Day 26: Huckleberry Tom and The Miracle of America

Shaken, not stirred, at "007" and 40 minutes (AM). The Breakfast Martini, I mean. We woke up pretty early at the Lookout Inn and were greeted by the most relaxing view of Flathead Lake.

Huckleberry Tom

On our way down to breakfast we were greeted with a smile and a kiss from Maggie (the dog). Tom and Nancy had made an incredible breakfast and we started off the morning just right.

Ronit and I had a breakfast Martini, which was finely chopped fresh strawberry, banana, pineapple and kiwi mixed together topped with some special granola drizzled in honey and a sprig of mint. The fruit was so fresh and sweet! We also ate some Tom-made pancakes topped with huckleberries found in the nearby wilds.

I learned from Tom that all huckleberries are in fact wild grown as it's not possible to domesticate them. Because of this, a bag of these puppies is quite expensive. A gallon bag of these berries costs over $100! Not only are they simply plucked where they grow in the remote, high-altitude wilds, but you are also competing with the bear population who also love these tasty berries. So finding this fruit is not an easy task.

Tom told us that he has a few secret areas that he knows he can find them, but he guards that hidden location dearly! He admitted that if he were to tell us he'd have to "off" us, Al Capone style. 😉

For those of you who have never seen a huckleberry, they look similar to blueberries but a bit smaller and are more purple in color. Apparently, however, there is also another berry called the serviceberry that looks almost identical and which unknowing tourists find and think they hit the jackpot. The difference though is that serviceberries grow above the leaf, while huckleberries grow underneath the leaf.

A Dollar to My Name

After a delicious breakfast, we said goodbye to the inn and Ronit and I were back on the road. We noticed as we were driving that there were casino signs on almost every corner, so we decided to investigate.

We chose a nearby bar that had a casino and pulled in. Inside, we spoke with the owner whose name was Rudy. He explained that the gambling here was really just a few gaming machines with a maximum bet of $2.

We asked if we could take some pictures and he told us we could go right ahead. We took some shots of us pretending to gamble and on the way out noticed something a bit odd. On the door heading outside there were $1 bills with names written on them all taped to the door. Ronit and I then realized these dollar bills were everywhere - on the walls, the ceilings, and every surface available.

So back we went to speak to Rudy who explained that there is a tradition of putting a dollar with your name on it in the casino so that if one day you come back and have no money, at least there is a dollar with your name on it to buy you a drink or two. We then realized there were even some credit cards taped around, and Rudy told us that there's a group of Canadians that come for a few weeks every year, and they put their credit cards on the ceiling with their names.

We found that very interesting of course and wondered why they would do such a thing. We figured maybe they don't want people back in Canada knowing what they're up to in the U.S.? Maybe they're trying to cover up their drinking or gambling habits? By the time we left, it was 9:30 AM and the bar was full and active with people eating, drinking and having a grand old time.

The Miracle of America

Next up we arrived at the Miracle of America Museum in Polson, Montana. Well, this was definitely one of the most surprising hidden gems of the trip! It offered way more than what we had anticipated going in. Ronit had read about a flying saucer they had on display there and that was enough for me to give it a go.

Honestly, this museum really needs to become internationally renowned! I could have spent a full 8-hour day here and still not have managed to fully absorb the huge amounts of artefacts collected by, amazingly, just one person: Gil Mangles.

Gil has collected all the items here in just his lifetime, and yet they encompass so many different periods of history. It is completely mind-boggling! I took so many photos, which of course I can't all fit into the post, so check out the photo gallery to see just a portion of the magnitude of Gil's collection.

If you were to fly into Kalispell, Montana Airport just to drive to Polson to visit this museum, I can guarantee you would not be disappointed. I'd recommend even spending 2 days just rummaging around the museum's vast indoor and outdoor grounds.

There is such variety that anyone could find their niche interest. From guns and war to cars and motorcycles, cowboys and Indians to UFOs and so much more! If we didn't have to rush off to make it to our hotel in time we would have stayed so much longer.

Nine Pipes Nature Trail

Back on the road, it was time for a hidden trail. As we drove, keeping our eyes peeled for a good spot to explore, we instead noticed a little buddy on the road. There, right smack dab in the middle of the street was a turtle who seemed to have made himself very comfortable. So being the good samaritans we are, we pulled off, and I walked into the road to carry him to safety. His head was not visible, but I knew he was home. The moment I picked him up those little legs were moving faster than a rabbit's. I laid him down on a grassy knoll on the side of the road and off he went in a hurry.

