Big Sky Country

From Glacier we traveled south along Flathead Lake and through the valleys of Montana to Bozeman. Well actually we didn’t make it all the way to Bozeman. Tracy had been driving for a while and it was 5pm so we decided to stop in Fairmont. Bet you can’t find Fairmont on a map. There’s nothing there as far as I can tell except the Fairmont Hot Springs, Golf resort and Spa. As it turned out we spent an extra day here getting massages, working out and enjoying the hot springs. Nice place to get away but good luck getting there.


You really come to understand why they call this Big Sky country once you see. The sky is crystal clear and just goes on forever. It is framed by the Rockies, Bitteroots, Bridgers and other huge, tall mountain ranges all far, far in the distance. You can probably see a hundred miles in every direction. Did I mention the sky is really big?

We got to Bozeman and I thought it was pretty cool. We did the tour with the real estate agent, had a few drinks in their downtown area, went hiking (they have lots of hiking trails in town), checked out the hospital and the university, etc. They have lots of views (middle of a very big valley with mountains in all directions), good music and arts scene, good restaurants and bars downtown, tons of outdoor recreation opportunities (some of the best fly fishing in the US, two ski resorts within an hour, hiking, biking and horseback riding, etc). Additionally, this is one of those sunny and dry area’s in the rain shadow of a major mountain range but the winters are still fairly long and cold. Tracy just thought it was just OK, but she really couldn’t put her finger on what about it she didn’t care for. I liked it, but no better than Coeur D’Alene or Anacortes so it probably goes off the list.



We did get a sudden hail storm while we were here which reminded us that winter is coming. Tracy went into nesting mode: bought lots of food, an extra coat, 2 extra turtlenecks, etc. I took the opportunity to catch up on some blog writing.


While here we also decided to check out Idaho Falls. It’s a lot like Bozeman but with the highest per capita concentration of high-tech (still only 15%) in the northern Rockies. We’ll probably swing by their after Yellowstone.

Glacier National Park, WOW!!!

I think pictures can tell the tale better than I can:

Going to the Sun from the East side of Glacier


Ptarmigan with a mango chutney, Mmh, Mmh


On a hike


From going to the sun road with a telephoto (best I could do without a tripod)


Going to the sun from the west

Run!










Ah, that's more like it (another hike)


Two friends we met along the way

Yes, that is snow in my beard!

The going to the sun road is something you’ve just got to see. More majestic than Yosemite.

Within 30 minutes of Kalispell, MT is Glacier NP, Flathead Lake (at least three times the size of Tahoe), Whitefish Lake and Big Mountain ski resort (top of the line), and some of the best hunting and fishing in the world. If it wasn’t for the long, cold winters, this place would be really tough to beat. Just too long and cold for us but for you snowbirds this is a great place to summer.

Damn the Torpedo's, full speed ahead!!!

Farragut was once the second largest naval training station in the world. Some of you may say, there’s no ocean in Idaho, why would they put a naval training station there? (Others won’t because they are uh, um, geographically challenged). Well remember WWII started for the US at Pearl Harbor. At that time there was a real fear the Japanese would invade the pacific coast of the US. Thus they wanted a large naval training station built purposely away from the coasts so it couldn’t be easily taken. Lake Pend O’reille in Idaho is one of the largest and deepest in the US (as well as the quietest) so the navy decided to build a base and submarine development center there. When it was in full swing the naval training station became the biggest population center in Idaho, exceeding the size of Boise. More to the point my father-in-law went to boot camp their and was attending a reunion so we decided to join him.

The first day we got to go on a tour of the naval submarine acoustic center on the lake. This was a real treat as most locals have never had the opportunity, they’ve only allowed three tours since WWII. They still use the area to develop all the newest submarine quieting technology as it is still the quietest body of water anywhere in the US. They had stuff covered up of course and cell phones and camera’s were not allowed so sorry no pictures. Two things that stuck in my mind is they admit a boomer at full speed now makes less noise than the smallest 5HP outboard engine; and their sound gear is so sensitive, they can discern a snowflake hitting the surface of the lake.

