Day 25: Going to the Sun

Today is day 25, but day 1 of my and Ronit's journey together! Despite the fact that Ronit's flight from Dallas was delayed and we got back to the hotel pretty late, we still got up quite early. At 7:10 we were leaving the hotel to head to Black Sheep. Ronit was pretty surprised at how quickly and efficiently I was able to pack up so much stuff. Well, it definitely helps to have 24 straight days of practice.

Black Sheep Patisserie

We arrived at Black Sheep Patisserie by 7:30 AM, opening time. I was worried there would be a lot of people there. If it is anything like the bakery in Richardson, I thought, then there would be a line of up to 50 people waiting right at the best patisserie in Calgary on a Saturday morning.

Well, it seems like Calgarians love their sleep! We were the only ones there except a young girl, Ava, who waited patiently as Ronit and I tried to make up our minds on what we wanted to get (it took a while...). We ended up purchasing Ava's goods as well in gratitude of her patience while we were discussing the various delicious pastries we could buy. Thank you, Ava!

We learned that Ava lives in Calgary, and loves it. Though she says the winters can be a bit harsh and she wouldn't mind some warmer temperatures. We asked if she'd ever consider moving to a large city like Toronto, and she told us that she's actually never been to Toronto but HAS visited all the U.S. States! Wow, that is quite an accomplishment at such a young age. Kudos!

We also spoke with Còme, a native of France, who was running the place. He sure makes a great Cappuccino!!

Just look at the design on that foam! It stayed perfect until the very last sip. He informed us that it gets crazy busy later in the day – so this was a good time to come. We enjoyed our delicious spread of croissants and other sweet goodies and were more than ready to start the day!

But FIRST, Sandwiches! Can't have a day on the Hidden Trails Expedition without sandwiches, right? Originally Ronit and I had agreed, NO MORE SANDWICHES! Enough is enough, after all 24 days times 12 sandwiches a day equals...288 sandwiches!!!! Yikes! But the truth is there is nothing easier than to slap a slice of cheese, pastrami and some mayo together for a bite on the road. So we both gave in and decided to do the sandwich route to hold us off for part of the day. We stopped at the IGA in Claresholm on our way to Montana, and Ronit very kindly assembled our meals for us while I drove.

Goodbye, Canada! Hello, USA!

After driving through the plains of Alberta where wheat and Canola are king, we said goodbye to the vast fields of farmlands as far as the eye could see. As we drove, we could see the mountains of Montana in the distance coming closer and closer.

The moment we crossed the border into Montana, the scenery immediately changed. Not only had we exchanged fields for mountain terrain, but even the highway layout changed.

Now everything was closer to the road, the trees were in a line right alongside us, and of course, the speed limit was now in miles. We made a quick stop to modify Steele so he could learn his miles and we snapped a few photos of the change in scenery.

Glacier National Park

We arrived at the Glacier National Park and spent about 45 minutes driving through. Due to time constraints, we opted to only go 2/3 of the way into the park and then U-turn so we could spend more time on Going-to-the-Sun Road.

We got some incredible shots of the park and I was absolutely stunned by the beauty. It definitely is able to compete with some of the places I saw in Alberta and BC during my trip. Go, Montana!

Going-to-the-Sun Road

I know it's probably a cliche, but Ronit and I both agree that this is the most scenic road in our whole solar system! It really is! Probably more than 95% of today's photos came from this one road. It's probably hard to believe that 4 hours on one road could make such a huge impression, but the whole journey was one crazy adventure.

First of all, the road was supposed to open only in July, but we got lucky to discover it was in fact already open. This was extremely lucky since the amount of traffic and congestion here would have been way worse than it already was.

The road was also very narrow. So narrow, that when you drive, the passenger side of the car is just inches away from the rocky formation of the mountain alongside the road. You could easily lose a mirror or even a door if you did not drive with the utmost concentration at all times!

There were hundreds of places to stop along the way, and every view was absolutely mindblowing. There were waterfalls, cliff tops, mountain peaks, glaciers, flower beds, streams and creeks. Every bit of breathtaking nature you could hope for was all around you.

Despite a bit of drizzle, we got out to admire the views at several sites, including Logan Creek, The Weeping Wall Waterfall, and Red Rock. All of which were stunning and the rain did not dampen our moods. If anything it might have even made the scenery around us feel even more dramatic! Logan Creek even had me so blown away I might have even considered camping there.

At The Weeping Wall Waterfall, the area was covered in part by a glacier. So the park authority had the ground covered in pine leaves to help people walk up to the waterfall. The scent of pine, therefore, was so strong and refreshing at that spot. Gazing up at the gorgeous waterfall, I couldn't help but think that Montana might be my new favorite state (Sorry, Texas!!).

We drove East to West and after an incredible drive of jaw-dropping views, and maybe a bit of anxiety due to the narrowness of the road, the last 10 miles were catastrophic. No, I'm not being dramatic! The road suddenly was full of potholes the size of craters. And I don't mean one or two here or there, but absolutely everywhere! The car was bouncing around like a basketball during the Stanley Cup games.

