MISSOURI, KANSAS CITY

We begin the search for a mechanic and end up at Midway Ford.  They are replacing the catalytic converter ($$$) and exhaust gaskets while we hole up in a Red Roof Inn.  The remnants of hurricane Issac come through while we wait.

KANSAS, WICHITA

We head into Wichita where we visit my birthplace.  It's now a KFC.  In the back I find a tree I used to climb as a kid.

We go to White Chapel Memorial Garden Cemetery where I am lucky enough to liquidate four plots.

We get on the turnpike to Kansas City.  I start having motor trouble so we stop at an RV park in Kansas City, Missouri.

Mitch standing beside the Cottonwood tree he climbed
as a young boy.

Gloss Mountain

Roadside memorial.

OKLAHOMA, GAGE

After a last morning swim we head east across what was the Cherokee strip.  Every river is void of water.  The temperature hits 100 so we take a slot in a brand new RV campground built to accommodate the oil drillers.

Sunrise at Gage Lake

Gage Lake

Baby hawk in nest at Gage Lake

OKLAHOMA, GAGE

We schedule a fellow to do the work on the farm and consider our business here complete.  We then visit the Gage Cemetery to pay our respects to the Mitchell and Peer family, relatives of mine.

We stop at the windmill museum and admire the Mitchell name on the pioneer wall.  We return to Gage and have a hamburger at Charlie's Bar and Grill.  We stay at the Gage Beach for another night.  Right at dusk we hear a group of coyotes howl a short distance away.

Tom and Gloria Peer

Shattuck Wind Mill Museum

Mitchell  family names on the wall honoring
pioneers.

Dad

OKLAHOMA, GAGE

We head due south into Oklahoma and then straight to the Mitchell home place.  We survey the cattle on the place and I finally get to meet the rancher who leases this place.

We go two miles north to the other Mitchell farm.  I decide to walk the boundary (160 acres) but only make it half way.  Peggy rescues me at the gas well with her bicycle.  We now see what has to be done to comply for another CRP contract.

We ride into Gage, my hometown, and notice that the only business still open is a bank and a bar.  We stay at the Gage beach, a 5 acre artesian lake.  We listen to a train come through about every 15 minutes.

Cattle on the Mitchell home place.

Main Street, Gage, Oklahoma

KANSAS, DODGE CITY

We cruise into Dodge City and stay at the Gunsmoke RV Park.

WYOMING, CASPER TO DENVER, COLORADO

At Casper we begin to follow the N. Platte River.  Unfortunately Wyoming doesn't have river access points like Montana.  We stay the night in a Denver campground.  We breakfast at the local McDonald's and weren't the only ones!

Yum, french fries.

Which one of you took my order?

2 Quarter Pounders with cheese and please super size this order.

MONTANA, LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT

After a Wagon Wheel Cafe breakfast we continue east on the interstate.  We stop at a river access point on the Yellowstone River so everybody can take a swim and soon pass the Little Bighorn battle site (Custer's Last Stand).  We cross into Wyoming and stay at the Conner Battlefield Historical Site on the Tounge River.

MONTANA, HIAWATHA RAILS TO TRAILS

After breakfast in St. Regis we head for the Hiawatha Trail.  This is a rail to trail that has been called one of the most scenic in the country.  It's a 15 mile route that crosses the rugged Bitterroot Mountains.  It's best known for its 1.7 mile long "Taft" tunnel that burrows under the state line between Montana and Idaho.  It goes through nine tunnels and over seven trestles between St. Paul Pass to Pearson.

The trail starts right at the big tunnel.  Headlights are required but I don't have one so I try to stay in the shadow of Peggy's.  After I lose ambient light I start to have trouble.  We've heard stories of people without lights running into the wall so by the time we reach the other end I look like a wabbling idiot. The return trip back through isn't any easier.

This is the last thing on our bucket list for this trip so we start heading east.  We stay the night at a city campground in Drummond, Montana.

