Our road trip this summer took us on the eastern side of Glacier National Park in Montana. Vast ranch lands stretched for miles with rolling green, wildflowers, and rising mountain views. Much of the land was owned by cattle barons.  But, thankfully, other pieces belonged to the various Indians ensconced on their reservations: Blackfeet, Sioux, Shoshone, Cheyenne, Kootenai, Flathead Salish, Crow, Gros Ventre and Oglala Sioux. 

Read More...

Having put some 4200 miles on the car and experienced magnificent mountains, flower-strewn fields, glaciers, ranches and an assortment of wildlife that ranged from mountain goats to bison to a grizzly bear, one would think that my final insight would come from some momentous, huge event. 

Read More...

Yes, your mother. Actually my mother too. She is Mother Earth and I have been listening very hard as I come to the end of a road trip from California through Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and onto the Canadian Rockies of Alberta and British Columbia. 

Read More...

Here in the Canadian Rockies, the summers are magnificent, and also very short. Cottonwood trees blow their fuzz everywhere in an attempt to take root before snows come. Flowers bloom in abundance, taking advantage of the sun. And deer lay their fawns in tall, tall grass. 

Read More...

On the fourth day of my road trip with my husband I was amazed by the waters flowing from the Flathead River, glacial melt, creeks and the McDonald River have created wonderful waterfalls in Glacier National Park. But even more amazing is the collaboration of two countries to create an International Peace Park that stands testimony to what a collection of individuals can do when PEACE is an objective. 

Read More...

I've discovered that there is a big difference between flying and traveling by car.  When flying I work hard to take only what I need.  It's expensive and exhausting to try to drag everything you think you need through an airport.  A road trip is completely different.  We can pack the car full of things that we may or may not need along the way.  My lesson: boundaries push you to make smarter decisions. We have books, food, water, trail mix, boxes of all manner of shoes and hiking stuff. Layers of clothes for Canada . And now I wonder why I packed 8 t-shirts? 

Read More...

Long ago and far away—in a distant galaxy—I was married to man who thought marathon road trips were the best thing since sliced bread. The trick was to drive as many miles as possible in one day, sleep in some unassuming hotel, and head out again on the road. Roads were always Interstate and not interesting. There were a few stops along the trip for a hurried look-see, cross it off the “I’ve done that” list and head on out again. I was always the passenger and never the driver. (Although I do admit, I am a champ at reading road maps. Siri was not even in the picture!)
 

Read More...