Glacier

Today marks our first full foray into Glacier National Park, hereafter referred to as GNP. We arrived last night, beautiful scenery and stunning color on the lakes, checked in to Swift Current Motor Inn and realized we were in the boonies. No signal for anything and the closest available one 12 miles away and the Cattle Baron Supper Club (not sure if it's an appropriate family place or not???) Anyway, Evan was dejected because he couldn't text Daire and the rest of us tried to make sense out of our little place. We have a stunning view from our room, straight up the mountain (not sure which one) and this saves the room from utter rejection. It's clean and it's available, but there's not much more to recommend it. The beds are saggy and the furniture is dated, in fact so dated that I believe it would be classified as "retro" on HGTV. Anyway, pickiness aside, once I got used to sleeping at a slightly downhill it wasn't so bad.

We had dinner at the Italian place right there on site and it was pretty nice. Kyle, our waiter from Minnesota, was charming and gave great advice on hiking. He's an enthusiast and I didn't have the heart to tell him I wasn't up to most of what he'd mentioned. We went on a little hike after dinner, to a local waterfall, and while the boys splashed and played and climbed on rocks, I mounted watch against bears. We were told that they'd be everywhere and only a few people have been killed or seriously mauled (comforting). I sang and sang and clapped my hands, trying to make noise to keep them away. Didn't see any, so I must have been successful. My afraid song, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet" always comforts me when I'm a little skeered.

Back to the room, read a little, and then crashed. Evan woke us up at 4:30am with stomach upset, retching....no way to wake up at that time of the morning. Already light outside. Wow.
Gave him the miracle drug, Protonix (sp?) which Chris Heaton had prescribed (Thanks Chris!) and Evan was good to go!

We're off now up the mountain at St. Mary, Montana on the GOING TO THE SUN ROAD. It only opened on July 1st because of snow, ice and damage to the road. This is supposed to be a rather harrowing trip, directly cut into the mountain under overhanging cliffs. Big vehicles are not allowed to go up because there isn't enough room to pass. We've done Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, and Pike's Peak, so I'm prepared for anything.

Unfortunately, it's unseasonably hot here and at 85 degrees (no humidity) seems uncomfortable for us, since we've been used to cooler temps.

I'll write more when I get the chance and the signal.

TTFN