While no damage was reported, we were pretty excited to drive through this desert phenomenon this afternoon! At first, we thought it was a rainstorm on the horizon, but we quickly realized it was actually DUST being blown towards us!
Because of Mike’s box-like shape, we assumed that the safest way to endure the winds was to simply open all the windows and hold on tight as the dust storm blew through!
GEO-QUIZ: Where were we headed when we encountered this meteorological marvel?
Entering HALFWAY
Oregon’s Wilder Side
The FUN starts here!
(from the sign on the edge of town)
The beer was cold; the brats were delicious; and the music was amazing! Somehow, little Halfway, Oregon managed to snag Brigitte London and Chris Moondawg Hall from the Last Honky Tonk Music Series tour for their Saturday night entertainment.
GEOQUIZ: What kind of animal did Joe flush from its nap by Clear Creek?
Who knew there were white sandy beaches in Idaho? By some quirk of river geology, stretches of some Idaho rivers swirl back in on themselves to break down the mountain rock and create these incredible, secluded, sand beaches. While the water is cold, it sure feels good on a hot day!
GEOQUIZ: What is the state rock of Idaho?
Driving all the way across this mountain road was one of the most beautiful drives either of us has ever done. About every third turn in the road, one of us would sigh, “How beautiful!” We realized that we did not have enough words to describe the splendor of this scenery!
National forests take up 193 million acres of the United States and Canada has set aside 75,014,027 acres just for national parks. We have been on a lot of country roads and this is one of the most picturesque drives ever!
We do wonder about the average traveler to our state and national parks and forests. Most people we are meeting this summer are retired or empty nesters like us. Where are the young families camping? Do all people with young kids only travel to Disney World and Disneyland? With the average campsite costing less than ten dollars, it seems like an affordable way to get out of the city for a few nights!
Official scenic byways were first created “as a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States.” A 1995 U.S. Department of Transportation interim policy “sets forth the procedures for the designation by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation of certain roads as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads based on their archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic qualities.”
If there are 150 such designated byways in 46 states, why are we often the only vehicle on these lonely roads in the summer of 2014?
GEOQUIZ: Name the flower in this photo:
Mystery flower?
According to local reports, we just missed the UFO sighting! Details and photos can be found here.
Guess how much Joe paid for his triple scoop Huckleberry ice cream cone?!
Not a great swimming spot!
We met Mike’s older cousin somewhere on a road in Montana!
GEOQUIZ: What animal is on the town sign of Trout Creek, Montana?
We think we found the prettiest campsite ever! Perched above Lake Koocanusa, we stayed for two nights simply to enjoy the view! And only one or two mosquitoes?! What a stunning piece of property!
GEOQUIZ: Who landed in the tree right above our campsite?
GEOQUIZ: At which campground did we sleep on Sunday, July 6, 2014?
The day began early with a hearty pancake breakfast curbside to North America’s second largest parade. The Calgary Stampede Parade dates back to 1912 and that first parade was led by 1800 First Nations people in full regalia. This year boasted about 700 horses and over 4000 participants in its 130 entries. Joe marveled at the politeness of Canadians leaving space along the sidewalk for pedestrians, as opposed to jamming in as many chairs as possible for parade viewing! Canadians are so nice!
Our friend William Shatner was the Grand Marshal eschewing the traditional parade marshal horse in favour of a sweet baby blue Chevy Bel Air convertible! He gave us a big thumbs up when Joe hollered, “Denny Crane!”
At the opening ceremonies for the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, we were treated to both of our household’s anthems, in honour of so many Americans competing and supporting the Stampede on Independence Day. Other than hockey games, we don’t often get to sing both anthems back to back!
GEOQUIZ: Where and when is North America’s largest parade?
Do you know how to identify grizzly scat? We learned all about it at our park’s visitor centre…and then we started seeing it at the side of roads and trails! Two women came in to the visitor centre this morning to report a grizzly sighting (with photos!) and more than one campground had a “Bear in Area” sign posted. While we were excited to possibly see another bear on this trip, we all agreed that it would be best to be in the car when it happens!
Last night, Taylor proved her wilderness skills by winning the S’Mores Competition. She innovated a new chocolate to marshmallow ratio in addition to perfecting her chocolate pre-melt technique on the edge of the grill. Papa Gill didn’t stand a chance in this cook-off!
We took the scenic route to Calgary this morning and saw an abundance of Rocky Mountain Sheep!
The road crews have been busy this spring:
GEOQUIZ: Despite McLeod Meadows’ host’s invitation, we continued our search for grizzly bear by heading to a provincial park re-dedicated in the late 1980’s to honour a distant relative of Sarah’s. Which park did we stay at?
Where in the world are the Gills? 