We continued on our mission until we finally found what looked to be a promising side road that led to a hiking trail. So we got our hiking shoes on (figuratively) and off we went down the Nine Pipes Nature Trail to see what we could find. The walk was absolutely gorgeous with huge expanses of green grass with looming mountains in the distance.

There was also a lot of nice plant life and even wild birds swooping by. Once we arrived at the lake we could see it was full of fish. We discovered that you actually need a special license to fish there, so it made sense why the fish population was thriving. To ensure the rules were being followed, there was a truck with red and blue lights just off to the side, which we realized was one of the Parks and Wildlife Rangers.

Trading Post

We saw a sign as we were driving that indicated a trading post up ahead when Ronit asked me "What even is a trading post? What do people sell there?". Well, there was only one way to find out! We pulled into an authentic First Nations trading post and boy were we surprised when we found out what it was. Turns out it's just a store selling odds and ends for tourists like us. Go figure.

The person at the store wasn't the friendliest so we just quickly looked around and then left without purchasing anything. Though I did see a cool-looking truck that seemed like it could be a collectable but maybe was just the owner's car.

As we continued our drive near Allentown, we saw this large souped-up 4x4 in front of us. I had just been telling Ronit that I wanted to do another USA-focused hidden trails trip in September or October, but this time not with Steele the Mercedes (Sorry buddy, but you are better suited to fundraising roadshows than pot-hole filled dirt roads snaking around mountains).

I had mentioned maybe trading him in for a real 4x4 vehicle that could eat up those dirt roads like they were candy for a baby. Seeing this monster jeep in front of me had me intrigued so I followed him until he turned off the highway and then honked and flashed my lights. Well, we're in Montana and Ronit was a tad bit scared that the owner would take out his guns and riddle us with bullets...um that did not happen. At all.

Introducing Dave and Debra, the owners of the souped-up Rubicon. Dave told me how he had recently crossed the Magruder Road in Darby in 2 days since you have to drive super slowly, no more than 5-10 miles an hour.

He gave me the grand tour of the vehicle including the custom AEV wheels, rooftop folding tent, and diesel engine with water and extra diesel tanks alongside it. He also had a metal front bumper with a professional wrench, a tailgate that turns into a full kitchen table with cutlery and drawers, and more!

We learned that Dave sleeps inside the rooftop contraption while his wife Debra sleeps inside the Rubicon itself. Well, guess who is now completely sold on getting a real 4x4... This guy! Imagine all the amazing hidden places I could climb to with this bad boy!

Gypsy Salmon BnB

We were now set on arriving at our accommodation for the night as soon as possible and made a beeline for the Gypsy Salmon Bed and Breakfast. The only thing was there would be no restaurants near the BnB since it was quite an isolated area so we made a quick stop at the local grocery store and picked up some T-bone steaks.

The rest of the drive to the BnB was exhilarating and we literally were driving alongside a running river called Salmon River the rest of the way.

We were now in Idaho and the mountains around us had changed since Montana into a more sparse climate. Instead of heavy forests and greenery, the mountains were bare with just a soft smattering of grass and spots of exposed rock.

We arrived at the BnB and realized that the Gypsy Salmon had nailed the "location" part of the saying "Location, location, location!". There were just no words to describe the view except, like Ronit said to me, it was like a fairy tale. We were sitting mere inches away from the river flowing strongly, the sound of the waves against the river bank. The weather was absolute perfection, with not a mosquito or fly in sight. Perfection.

Well it gets better because our accommodation was not just any regular hotel room or cabin, it was a stagecoach wagon!!! It was incredible what they managed to fit into such a small space.

It had a full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living area all within around 300 square feet. We absolutely loved it! It was just so homey and cosy while simultaneously being perfectly functional.

The owners, Patrick and Lorett, welcomed us warmly and gave us an explanation of everything and even helped us prep the shared grill for our steaks. They told us a bit about the nearby geological formations of the mountains, which we loved hearing about. We learned that Salmon River is also known as The River of No Return and that this river located in Idaho, is the longest undammed river in the contiguous United States.

Once we were all settled in, Ronit and I sat outside by the river and sipped on the fine Vodka I had purchased at the Distillery in Saskatchewan. We took it easy, and eventually, Ronit made us some salads while I cooked up the two T-bone stakes (to perfection, I might add). We ate dinner and happily decided to go to bed.

See you all tomorrow.

-Shlomo & Ronit