Sunday, November 16, 2014

The Glacier Journal - Somewhat of an Introduction




The Jackson Glacier stop on our
AWESOME Red Bus Tour (Thanks Keith!!!)



Top Ten
1. Weather - 80 and sunny every day
2. The veranda at the Many Glacier Hotel
3. Johnson's in St.Mary's Family Style Chicken Dinner
Curtis SCA EB 7(7)
4. Dancing Bears Lodge East Glacier
5. (tie) Dinner, Belton Inn Veal Scaloppin - Izaak Walton Inn Pork Chop
7. Swiftcurrent / Josephine boat tour at Many Glacier
8, Trail of the Cedars - Lake McDonald
9. Jammer Joes's Bison Sausage - LakeMcDonald


The view from our room at Many Glacier every morning


I am glad I am not rich, because I could spend the rest of my life traveling. Last year I decided on a significant adventure each year. The first effort was cruising and because I don’t drink, gamble or buy my watches from anyone other than Alan Terry in Jackson it was fun but less than the end all or be all. It was our first, and unless we take a river cruise on the Mississippi or some other down sized vessel, our last.


This summer my cancer came back, and I had major head and neck surgery on the other side. A balancing act. Chemo and rad were much worse than last time, and I started remembering the marvelous trips my parents took my on as a child. At the time I hated them, but now they are hallowed ground.


My dad taught in a trade school, and only had the month of August off. On the last day of school we would load up the car and off we went west for two to three weeks of pure traveling. The first night we always made Omaha, not a mean feat in pre-interstate driving from Chicago. Then it was Glacier or Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon or great uncle Charlie’s in Mount Shasta and everything in between. My parents, when single in the 30’s had traveled the west extensively, and there is no question they were re-living whatever those memories were.


I remember the falls of the Yellowstone from the hotel that I guess no longer exists. I remember the view from Banff and Lake Louise and the Many Glacier hotel. I remember putting my hands in the ruts of the Oregon Trail at South Pass. I wanted to see some of that again.


I never leave home without my travel agent Judy D. She is a wizard, and makes my AAA membership worth it. I told her Amtrak from Lacrosse on the Empire Builder, three nights at the Many Glacier and two days in East Glacier, then Amtrak back. When we realized that Amtrak #7 was scheduled to arrive at 8:15 with an hour plus drive to Many Glacier to follow, we moved departure up a day and booked a room at the Glacier Park Lodge. I hate rushing around on vacation. Judy handled that with ease.


Then we found out you couldn’t rent a car in East Glacier and drop it off in West Glacier. My fix was to just leave West Glacier at 7 and drive to East and move departure to there. With a 9:45 scheduled departure from East Glacier I would miss Amtrak Breakfast and will just have to suffer through the buffet across the street at the Glacier Park Lodge. Figuring the train to be late may give us even more time. Then they released a new schedule, pushing departure up to 6:54. I think we could write entire novels about the EB this year. One delay, then another,,,,,





The Itinerary


Tuesday, August 05, 2014
Drive from Jackson to Ferryville
Wednesday, August 06, 2014
Depart La Crosse 7:14 PM
Thursday, August 07, 2014
Amtrak Arrive Glacier
Thursday, August 07, 2014
Glacier Park Lodge
Friday, August 08, 2014
Rental Car
Friday, August 08, 2014
Two Medicine Boat Ride
Friday, August 08, 2014
Many Glacier Hotel
Saturday, August 09, 2014
Many Glacier Hotel
Saturday, August 09, 2014
Many Glacier Boat Ride
Saturday, August 09, 2014
Red Bus Tour
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Many Glacier Hotel
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Trail Ride
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Lake Mary Boat Ride
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Jack Gladstones Poet Songs
Monday, August 11, 2014
Drive Going to the Sun
Monday, August 11, 2014
Belton Chalet
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Glacier View Golf
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Lake McDonald Boat
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Dancing Bears Inn
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Drop off Rental Car
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Amtrak 
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Amtrak
Friday, August 15, 2014
Des Moines
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Drive to Jackson






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