Kalispell Mini Rally

We are parked behind Smoky and Sharon at Sharon's sister and BIL, Jackie and Randy's beautiful home overlooking Flathead Lake. (See pic below) Arrived yesterday and will be here a couple more days enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.

After a social hour and buffalo burgers perpared by chef Smoky tonight the four of us are headed to Glacier for the day tomorrow. It will be hard getting going after this life but we have places to go and things to see! ;D ;D

Everyone are great hosts!

What a delight to have Jeff and Sue at our summer Montana residence.  We are looking forward to our excursion to Glacier Park in the morning.  More pictures coming from that I am sure.

Here are some more pictures from today.

1.  A view of our coaches from Randy & Jackie's deck.
2.  A view of the garden above the coaches.
3.  Sue and Jeff ar ease on the deck before dinner.
4.  The view of Flathead Lake in the distance from the deck vantage point.
5.  The Admiral (Sharon) on left, Sue seated, Sharon's mom on right.
6.  Landlord Randy

Had planned to leave for Banff this morning but a defective dump valve on the right front airbag changed our plans.

Sue got to take it easy today  while I drove to Missoula Freightliner for a replacement valve and back. Beautiful scenery down the Flathead Lake and valley but miserable construction for 35 of the 90 miles.

Anyway valve is replaced and we pull out in the morning.

The weather and scenery here have been absolutely stunning.

Sad to say, the mini rally is now over.  Sky got up in the morning and ran back behind our coach looking for Jeff.  Nothing there  but a blank space.

Jeff we had a disaster of our own after you left.  Randy got up as usual to leave for work early, and turned on the hose to our sewer flush out instead of the sprinkler for the sod.  We woke up to the sound of raw sewage spilling over the edge of the shower stall.  Interestingly, the Newmar plumbing must be such that when the black water tank fills up instead of coming out the toilet, it somehow then flows into the gray water tank and fills that up also.  At least it had the effect of diluting the sewage.  And we were lucky that the coach was tilted to the read and to the shower side.  Also lucky I had just dumped the evening before.  As a result, it all got contained pretty well to a small area.  We woke just as it was coming over the edge and I quickly figured out the only thing that could force the water up like that would be the sewer flushout.

I always leave two hoses hooked up... fresh water and sewage flushout.  Needless to say, I now unhook the quick disconnect for the sewage flushout, in case some day in a campground, someone else mistakes a faucet.

Did you make it to Canada OK?

As Smoky knows we arrived back in Kalispell today after a wonderful eight days in Banff and the Lake Loiuse area. Had to stop by to pick up our bar and food cache we left here to avoid problems crossing the border and it was good that we did as Canadian Customs decided full timers needed to be searched. After 20 minutes or so they nicely told us eveything APPEARED to be in order and we could go.

Coming back I let Sue handle the lady at US custome and we left with "Have a nice trip". Guess I will let her handle border crossings from now on. ??? ???

Jeff Cousins said:

we arrived back in Kalispell today after a wonderful eight days in Banff and the Lake Loiuse area.

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So tell  us all about it.  I want details.  Souvenirs, sights, meals, memories.  Please elaborate!

Betty

Betty:

Sorry this has taken so long but Canada is full of TREES, especially in campgrounds. We also made a last minute trip back to the Seattle area that has made being on line rather spotty lately.

Without a doubt the Canadian Rockies is one of the most beautiful areas we have visited. The combination of the "young" mountains jutting up combined with the glaciers and lakes make it a must see.

After leaving Smoky & Sharon Sheppard on beautiful Flathead Lake we drove north on US93 and Canadian 93. We spent a couple of days in Fairmont Hot Springs and then entered  Kootenay NP at Radium Hot Springs and on to Banff NP to Banff and Lake Louise including a drive up the Icefield Parkway as far as the Athabaska Glacier and a ride on their all-terrain vehicles out on the lower glacier.

We were in Banff over the Canadian Heritage Day holiday weekend so it was crowed. To add to the celebration the US Golf Tour Skins game was played at the Banff Springs Hotel course so I think every room was taken. We arrived in Banff on Friday night and the Tunnel Mountain was full. With no place for larger RV's the Park opened up the over flow area just east of town which not only was beautiful but we ended up parked with a full timing couple from California on their way back from Alaska who can't wait to go back for another summer. We had dinner listening to their short version of their trip. Sorry but I forgot your endorsement of the Greek restaurant so we enjoyed Coyote Deli and Grill- Great Food! When I asked someone in town which restaurants were good she said "ALL OF THEM!".

Banff has a lot of attractions flavored by the Swiss atmosphere including the Banff Springs Hotel. Our browsing included the history of Banff and the influence of the Canadian Pacific RR that had two Swiss Board members. The Canada Place and gardens were a short walk from the city park where a folk singer provided an idyllic Sunday afternoon concert.

Our time in Lake Louise included a visit to Lake Louise one morning while a Swiss horn player sent his musical echos across the lake. It really sets the area aside form all the other parks we have visited. Probably one of several favorite lakes was Lake Morraine and its six mountains surrounding the turquoise water. As you can see the smoke from  fires in Washington and BC  created quite a haze. (Guess it is time for a Panasonic with filters)

A week was just a good introduction to the Parks so we will be ready to visit again on our way up to or returning from Alaska next year. On our list is Jasper and the rest of the Ice Fields Parkway. We are certainly  getting "Parked" out this year. We have visited the Black Hills (Cave of the Winds NP and Custer SP), Yellowstone, Glacier, and Kootenay, Banff, and Jasper in the Banff area.

Jeff

Great pictures even with the haze.? All three of the parks along the BC and Alberta provincial border are very beautiful.? The little yellow cat at the Athabaska Visitor Center, where you bought your tickets for the ride on the glacier, is the vehicle that I rode in 45 yrs ago to go on the glacier.? The glacier has receded a lot since I was there all those yrs ago.? The lake is much smaller too since it is filling with sediment from the glacier.  It was great to be able to go back there this year.  Say hi to Sue.

Jeff  Loved the pics and I think that guy is really tooting his horn.

Betty Brewer said:

So tell? us all about it.? I want details.? Souvenirs, sights, meals, memories.? Please elaborate!

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Jeff,

Thank you thank you,
That is exactly the kind of information I wanted.  I knew you would enjoy the area!  And yes it would be on a list of places for a return visit!  We know what you mean about trees!  Fortunately we have been able to find  gravel lot type campgrounds here  in Alaska which are not much to look at, but the views they have beyond the ground is incredible!

Keep us posted of your travels!

Betty