MT: Big Sky Country

To sum up our Montana travels- rainy, rotten weather, a teaser peak at Glacier,  and a joyful reunion.

The small community of Whitefish and hip Bozeman were the favorites; maybe due to the break from the rain, or maybe because we enjoyed their local breweries best. 

My dad and Sarah met us in Bigfork- hooray!- and we attempted to take in the beauty of Glacier despite heavy clouds and spitting rain. It made for an adventure as we all piled into the bus to see how far we could climb before the road closed. A shout out goes to Grace and Matt who recommended the huckleberry ice cream and Mckenzie River Pizza Co. 👍

With so much driving lately, we craved some solid down time. We found it about 15 miles outside Helena at a lake that was vacant due to recent government closures.  We had the place to ourselves. The dogs ran free. We made dinner in the bus, and we drank wine around the bonfire.

BANFF & Our Greatest Investment To Date

Here's the thing. This trip was originally set for a July jump off date, which means when we envisioned touring the Canadian Rockies we honestly didn't predict the desperate need for a heater. Cut to the end of September when we actually arrived (yes, I am an incredibly delayed blogger... But who can blog when there is so much to see out the window). It is seriously chilly. The drive looks surprisingly a lot like Wyoming and I love it. Unfortunately, the wind is also similar to home. Cuts to the core. Neither of us have taken our long johns off for days. It was time for our biggest purchase yet. Flannel sheets. They are absolutely the best $35 I have ever spent. So to date, our only souvenirs are these sheets and a Bigfoot magnet. I'm not complaining.

BANFF

Wow. Sometimes I feel like an outdoor snob because I find myself comparing places to the epic Wind Rivers in Wyoming, but this place was no joke. Stop one was picturesque Lake Louise. We tried our hands at some canoeing. As I paddled, mesmerized at the pale teal water from the glacial silt, Ben set about to getting to the end and back in record time. Other highlights include closing down BANFF Hot Springs, waking up the following morning at 1:30 in the afternoon (time warp?!) and Bloody Mary's for breakfast. If it were a tad warmer we would have loved to have taken some longer treks and backpacked for weeks. Another trip I suppose. We rolled out as the snow rolled in and had to defrost our toes at Radium Hot Springs. Seriously. The place was named after traces of radon was discovered in the water. 

Bighorn sheep bid us farewell as we journeyed back south, hoping for warmer territory.

CANADA West Coast Edition

After being forced to pitch our firewood, we crossed the border and wandered through Vancouver. Stanley Park was a nice stop for beers and cider, though they are quick on dealing out parking tickets. I should note that we are yet to see the repercussions of not paying the absurd fee. We figure we are exempt now that we returned to US soil.  The pups loved the smells from the Seawalk. Todd Barry was showing at the Comedy Club, so we parked downtown and had to get up early-8am!!- for the first time on our trip. Seems my body has gotten used to a full 10 hrs of sleep, and not a minute less.

The Museum of Anthropology was a highlight with totems and artifacts of the native Pacific Northwest and Inuit people. After teaching about these civilizations for years as a 6th grade teacher, it was fun witness the detail first hand. After, we found an incredible dog-friendly hiking area with lush forest and trails just down the street. 

WA visits

We drove to Seattle to pay my dear friend Jenny a visit. She had moved out of the city since I saw her last, and her new home she shares with boyfriend Peter is lovely. We caught up while the doggies swam in the river and snuck into a Jazz Festival downtown later that night. It's funny how it can feel like no time has past at all. Ben and I went into Seattle the next day to experience a Float Tank- total sensory deprivation. We each spent 60 min floating in an isolation chamber, weightless. If you've never tried one, I can't recommend it enough.  Without any distractions, the mind evokes a deep meditative state. To follow up our peaceful state of mind, we visited a B- movie house showing Miami Connection, perhaps the coolest ninja movie ever made. 

We rode a ferry to Whidbey Island to meet our niece Annabelle for the first time. Ben's brother Jacob and our sister-in-law Michelle welcomed baby Annabelle into the world 2 weeks earlier, and we were thrilled our timing worked out so well.  She may be the most perfect little girl ever. We took our time visiting and spent the entire week hanging out, leaving only to take in Port Townsend and catch a Moondoggies concert. When we left, we bundled up for cooler weather up North of the border.

OR: Catch up of September

Oh boy, have we covered some ground.  Lots of places, little service, even fewer updates.  Time to play catch up and review the past month in a nutshell!  Or a few nutshells.  I believe I left off as we entered Oregon.  We journeyed through Bend's breweries, National Forest hot springs, and an obsidian lava field- not to mention a double visit with Jim and Mary on the coast in Yachats and later in Portland.  Not a shabby way to round up September.

 Coastal fetch- Beans has scars on his nose from flipping sticks.

 Hot Springs soak in the river.

 Ben, and our aunt Mary and uncle Jim in Yachats.

A Native American dream- a sea of obsidian flow.

 Devils Churn

CA: Avenue of the Giants & a Glass Beach

Nothing prepared me for the stillness and awe. We drove into the thick Redwood Forest and paused.  It was silent.  Heavy.  A place frozen in time.  We climbed through branches making velociraptor sounds, and drove the wagen through a trunk.  Heaven on Earth.
To round out our California dreaming, we skipped along the beach made of sea glass.  Past junk softened to treasure over time.  It took every inch of me not fill each pocket with handfuls.