The sun was peaking through the blinds as we awoke this morning. Pulling the windows open we could see blue sky decorated with creamy white popcorn clouds. Tall trees and mountains were visible in the distance.  Had we been transported to some strange new land while we were sleeping? No, the winds had simply blown all the smoke and haze away.

Pancakes and bacon were consumed while catching up on hurricane Irma news.  After the dishes were done we decided we would return to Apgar Village to see if the landscape looked different there.  But before we left Randy said, “Why don’t we just drive all the way to St. Mary’s on the East side and see what it looks like there?” We can try, I thought. Well, why not?

We left in a blast and took only jackets and water bottles with us, not really serious about the drive all the way to the Eastern gates of Glacier. But once on the road, Apgar Village was bypassed in favor of just continuing on. The views were stunning and beautiful, as if someone had pulled back opaque curtains and all the beauty of the landscape was now visible. Not only that, the air quality seemed greatly improved and the smoke smell was reduced to almost non-existent.

Since we couldn’t drive “Going to the Sun Road” due to fires, (and we didn’t want to drive the mountain twists anyway) we continued on Highway 2 across the Continental Divide. Arriving in the town of East Glacier about 12:25, we continued into the park to see the Two Medicine Lake Area. Stopping at the Ranger Station we bought some maps and asked directions to any points of local interest. A near-by beaver lodge on the Two Medicine River was something we did not want to miss. So, we followed the Ranger’s directions and walked a ways along the river until we found it. We felt dwarfed by the massive peaks rising on each side of Two Medicine Lake. It was gorgeous. Rugged and pristine. And, as described, we found the beaver lodge along the river leading into the lake. Since beaver are mostly nocturnal, we didn’t see any activity in the light of day.

Since the last stop had been so refreshing, we traveled on. However, we did take the longer option and took US 89 until we reached Highway 464 to come back around and approach St. Mary’s from the north. It was only a few minutes longer and had no twisty mountain roads. Traveling along US 89 we came down from the mountains of Glacier and drove into the ranch lands of Northern Montana.

I was looking for something in the car when Randy gasped and exclaimed, “Buffalo!” I quickly looked up to see hundreds (maybe a couple of thousand) of buffalo, or bison as they are more accurately named, on the move along the roadway. Randy pulled off the road, then crossed over to the authorized pull-off on the buffalo side. (This is Eastern Montana . . . there weren’t many cars on the road, so such a maneuver wasn’t difficult.)

We stood in awe for several minutes, just watching these massive herd animals moving together.  Then we got out our cameras and took some shots. The experience made us wonder what it must have been like to come upon a herd of buffalo like this if you were crossing the planes in a wagontrain, or even if you were hunting buffalo to feed your family. Life must have been so very different in the early days of our country’s expansion.

Arriving at St. Mary’s Visitor Center on the Eastern approach to Glacier National Park about 3:00 p.m. we felt we’d made good time. The Lake MacDonald Lodge and surrounding area was closed due to the fires, and Logan Pass seemed just a little farther than we felt we had time for. So, we enjoyed the information, museum, and educational film before loading back in the car to return to the West side.

Enjoying the change in landscapes in reverse, we passed the herd of buffalo again and followed the Middle Fork of the Flathead River and Highway 2 back into Columbia Falls. As we passed the park’s Western entrance, we took a side trip in to see if MacDonald Lake was visible today in the setting sunlight. As we walked down to the lake I gasped as I saw the mountains bordering the lake jutting into the sky. Then, I gasped again as I realized they were filled with smoke as a result of fire that was coming down the mountain to meet the lake shore. We stood and watched for a time, sad all over again that the fires had consumed so much of the park lands. Leaving, we stopped once again along MacDonald river to see a beaver lodge in the evening light, hoping to see someone coming out in the twilight. If we hadn’t been so hungry, we might have stayed longer. But, suddenly we were really hungry. Those pancakes this morning were good, but they weren’t that good.

The place we had in mind for nourishment was closed by the time we arrived, so we looked across the street to see most of the cars in town parked in the lot of “The Nite Owl Back Room.” So, why not try a little “local color?” we asked ourselves. It was a roadside diner in every sense of the word. A few Formica tables; booths along the wall; a bakery case by the cashier; and a menu with everything from soup to nuts. It was so extensive, in fact, we couldn’t make up our minds. Just as we were about to order, a woman from the booth behind us got up to leave and stopped to advise us, “Try the Back Room. It’s senior buffet night. All you can eat for $12.95 and the chicken is to DIE for. They have everything you want and it’s so worth it.”

