We stayed in Cut Bank, MT which is near Glacier National Park. We wanted to drive on the "Going to the Sun" road which is a 50 mile road that goes through the middle of Glacier National Park. Because of the elevation, the road is not always open all the way across and travelers need to check on the current condition of the road before embarking. When we got to the ranger station, we were told that the road was not open all the way, but was open most of the way. That was good enough for us, so off we went. This road is one of the most beautiful drives in the country (as many travel guides indicate). After seeing this National Park, I would recommend it to anyone who has not had the opportunity to visit.
"Going to the Sun" Road is not for the faint of heart. It is a 2 lane road (one lane in each direction) and it is narrow....really narrow in some parts. It is built on the side of a mountain and there are points where the mountain side juts out on one side and the cliff side of the road has just a 2-foot tall stone barrier that separates the road from the edge of the cliff. Having said that, the scenery is breathtaking. Mom decided to stay in the car the entire time that we were driving on this road (she was thinking worse case scenario...like what if an earthquake hit now)....but she did decide to get out later when we stopped for the potty and ice cream. Dad, Cubby and I were out taking pictures and enjoying the beauty of this national park. The river was green in parts from glacier runoff. The mountains were snow capped and everywhere we looked there were views that were more gorgeous than the last.
After our day of mountain sightseeing, we headed further toward Eastern Washington. The motel we stayed at had THE Largest trash cans I've ever seen. You can see, too, with Mom standing by them to get perspective on their size.
We stopped at Couer d'Alene, ID to find the sports court that was given in honor of my nephew, Ben, who died several years ago. A friend of Ben's Dad, donated money to have this sports court built in Ben's memory. It was a very nice and special tribute to Ben, who was such a wonderful guy.
When we reached Richland WA, Dan, Dawna,Heather, DJ, and Kim were all there to say hello. Roy and Sharon were also there to greet Mom. Mom didn't actually kiss the ground when we arrived, but I think she was toying with the idea....just kidding...but we did have an 11,200 mile trip and visited 27 states. It was an unbelievable fun-filled adventue and such an incredible experience for all of us. Dad and I said good-bye to Mom and left her in the good hands of her sons. Dad and I headed home so that we could get to Sammamish in time for Father's Day with Jack. On the way over the Cascade mountains, Dad and I saw the most beautiful clouds. They looked like a waterfall, and were actually more gorgeous (to me) than Niagra Falls. People were stopping on the side of the road to take pictures of the cloud formations...that's how beautiful they were. I guess it was Washington welcoming us home. The United States is so very very beautiful.
Again, thanks to all of the family who supported us and helped to make this such a wonderful experience. We love all of you....forever and ever and then some....
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