The Route of the Hiawatha

Taft Tunnel, 1.7 miles.

Bicycling out of the tunnel.

Wobbly Mitch after riding through the tunnel.

Many of these butterflies were 'puddling' along the trail.

View from the trail.

Crossing the trestle.

Shuttle bus that takes you from Idaho, back to the Taft tunnel where you
have to ride back through and then are back in Montana.

How the bicycles are transported in the shuttle bus.

MONTANA, SIEGEL CREEK

There is a lot to do in this park but nothing could top yesterdays tour, except for maybe a helicopter ride.  We stop and ask but they are all booked up for today.

We come down the opposite side of Flathead Lake and marvel at all of the cherry orchards.  We follow the wide and clear Flathead River as it enters the Lolo National Forest and then follow the Clark Fork upriver.  I'm looking for a river access but I turn down the wrong road.  As I'm turning around I back right into the ditch.  Damn!  We attempt to dig ourselves out but to no avail.  There is no cell service here so Peggy bicycles down to the big road and calls AAA.  The tow truck arrives in about two hours and has us out in five minutes.  We stay the night beside Siegel Creek in the National Forest.

MONTANA, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

There essentially is only one road that goes over the pass and through the park.  It's called Going To The Sun Road.  Our motor home is too long, too wide, and too tall to drive it so we sign on for a tour in the red bus.  These are the ones that can fold their to top back.

We start out along Lake McDonald then steadily climb up to Logan Pass.  The engineering for this road is incredible.  The Park Service rates this road as the second most scenic road in America.  The Blue Ridge Parkway is number one.

Peggy and I have looked at a lot of mountains in our life but the scale of these compare to no other.  We count seven completely different mountains from the pass.  Unfortunately we can see only one glacier.  There used to be 150 in 1910 when this became a park.  Not there are only 27.

There are 150 grizzlies in the park and about 600 black bears.  On our trip back down we watch a momma black bear shoo her 2 cubs up a tree.  What a sight!  I tell Peggy if we leave our trash sit outside tonight we might see a bear.  We stay in the park campground again but Peggy says the trash stays in the motor home.

Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park

The Red Bus with Benny our tour guide.

Mitch says 'greetings' from the red bus.

Going To The Sun Road

We wanted to get a picture of us at this sign, but the Ravens had already
set themselves up perfectly for this picture.

Big Horn Sheep on the Going to The Sun Road.

Two cubs as viewed from the red bus.

What this park was named for.  One of the 27 remaining glaciers at
Glacier National Park.

MONTANA, FLATHEAD LAKE

After we take a morning swim in the Clark Fork River we stop in Missoula for an oil change!  Now it is north again and we soon enter the Flathead Indian Reservation.  Everything looks nice and green.  Cherries and huckleberries are for sale everywhere.  We stop in Arlee at the Flathead Museum and Trading Post where they have some beautiful crafts for sale.  I see a t-shirt that says "DON'T FEED THE PILGRIMS."

We skirt around the huge Flathead Lake then up the Flathead River to Glacier National Park.  It's late so the Ranger Station is closed.  That's no matter since we get in free.  I'm a disabled veteran.  We find the visitors center and a nice cafe.  We take a tiny spot in the HUGE park service campground.

Mission Mountain Range

The sacred white buffalo.

MONTANA, DEER LODGE

We continue west to Deer Lodge where we spend the afternoon at the Old Montana Prison and the Towe Ford Auto Museum.  Both were very interesting.  We have supper at the Rock Creek Lodge which is the location for the Montana Testicle Festival.  We find several strings of cheap beads in the parking lot so it looks like we just missed it.  Their photo album was fun to look at.  We take a campsite at the Turah RV Park.

Built by inmates.

Behind prison walls.

1964 GTO (Car like Mitch used to have),  Montana Auto Museum

Picture of 1920 Model T Camper at the Montana Auto Museum