Also, at this point, the sky opened up and it began to rain. As we were driving up and down mountains, we at one point were in the clouds themselves. Visibility was quite minimal and at times I could only see a few feet ahead of me. Outside, it was 49 degrees, grey and wet.

During the rugged wet pothole obstacle course, it just so happened that the truck in front of us was also from Dallas, Texas! We followed each other closely, feeling a bit like teammates trying to make it to the end of the finish line. It was nice knowing we had a fellow Texan making the journey with us, especially since I had not seen a single Texas license plate during the entire 25 days of my trip until now.

At one of the stops, called Red Rock, which was along the road we bumped into Luke. He told us that he's actually doing a camping trip with his mom across the U.S. So far they have driven through several states including Texas, New Mexico, Mississippi, Louisiana and now Montana. The mother and son duo are a hardcore camping team and they actually sleep in a tent each night! Luke told us that in some areas the temperatures at night get down to 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Brrrr! Kudos to the Mom & Son Camper Team Extraordinaire!

After driving the length of the road, Ronit and I have an abundance of incredible photos and videos of the journey. It was so hard to select just a few to use in today's blog.

The bottom line is this: I always said that Alberta, Canada is blessed with beauty. Well it turns out Montana is the USA reply to Alberta, and not to be a biased American, but Montana wins the beauty pageant prize in my opinion.

Outlook Inn Bed & Breakfast

After our incredible adventure, we were off to our accommodation for the night. Just driving up to the Inn, we knew it would be spectacular based on the views around us. It was a steep winding climb up higher and higher into the mountains.

The owners, Michelle and Todd, have built an incredible home here. The view from the place was stunning, and the design and structure of the wood base around the complex itself were equally impressive.

Tom, their summer manager, gave us a tour of the complex and there was just so much to see! The property had a large gas firepit overlooking the lake, wooden love set swings, a grill, a common area with a kitchen, and a giant porch to sit at for breakfast with a spectacular view of the lake and mountains.

Best of all was the cute black pup named Mollie, who helped us get over us missing our own dogs. Gotta love some good pup therapy!

I'm thrilled that a place like this is a BnB that allows the experience to be shared with so many people who come through these doors. It really is too magnificent a home not to share the joy of being in a location like this.

Cowboy Up BBQ

During our drive, we had made a reservation at a small local smoke BBQ joint called Cowboy Up. We arrived pretty late, at 7:00 PM (they close at 8) so we were the last guests of the evening.

The location was a remote area overlooking Flathead Lake. The mounters were all around us creating a surreal landscape. As we parked, Gina and Rudy, the owners, chefs and hosts, greeted us and took us to our table.

The restaurant was in a small cabin that Rudy himself had built. The vibe was very country and earthy and felt like the perfect place to have BBQ out in the country.

We ordered a sampler platter and after about an hour of eating the huge amounts of food, we managed to make a small dent in it. The portions were generous, to say the least, and the flavour was fantastic! Everything there was homemade from the mashed potatoes to the sauces to the very tasty Peach Bread Pudding Cake.

We learned that Gina is from a local town nearby called Polson, while Rudy is actually originally from Hawaii! They have been living here in this house for 20 years and at one stage decided that they wanted to turn it into a business as well. Now they are able to enjoy their home, the view, the air, and the location while they work. For the last 9 years, Cowboy Up has been serving delicious BBQ year-round.

In the summertime, tourists like us are travelling all throughout Canada and the U.S., bringing in lots of business. Meanwhile, the winter season brings over the hunters, snowmobilers, skiers, and even corporate execs who come to this area to set up offices.

After we'd finished eating, Gina suggested that tomorrow we should go see the 1,000 Buddahs Park and Bison Park as we drive towards Salt Lake City. We thanked both Rudy and Gina and left the restaurant with full bellies, feeling very satisfied.

On the way back to our BnB for the night I might have nearly given Ronit a heart attack. There I was casually driving Steele into some water we had just driven by, forgetting Ronit is a passenger and is not familiar with our regular mission of collecting photos of Steele down boat ramps. Well she almost fainted. "Stop! Stop! Let me out!!!" She exclaimed loudly, firmly and with a very authoritative voice. hehe.

Well, I let Ronit out onto the dry land before Steele and I ventured off back in the direction of the cold waves of Lake Flathead. Sorry, Ronit. Good thing she hasn't been on board in some of the other places Steele and I have ventured into together.

Back at the BnB, Ronit was absolutely worn out. I guess she is realizing how exhausting it is to travel with me. She was asleep by 9:30 PM! Me? Well, I had to finish writing the blog and going through over 300 photos to try and decide which of the top 10% of photos would make it into the blog.

With that done, it's time for bed. G'nite y’all!

-Shlomo & Ronit