I'm not sure we need to go to Alaska.... - Montana Owners Club

jrgwdenner · 07-06-2005, 04:10 PM

We just spent the day on the Road to the Sun in Glacier National Park. Alaska can't be any more beautiful. It is a beautiful, unbelievable drive and I hope you will all make plans to go there, if you can. The peaks and valleys, lakes and rivers are magnificent. There seem to be a lot of great campgrounds around the area, too, all in a nice small town atmosphere.

There are vehicle restrictions on the road (8 feet wide, 21 feet long). We saw only one other dually truck on the drive, also a Dodge. We measure exactly 21 x 8! Didn't have any trouble on the drive although we felt that we'd been on a roller coaster all day!

We want to return some day for a much longer visit. This pattern of only getting a taste of each location is somewhat frustrating. We're just going to have to fulltime so we can visit these places in depth. Judy

Fordzilla · 07-06-2005, 07:27 PM

Sound like you are having a wonderful trip so far. Keep us posted as I'm sure many of us are taking notes and planing our own little excursion to the great white north someday.

jrgwdenner · 07-06-2005, 08:12 PM

For those who are interested, I've posted more pictures on our Blog at http://bamatravelers.blogspot.com

I'll try to keep that up-to-date as we travel, too.

Montana_4069 · 07-06-2005, 08:44 PM

Alaska's purty. all I need to say.

Bill and Ann · 07-07-2005, 01:36 AM

Nice pics.

Go Pokes · 07-07-2005, 03:28 AM

I agree that the norhtwest is very pretty -- but Alaska is worth the drive. Just savor every mile and plan to go again. Bruce and Marilyn

Wordsmith · 07-07-2005, 07:31 AM

Very nice pictures, especially the one now in your signature! What a backdrop to the Montana, as the mountains on it seem almost at home!

Sounds like you are having fun! Stay safe as well and keep us updated!

Parrothead · 07-07-2005, 04:41 PM

Judy,
Really enjoying your trip. We plan to do that in the next year or two. We just returned from a cruise on the inside passage and it was so awesome. I'm still pinching myself that we saw and did all we did. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Especially the glaciers.
Happy trails................and keep updating us.

jrgwdenner · 07-07-2005, 05:33 PM

Thanks for all your kind comments. We are really excited about the road through Canada and into Alaska. After our tastes of Yellowstone and Glacier NPs we're even more excited about seeing Alaska. We will try to enter Canada tomorrow. Not sure what awaits us after the terrorist strike in London.

Sue and Ed, you've encouraged us to take at least one of those glacier tours since your experience through the Inside Passage was so awesome.

campbud · 07-07-2005, 05:44 PM

Very nice pics! The picture of your grandson helping dry the dishes was so cute...he is so handsome! He looks like he really enjoys camping!

jrgwdenner · 07-07-2005, 06:35 PM

Campbud, now you've touched my heart. Yes, Daniel is as sweet as he looks. He "invented" a new way to dry glasses.....just pick them up and blow the insides dry! And we all have a wonderful time when we camp with such good help. Thanks so much.

Go Pokes · 07-08-2005, 03:29 AM

Judy and Glen,

Your pictures are beautiful, especially the darling granddaughters and handsome grandson. Glacier and Yellowstone were also wonderful. Alaska will be just as wonderful. I agree, you really need to do a glacier tour. I believe the tour we took was 40 Glaciers Tour. This tour left from Whitter and took about six hours. Also, we did the Fiord Express from Haines to Juneau. It also leaves from Skagway. On this tour you will not see from the boat the glaciers calving, but you will be able to walk right you to the Mendenhall Glacier. We did see humpback whales from the Fiord Express. Both tours are worth the time and expense.

Hope Greta is enjoying the trip. Peace, our daughter's guide dog, enjoyed the trip. At night she would alert us when wildlife was outside the 3400. Several times we would see sighs of bears in the area the following morning. Although Peace is very well trained, we always kept her on a lease when she went out. There are just too many strange smells and always the possibility of wildlife. Peace did not go on the glaciers tours.

We will be interested in hearing how the border crossing goes.

jpkelpe · 07-08-2005, 04:35 AM

if this is the first time you have been to the Rockies you have just begun experiencing fantastic scenery. Wait til you get to Banaff!!

we have been to the rockies many times and we love them. In fact we have had a time share in Winter Park for many years and will be spending a week up there the first week of August. (we bought a time share so Jan wouldn't have to tent camp anymore, wouldn't need it now that we have the 5er) We went on a cruise on the Inside passage last summer and the mountains are beautiful. will be following your trip to Alaska, keep the pictures coming. have a safe adventure!!

Kathi · 07-08-2005, 01:26 PM

Judy, with our daughter living right at the base of Big Mountain we were just in amazement. She is so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. She took us everywhere we could fit into our 10 day stay. We even hit the Grizzly park near Hungry Horse. Wow was that ever an experience. You stay inside your truck with the windows up and the doors locked while these huge Grizzly's roam free. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen as far as wildlife goes. They were just amazing. Came right up to the truck and looked in and right at us. WOW..... Sorry we missed each other. But we will cross paths someday. Kathi

jrgwdenner · 07-09-2005, 09:39 AM

We're sorry we didn't connect with anybody while we were in Kalispell. Where do the days go?

The border crossing was totally uneventful, less than ten minutes. The questions were about Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, as expected. He said, "no protection?" We told him, "just our dog!" Ha, our wimpy Greta! He wanted to know where we were from and if we were going to leave or sell anything in Canada. Very cimple. We crossed at Roosevelt and there was little or no traffic. We realized later that we had been rather stressed about the crossing which wasn't necessary. Hey, Greta, didn't even bark at the guard!. We're having a great time, unbelieveable really. Wish you were all here.

rlwhit · 07-09-2005, 02:24 PM

grdwdenner, I do not know your route through Ca, If you go through Williams Lake, about 2 hours south there is a good campground. Just north of but still on the lake. Lac La Hache. I think it starts with Fir ---RV park. Full hook up. We have stayed there twice. I should have looked it up in Woodalls. Great to follow your trip.

sreigle · 07-11-2005, 06:26 PM

Judy, thanks for the info on Glacier and also the email. We arrive in Hungry Horse this Thursday and that drive will be early on our 'to do' list.

Kathi, thanks for the info about the Grizzly park. I wasn't yet aware of that but it sounds like a must do for us!

jrgwdenner · 07-12-2005, 05:07 PM

That grizzly park should be just down the road from you guys, Steve. And don't miss the cherry stand close to the park. By the way, you need to come to Canada just for the ice cream!

sreigle · 07-12-2005, 07:31 PM

Do they have Blue Bunny there?

jrgwdenner · 07-14-2005, 04:19 PM

It's not Blue Bunny, Steve, but we did see that plant in Iowa. Should have stopped at the Visitors Center for a sample, I guess, but we're too often in a hurry. The ice cream that we had is made by Nestle's so it has all the candy flavors in it, Skittles, Rolos, etc. The kids here seem to scoop really BIG dips of ice cream. It doesn't hurt the flavor is you're sitting outside enjoying the view in the Canadian Rockies.

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