by Col. Dodge, it is believed his interpreter misinterpreted the name to mean Bad God's Tower, later shortened to Devils Tower.".

Wikipedia has some really great information on Devils Tower which was featured in the movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

But what did KC love the most? Yup! The prairie dogs!

Day #7 Mt. Rushmore, Jewel Cave, Dinosaur Park

KC was excited about adding another sticker and date stamp to the National Park Passport book that Art got her.



Mt. Rushmore was as awesome as we remembered. Although the four presidents were chosen for their integrity and what our country stands for, we were told elsewhere that to many Native Americans, Mt. Rushmore stands for something else entirely.


Abe asked in his comment if we saw the Crazy Horse Monument. We did see it while on the road. There hasn't been a whole lot of progress since the last time we passed by about 10 years ago. I would love to see it completed.


In the town of Custer, we happened to stop at the Purple Pie Place. It was one of our favorite stops.


The sandwiches and soup were deliciously homemade and the pies were absolutely scrumptious!


The Jewel Cave was our next stop. We took the Discovery Tour because it was the least strenuous. Unfortunately, it was also pretty boring. You couldn't see very much of anything but a dark cave. I would not recommend this tour. Luckily we have a Senior Pass so we didn't have to pay for this.

"Senior Pass Eligibility
As part of the American the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass program, U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are at least 62 years old can purchase a Senior Pass for a one-time processing fee of $10. This Senior Pass to national parks and lands offers benefits to you and your traveling companions."


For KC the best part of this day was Dinosaur Park in Rapid City.

From Wikipedia:
"Dinosaur Park is a tourist attraction in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Dedicated on May 22, 1936, it contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city, created to capitalize on the tourists coming to the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore. Constructed by the city of Rapid City and the Works Progress Administration, WPA Project #960's dinosaurs were designed by Emmet Sullivan."




If you ask KC what she remembered most about this trip, she'll probably tell you that she liked sitting on the dinosaur's tails.

And that was the end of that day!

Day #6 Yellowstone to Rapid City, South Dakota

This was the view out of our Lake Yellowstone windows. Mom and Auntie said their room never warmed up like it was supposed to. It's a historic hotel and frankly... overpriced.


It made me think of that Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour movie, Somewhere in Time.


The cliff swallows nests on the hotel were fun to see.


We passed this bison on the way out of Yellowstone. We needed to leave early because the Sylvan Pass was only open between 8 PM to 10 AM due to threats of avalanche.


As we were leaving, I told 4 year old KC, "Say goodbye to Yellowstone, KC."
Perplexed, she asked, "Why? Are they taking it away?"


Along the way, we stopped at a field dotted with Silvery Lupine and yellow Mules Ear Wyethia.


The Lupines were gorgeous!


Road construction and some happy stops lengthened Art's planned 8 hours of driving to 10! It was great that Tiffany could do most of the driving.

Our son-in-law (who couldn't come with us) treated us to this special room at Fairfield Inn in Rapid City.

It was luxurious! He thought his daughter would enjoy the water park that was attached to the hotel.

Ahem... This was why I had to hunt down a tankini at the last minute.


Unfortunately, when we stepped out onto the balcony, the noise was too loud and the activity was a bit overwhelming for little KC.

"I don't want to go," she said.


It was OK with the rest of us. We were rather exhausted from the long day and just going to bed sounded like a great idea.

Instead of the water park, KC was much happier playing in the quieter tub.


HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, all you great guys out there!