We spent a majority of our time engaging in the reunion activities. There were talks conducted by professors, entertainment involving musicians and dancers 90 plus years old, as well as younger entertainers. I (Tracy) most enjoyed the stories all the veterans had to share. When we toured the opening of the museum, many veterans started talking to us about their experiences. We had no idea who any of these individuals were, but the donated articles clearly brought back very strong memories for these men. It was both moving and inspiring. I most appreciated the camaraderie these men had with one another, even though many did not know each other. There was a real urgency as the weekend progressed for many of these veterans to find just one other person who served in their unit, it was very moving.

The park system wanted to dedicate the park to these veterans, since they are the reason it exists. So they hired an artist to create something that depicted these men. He designed a sculpture of a navy man with a very serious and tough look with his seaman’s cap on perfectly square. However, as you look closer at the sculpture, the neck, head, and face are all composed of different faces. The artist described these faces as the different looks of the veterans as they went through boot camp at Ferrugut. It was very creative.

This was an incredible experience and I’m so glad we were able to meet my dad at this reunion. We live in a great country and it is in part because of these brave men. No history book, educational seminar, or politician could communicate appropriately what life was like in boot camp or serving in the military like these men did.

Since its boot camp days, Farragut has since been converted into a state park. The biggest state park I’ve ever been to. If anyone ever wants to come here they were also one of the best state park camping sites I’ve ever been to: level, paved and far apart with water and electricity. They also have many miles of hiking and biking trails, a large boat launch area, an 18 hole Frisbee golf course and even a shooting range. We were here after labor day so once the reunion was over we were really camping by ourselves.

We also checked out Sandpoint and Coeur D’Alene Idaho while we were here. Both were beautiful and offered lots of things to do but believe it or not Sandpoint has a traffic problem. They were mentioned as the best small town in America to live a few years back in Sunset magazine and since then they’ve really grown. The growth has outpaced the road system and fixes are all tied up with various special interests wanting their way. Tracy ruled out Sandpoint but we both really liked Coeur D’Alene. One thing that is surprising is you are still talking $800k for a high quality home with a good view. So not as much cheaper as I would have thought. Lord knows the local economy can’t support those prices so it must be people from SF, Portland, Seattle, etc. either moving out or buying second / vacation homes here.
On a percentage basis it’s become very clear to me that the SF Bay Area significantly underappreciated vs. other area’s over the last 5 year

Anacortes WA

When we returned to Washington, we headed for Anacortes. What a magnificent find!!! This is a small town on the coast of Washington, but it is close to anything you could possibly want to do. We stayed in Washington Park, which is a state park that sits on a peninsula right on Puget Sound. Beautiful sunsets.




Boy, where to start with all the great things we enjoyed about this place. First, it is right next to the San Juan Islands. There is a ferry system that takes you to any of the many islands you may want to visit. However, Darren and I chose to explore several islands by kayak. We simply found a spot to launch our kayaks and started exploring. It was so much fun. We found beach access on one of the islands and decided to go ashore. We found a sign and map that described kayak camping on the islands. Each island has flat campgrounds sites, fire pits, and pit toilets. You simply kayak to the island of your choice, camp, and move on to the next island. What an awesome idea. Their was even a kayak camp on this little thing I hesitate to even call an island, it was smaller than a football field.

The other fun thing about this kayak outing is we were followed the whole time by a couple sea lions, Gladys and Rupert. They came pretty close to us at times. They were very curious, either that or we were being sized up for an afternoon snack!!! They followed us all along the islands and even as we went into shore. It was very cool.






Another thing we enjoyed a lot about Anacortes is you can hop ferry to another island. So if you want a change of scenery or something different to do you just hop in the ferry. Darren and I went to Lopez Island to bike ride for the day. We rode in forest areas, beautiful fields, country road sides, along waterways, and down town. It offered everything. It had a very small town feel and the people were incredibly nice and friendly. We stopped and talked to a man who was working in his huge garden. He simply fills bags with vegetables, leaves them on a table with a box to drop money in and people buy them as they go by. What a way of life, huh?