Of course, we opted for the Back Room Buffet, having officially crossed over to the dark side of “senior.” It definitely required a trip to the Back Room, which was a sizable dinning room filled with all the people who had come in the cars in the parking lot. We’ll have to remember to pay that one forward. Just a little reminder that grace comes in all shapes and sizes!

There is no disputing, the chicken WAS to die for! We finished everything off with a bowl of huckleberry ice cream and rolled back to our little apartment full, happy, and satisfied we had not only found a delightful eatery, but had experienced the graciousness of Montana hospitality and had SEEN some of the beauty of Montana we had longed to see.

We set alarms to be up by 6:30 a.m. so we could prepare for our guided tour through Glacier National Park.  We were very excited even though it was still dark and the temperature read 45 degrees. It must be Fall.

After a quick yogurt for breakfast we packed our day bags. Contents: One water bottle; one sweatshirt; one hat; one bug band; one granola bar; two cameras. Only the necessities.

It was a 45 minute drive to the pick up point, but we made it in good time. No one else was on the road. There was still smoke visible (and smell-able) as the dawn pushed back the darkness. All of the sudden, we could see in the sky before us half of a bright orange orb that we knew must be the sun. Only, it appeared to be cut in half as if with pinking shears. “A mountain!” we both exclaimed at once. We realized the other half of the sun was obscured by the slope of a mountain. And, as the day grew lighter and lighter, we could actually make out the outlines of some of the mountains around us. We had seen the sunrise through a gap in the mountains. It felt like waking up in an entirely different world from the one we had been in for the last 3 days.

The park ranger at the entrance to the park checked our pass and wished us a happy “Good morning,” as he handed us a map and waved us through. We drove on to Apgar Village where we had determined our Red Bus Tour of the park would start. There were no other cars in the parking lot. We parked and went to the meeting point. While the General Store’s OPEN sign was lit up, everything else around looked dark and closed. The lodge office, where we had just made the change in our reservations for the tour just the day before yesterday, had a sign explaining they were closed for the season. What? The place almost looked abandoned.

It was starting to feel just a little Twilight Zone-y. Randy got out his phone and made a call. There was only a recording. He checked the Red Bus website and they had a message that all tours had been cancelled from the West side of the park. What? Another call and some waiting before talking to a real person. Yes, indeed, all tours from the West side of the park had been cancelled! Turns out, the Park actually suspended all commercial enterprises because of predictions for increased threat of fires over the weekend. And, the woman who had changed our reservations only moved our name over to today, but had failed to include our contact information, so we never got notified of the cancellation.

Time for plan B. We left Apgar Village and took the road to Camas that led us into the park to the north. A short distance away we stopped the car after crossing a lovely little stream, Fern Creek, and got out. Finally, here was something we could see. A slow flowing gentle creek on one side of the bridge. But on the other, a mirror-glassed water way adorned with an expertly constructed beaver lodge nestled along the shore. To complete the picture were lush evergreens along the banks and in the distance, purple- smoky mountains rose into the haze to complete a scenic backdrop lit by the early morning sun. This may be the best and the only picture we have from this trip to Glacier. For a few minutes we simply stood in awe. It was like we were the only two people in the world. The silence was stunning – and captivating. Then we heard the birds and insects and even the ripple of the water. It was a graced moment.

While more of the landscape was becoming visible, it certainly was not smoke free and we made an executive decision to return to Glacier at another more opportune time. We knew we would be compromising if this was our entire experience of Glacier National Park. On the way out, we stopped by Apgar Visitor Center again to check out the park’s webcams of other park locations. As expected, the cams showed there was still so much  that was obscured by smoke. Assured now we had made the right decision, we left knowing we will be returning sometime in the future.

Before we got to the car, however, we stopped to marvel at the large plants with tiny purple flowers growing everywhere  . . . the very kind of plant I’ve been pulling up from our yard as weeds for years! It’s amazing how in nature there are no weeds – only plants growing and flowering where they are most at home. Walking the immediate grounds we saw a deer lazily munching some breakfast, unconcerned with these out-of-towners who just found out their Red Bus tour had been cancelled. Another graced moment.

We were back at our apartment at Meadow Lake by 11:30 a.m., just in time for a short nap before deciding what else to do for the day. We ended up getting trapped in reading our novels; made a quick salad for dinner; watched the weather channel’s coverage (which we do not get at home) of hurricane Irma; and went out for an evening stroll around the golf course. Even with such unexpected outcomes, the day was lovely. Never undervalue the possibilities of Plan B.

