Wednesday June 23

The USA hangs on with a thrilling last minute goal. Whose goal was bigger Donovan's or Parise's for team USA hockey in the Olympics....you be the judge. Watched it on the computer at McDonalds.

Ironically, the England game was the one on the TV in McDoo's. I think Canadians could care less about the world cup. I saw a Team Canada Hockey Bookmark in Wal-Mart yesterday for $4. A paper bookmark, nothing special.....$4. There were only 3 left.

Magpies like cinnamon life cereal........more than you would think.

Headed to Banff National Park next. The town of Banff itself reminded me of the uppity little down town of Acadia in Maine. Lots of overpriced shops and tourists with cameras everywhere. Got a little info on fishing Banff, but decided to try the gondola ride first. Afraid of heights, this thing was no picnic. It was a small 4 man job which I rode alone, giving me plenty of alone time to ponder how horrible a death it would be if the thing fell from the sky. It was WAY up. Views from the top were stunning........snow capped mountains in all directions. It was pretty great.

Highlight of the day was the next stop. I try to keep a list of the most amazing things I've seen in my life with my own two eyes. Before today the leader was the view of Half dome at Yosemite from that high lookout point. Taking it's place on top of the list is the view from the back porch of the hotel at Lake Louise. If I tried to describe it here, words and photos don't do it justice..... it was spectacular.....in fact, the most spectacular thing I've ever seen.

It was so spectacular that I decided to buck up and fork out the $26 for a campsite nearby. It was against all my principles to pay the dough, but it meant that I could go back again tomorrow.....and get a hot shower out of the deal too. So I sat on the back porch of the hotel 'til it got dark and I was glad I did.

Got back and made some pasta, you heard me right, made my own dinner....gourmet style with butter and cheese no less.

Tuesday June 22

Woke and drove for a while with my friend Howard. Resupplied a few items and took a nap at Wal-mart in who knows where. Pickup trucks in Montana are so classic….20 years old, beat to death, but still kicking. There’s something special about an old truck.

Crossed the boarder to Canada flawlessly and cruised up to Calgary. Before bed I took a ride passed the Saddledome, home of the Calgary Flames and the Olympics. They were prepping for the Calgary Stampede which starts in a week or two.

No much fun today…..hanging around Banff and not driving so far will be nice tomorrow.

Monday June 21

The days are so long…by evening, what happened in the morning seems like it happened last week.

Shower and shave at the “J”…. refreshing as always. Then took a ride through Fargo, ND. Wanted to hear people talking to see if they sounded like the movie…they didn’t. Bought some weather stripping tape to fasten the vent visor thingy on the passenger side window that had been vibrating for the last 1000 miles. It worked like a charm.

Drove, drove, drove to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It was impressive…. the views and buffalos, groundhogs, and birds were spectacular. On a tip from a ranger I checked out this one particular viewpoint where I was advised to “get out and walk” for best results. It was a short trail that led to this outcropping where you could see strait down and out on virtually all sides accept where the trail lie behind you. It was incredible.

I ran an idea I had by the same ranger as above. I wanted to bypass all the cities in Montana and stay to the north on Rt 2…he said it was a great idea. Again I was not disappointed. With full tornado warning in affect I headed down this lonely highway where the sunset was combined with the spectacular colors of the storm clouds all around. At dusk ,where everything earthly seems black against the sun setting background I saw the silhouette of two giant sets of elk antlers on this knoll beside the road. Although there was lightning all around I never felt scared…the photos are spectacular. Big Sky lived up to her name today.

Exhausted…I needed a place to sleep. At times driving at night in Montana seems like a video game. There are so many animals up an about that you have to be on high alert to dip and dodge them all. I finally reached a town where it looked like I might be able to rest; however, it appeared that I was the only person in town not a member of the tribe. There were Native American teens all over the place drinking and racing all over in their muffler-less pick-up trucks. It was so sketchy I had to keep driving. Eventually I found a hotel parking lot that did the trick.