On our way back Darren and I stopped at a home where the people breed Portuguese water dogs. These are suppose to be non-allergenic dogs. Darren has been doing research on theses dogs as a possibility for our next dog. Any how, we were talking to the breeder and realized we were going to miss our ferry home. The breeder simply offered to throw our bikes in the back of her truck and took us to the ferry. Incredibly awesome people!!!Anacortes is the first place that has made our list as a place we would definitely like to live.

We also did some whale watching.




Lonnie you’ve got to go sailing up here someday. The water is cold but the area is beautiful, the sailing and life in general, easy.

Back to Bay Area

Next we headed up to Seattle to drop of the motorhome at the repair shop and fly back to the Bay Area.

Our arrangements to have some warrantee work done on the motor home fell through the day of the appointment (long frustrating story, I’m sure you are not interested). This meant we had to find a place to store the motor home at 3:30pm the night before we had to leave for Oakland. Not an easy task. Bottom line, we found a place to keep the motor home, but it had no electrical hook-ups. In fact, it was pretty close to being a junk yard located directly under the flight path of the airport!! So that awesome fresh salmon we had – GONE!!!!!! We either had to throw it away (complete waste), or give it away. We chose to give it away. We never even got to enjoy it!!! That and we didn’t get a wink of sleep thanks to the jumbo jets passing 2 feet over our heads every 5 minutes.

Next, we flew back to the Bay Area for Darren to have the second part of his sleep apnea surgery. This surgery was a piece of cake compared to the first part. Darren was eating the next day!! We spent 5 days in the Bay Area taking care of this and various other medical stuff we had prearranged. Darren even had a chance to let the guys take advantage of his drug induced stupor in a poker game. Must be that, cause he actually lost. The visit was quick, but we were able to see most everyone. If only for a short time. Thanks for being such great hosts Jeff and Alex.

Grayland / Westport WA

Fishing with Dan

Our next stop was Grayland Park in Washington where we met up with our friends Dan and Kim. Believe it or not, Darren and I met Dan and Kim on our honeymoon and have kept in touch with them all these years. They have three kids and this was our first time meeting them. I couldn’t believe we hadn’t actually seen them in 10 years. They have a 10 year old we’ve never met, so I guess it’s true. It’s weird, you haven’t seen someone for 10 years or more and it’s awkward… for all of 5 minutes. What good people you two are. Grayland Park is a beautiful park that is right next to the ocean. They have RV camping, tent camping, and yurts. We walked to the beach every day. Like Oregon, they have vast areas of beach with hardly anybody on it. It is just amazing and so different from home. I realize it is not as warm as beaches in California, but it is just as beautiful. Dan and Kim have two black labs, so I had a blast playing with them. We played fetch a lot on the beach. Dan and Kim’s oldest son Robbie plays soccer and will be trying out for the track team for the first time this year. So Darren and I went jogging with him on the beach. You know, help him train. Ha! Ha! Ha! Darren enjoyed playing “the coach” and made Robbie run sprints. Darren says it is necessary practice for the track try outs. Yeah, right. The truth of the matter is us old farts couldn’t keep up so Darren made him run sprints!!! Robbie, you did an awesome job buddy!! The highlight of our time with Dan and Kim was the salmon fishing trip Dan, Darren, and Robbie went on. This was Robbies first time deep sea fishing. I think I will let Darren write this part since he will want to brag. Take it away honey….. Whose bragging. I am a fishing god! End of story.

Portland / Vicki's

After Ashland we moved on to Portland to visit my life long friend Vicki and her family. We figured we had to incorporate civilization for Shannon and I had to get my fill of “Vicki Time”. Vicki is an awesome organizer and took very good care of us. She arranged Darren to get his allergy shots, we had our mail delivered there, and Shannon and I were able to get manicures and pedicures!! Life was good in Portland!! It was a lot of fun spending time with their kids and her son proposed marriage to Shannon. It was a very good visit. (Don’t get too excited everybody, her son is four years old.)

We were able to spend time with Vicki’s friend Dani who is from Austria. She made us home made authentic schnitzle . It was fantastic. Also, Vicki and Tom have been host parents for a 19 year old young man from Germany who is doing an apprenticeship with the company Tom works for. Darren had a great time harassing a 19 year old German and Shannon, Lauren, and Megan just plain enjoyed having a 19 year old German around!! Ha! Ha!