We packed out early to move to our new rooms located just across the breezeway. Completing that by about 10:30, we settled our luggage and replaced the food in the fridge before making some calls and setting up a car appointment for a day when we will be in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Even though the haze outside seemed thicker and browner than it had the last few days, we elected to go out to explore the little towns in the surrounding area. Setting our destination as the historic town of Whitefish, we took back roads to see what we could of the landscape along the way. Visibility was less than half a mile and in some places  even less than that. It seemed like something out of a post apocalyptic movie – eerie and strange. But, what’s a visitor to do? We continued to visit. The most disappointing thing, however, was how much it felt like we were back home in a heavy layer of marine fog with zero visibility and not in the majestic mountains of Big Sky Montana.

Whitefish, which locals assured us was framed by mountains, was a cute little frontier town that built up around the railroad. So, we visited the original Whitefish railroad station house and the museum that accompanies it now. I weighed myself on the original luggage scales and we admired the monument to all those who spent their lives working on the railroad. We walked the town and visited some small shops where we found a host of interesting local products.  It looks as if the locals have a great sense of humor!
Apparently this area is famous for huckleberries and we saw several items made from local huckleberries – from honey and jams to soaps and lip gloss. The most interesting item for sale was an easy chair made from antlers. Now, how could I possibly make this amazing piece of furniture fit in my front room, I ask you?

By the time we made it to Kalispell all we were looking for was a place for a nourishing meal. We stumbled on Bullman’s Woodfired Pizza and we went no farther. While we wondered how they could cook with wood when there is a burn ban for the entire state, the pizza smelled so good we trusted they knew what they were doing. Randy tested a Montana beer called  “Wheatfish.” (I will never forget the first time we were in Montana in 1977, when we encountered “Moose Drool” and I think it’s still popular.) The pizza was thin and savory; crispy and excellent.

Being out in the haze most of the day made us feel tired and draggy, so about the time we were done with our meal we decided to return to our apartment in time to watch the national news. Not only are there fires all over the West; multiple hurricanes in the South and Southeast; now there is news of a massive earthquake in Mexico. All our efforts to abandon the news while on vacation have gone by the wayside. We pray everyone can be safe and receive the assistance they need.

So, this was a day of exploring in the area. Enjoyable, but thick with smoke and some disappointment that we cannot see the real character of the surrounding landscapes.

We had a bit of a “lay-in” as the Brits would say, then made bacon and eggs for breakfast. After cleaning up the dishes, we walked through a section of the “neighborhood” of the resort and around a couple of holes on the golf course. Luckily, we stopped at the 9th hole and found a little coffee shop where my driver could get his freshly brewed coffee for the day.  I continued on to walk the golf course until I got lost and had to backtrack my steps to find my way back.

It was still too smoky to make the effort enjoyable, so the remainder of the day we decided to “rest in place.” We read our books; caught up on the national news; walked down to the swimming pool for a cool dip and a sit in the hot tub; and came back to make egg sandwiches for dinner. It really was a lovely day of resting.

Due to the fires and smoke, there is hardly anyone here. The pool only had about 4 other visitors! That’s the kind of visit to the pool I like.

Last night as we checked out the facilities, the person at the community center desk told us that things had just slowed down at the resort as we could see – there was not a single person in the pool. All summer long, she reported, this community center was so crowded that hardly one more person could be squeezed in. We’d come at the perfect time, she told us, if it weren’t for the smoke from the fires! Today as we left after our swim she asked if we enjoyed ourselves. Randy said, “Yes, we did, but we would like to come back when it’s less crowded.”  She laughed uproariously, and reminded us again how hectic and crowded things had been just one week earlier.

After cleaning up from dinner we walked down to the main desk to get instructions on our move tomorrow. Apparently, we have to change rooms to complete our stay. I guess they know what they are doing! It was so much cooler this evening that I decided to take a little evening walk in the opposite direction along the golf course from what I had traveled this morning. Just as it was turning twilight and I was thinking of turning around, I saw three white tail deer gracefully bound across the green in front of me. While they stopped to check me out, my movement to get my camera set sent them bounding away. I tried, but some things just have to be captured with the mind’s eye and be remembered there.

It was a lovely, lazy day, resting in place.

(That’s our tiny apartment on the second story – the two windows and the balcony on the right.)

We awoke in Spokane this morning to continuing thick and smoky fog veiling the sun and shrouding the surrounding countryside. But onward we pressed.  We were on the road by 8:58 a.m. (a particularly good record!) and traveled along I-90 East imagining the sights we could not see.

The experience felt like driving through miles and miles of campfires. It smelled like campfires – and, oddly enough, reminded me of my days as a thurifer. I always loved copious amounts of incense, especially during the holy week services. Carrying the incense before the cross on Good Friday and in the Gospel procession on Holy Saturday used to fill my head with the sweet aroma and left my alb and clothing smelling of smoky prayers well into the evening.

So all day long, as we traveled today, I prayed. “May our prayers rise like incense” as the psalmist sang. All this smoke fed all my prayers for our country and these Western regions destroyed by wildfires; for our country and those in the South affected by Harvey and all who are anticipating hurricane Irma in the Southeast; for our country and the goodness of heart so many extended, reaching out to help neighbors in need. It was a day of petitions and gratitude; a day of reminiscing and imagining. Travel allows for that sometimes.

We crossed into Idaho and eventually Montana where we lost an hour to Mountain Time, but made it to our destination, Glacier National Park in good time. After checking out the Apgar Visitor Center and determining how much of the Park is still open to visitors, we backtracked a few miles and found our lodgings in Columbia Falls at The Meadow Lake Resort. After checking in and getting our information briefing, we immediately asked for recommendations for a place to eat.  Having learned that the locals usually know the best places, we followed the clerk’s directions and made our way to “Backslope Brewery.” Their hamburger was truly one of the best I have ever eaten! But, then maybe it was because I was just so hungry.

We took a short after dinner walk around the golf course at the resort and found our way back to our little studio apartment. It’s tiny and cute and just right for a few days in Montana.

Even though smoke obscured the landscape, we found delight in other ways. We listened to Joan Baez and Doc Watson while driving, talking and praying. One note of particular interest: we traveled the entire distance with only a single comfort stop. That could go down in Ripley’s Believe it or NOT. I must say, it wasn’t out of choice, but out of the lack of choices. Praying helped.

After final packing and dusting off ash from the car windows, we trucked out of town by 9:15 a.m. to embark on the first leg of our long journey. It was hazy and smoky in Seattle and we knew we would be driving right into the thick of it going east. Which we did.

The drive along I-90 to Spokane was uneventful; smoky; and strangely sobering.  All the beauty of Snoqualmie Pass in the late summer was concealed behind a shroud of thick and smelly smoke from wild fires burning throughout the state. The sun burned orangey-bright and looked like something from a science-fiction film. Occasionally, it was not visible at all – even though there was not a cloud in the sky. Such an eerie scene was a reminder that we have had a record summer without any rainfall, allowing the risk and presence of so many fires covering huge areas.

Throughout the drive I was reminded how important faith can be. It takes faith to be assured that the beauty of the landscape is still there; grace is still there, although rendered invisible; and the goodness of creation still abounds, even though it is choking on smoke and burned black from wild fires. Through faith we know that even though there may be destruction from the forces of nature, there is also renewal and rebirth in the aftermath. There will be a day when the fires are quenched and the scorched land will re-bloom. Grace is found in the possibilities and in the future of this beautiful land.

We arrived at the outskirts of Spokane just in time. Our little Prius was very thirsty and flashed that ominous blue light that indicates she wants a drink NOW. Thankfully, we pulled off the freeway and filled Dixie (that’s our little blue Prius) with the most gas she has ever had in one drink – 10.073 gallons. Now, we don’t truly know how much gas a Prius holds . . . some have said 10 gallons; some have said 11 . . . so, the winner has to be 11 gallons (or more!).

After eating our sandwiches in the car, we were very eager for a hot meal. The hotel staff sent us to Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant, just 6 minutes away. We ordered bruschetta and split an entree. Needless to say, we enjoyed every bite. Everything was “homemade” and delightfully tasty and satisfying.

So much for our first day out. Tomorrow is another day. And from all reports, we will still be steeped in smoke and haze as we continue toward Montana and her wild fires. But beauty, embroidered with grace, lies beneath it all.

One more evening at home. One more check to make sure we have everything. One more chance to add just one more item to the already fully packed car . . . and tomorrow we blast off.

Our travels will take us across this beautiful country – east and north and south before turning to come back around west again.  It will be an epic adventure covering many places we have not traveled to before, mostly across the northern Great Lakes region and into some of the middle southeastern region of Kentucky and Tennessee.  We are as ready as we can be to take in all the sights and experiences. Our list is long and includes National Parks; museums; points of local interest and history; meeting with friends and family; as well as any new-found acquaintances along the way.

Beauty and grace are everywhere! And, we know we will encounter both along the route. I’ll try to report each evening – as long as I have good internet and a reflection or pictures to share.  Join us, won’t you? We’re happy to take you along for the ride.

One more exquisite northwest evening . . . and we are off.