Unfortunately this is also where Shannon left us to fly back to college. Study hard, play hard, sweetie.

Thank you Vicki and Tom for letting us bug you for a few days. The visit was way too short, but a lot of fun.

Ashland

Hi Everyone,

Darren and I could not decide whether to continue the blog since we have had so much trouble obtaining internet access. Also, we were not sure if there was much interest from you guys out there. However, it has been a month since our last entry and recently we have had inquiries as to where we are and what have we been doing. So for now we will continue documenting this adventure.

We left off with our time in Crater Lake. We went to Ashland after that to meet up with our friends Jeff and Alex to attend the Shakespeare Festival. Shannon is still with us. What a fabulous time we had in Ashland. If you have ever thought about going to the Shakespeare Festival you need to go. Ashland in and of itself is a nice place to visit to get away from the “daily grind”. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains, has the lovely Lithia Park to stroll, hike, or spend the day having a picnic. There are lots of adventurous outings to indulge in such as kayaking, mountain biking, and water rafting. And of course there is lots of shopping for those who like that sort of thing. Ha! Ha! Ha! (For those who do not know, Tracy hates to shop and Darren loves the fact that Tracy hates to shop).

Our friends Jeff and Alex are die hard Shakespeare fans and attend two - three plays a day for four days consecutively!!! Darren and I on the other hand are Shakespeare pagans (as Jeff calls us), as we only saw one play a night for three nights. However, the plays were awesome. We saw “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, “Cyrano”, and “The Importance of Being Ernest”. Everything about the plays were great: the acting, costumes, stage sets, the outdoor theater, as well as the indoor theater.

Cyrano depends more on the lead actor than probably any other play, including Hamlet. It seems 50% of the time Cyrano is talking, so it is considered a real tour de force for the lead. Well our lead had to go home to see his sick mother and his stand in had to do it. Understand leads spend literally 100’s of hours practicing their parts before the first show, the understudy hardly any since they are leads for another part. Understudies are allowed to carry around a scrip for the first few plays due to this. Well the stand in for Cyrano didn’t. He pulled off one of the most difficult parts in the world, with no notice and did a superb job. Very impressive, BRAVO!

In addition to seeing the plays we went on a back stage tour. It was fun learning how the actors know when exactly to enter the stage at a crucial moment, how they change from one elaborate costume to another in a matter of minutes, as well as just seeing what is back stage. We strongly encourage the back stage tour as it gives you an important perspective of what an actor must do in order to make their job seem so easy.

We also went river rafting while in Ashland. It was a great time. First of all ladies our guide was drop dead gorgeous, something we all can appreciate. Well, most of us any way. Darren appreciated the fact that he is a biology major at the University of Oregon, in Eugene. Ha! Ha! Ha! Actually, he (Corey – the river guide) was very knowledgeable of the environment in and surrounding the river. He was constantly pointing out wild life and explaining the ecosystem of the river. However, I don’t think the women in the group saw any of it. They just saw the river Adonis pointing at something.

The ride on the river was awesome!!! It was a class 3-4 river. We had lots of rapids, water fights, swimming, and even an opportunity to ride a couple of rapids outside of the raft!!!

We also enjoyed some superb dining!! Thanks to Jeff. He knows all the best restaurants and made reservations many months in advance in order for us to enjoy the best. Thanks Jeff. Also, I must give a huge thanks to Alex as she saved us $100.00 for missing one of our dinner reservations. Our river rafting trip was an hour and a half behind schedule due to a raft getting stuck on a huge bolder half way down the river. Two of our guides helped dislodge the raft, but it took a very long time to do so. As a result, we missed our reservation by about 30 minutes. We called the restaurant, but they would only hold the table for 20 minutes and told us they would charge us $100.00 if we canceled the reservation. When Alex got wind of this she took the bull by the horns and applied some leverage. The next thing we knew all was taken care of. Alex, you’re our hero!!!

Thanks Jeff and Alex, we appreciate you inviting us along for a great time in Ashland. We had a great time and hope to join you again.