Backroads by Lynda the blog (Backroads, Inc.)

Well, here we are sitting in a motel in Polson, Montana getting ready to enter Glacier Park early in the morning. Today was a pretty laid back day. We got up and then went over to the Rocky Mountain Museum in Bozeman before we left town. It was wonderful, we got to see all kinds of exhibits but clearly the family favorites were the dinosaur exhibit and the King Tut exhibit. Tate had a ball going through all of the dinosaur info and bones they had there. It is supposed to be one of the largest since Montana is known for their dinosaur digs. They were actually even doing a live feed to England and were on a show there (we think about like our PBS) filming from the museum and from a dig in eastern Montana. It was very interesting and pretty exciting to listen to. I got several pictures of Tate in front of about every dino we could stand in front of! Mike loved going through the King Tut exhibit. It was beautiful with tons of gold everything. Then off to the planetarium to watch a film about dinosaurs. Ok, soft comfortable seats with it super dark, I knew we would have a challenge just keeping Mike awake and we were right. I am really thinking he didn't see much of the dino film. There was also a Picasso exhibit with his pottery. I am not thinking that it looked much different than most of the pieces of pottery my kids came home with in elementary school. Maybe I just don't have a good appreciation for abstract art. The BEST part of the museum was a old homestead house that they moved and set up out on the property. It was complete with all the outbuildings and such that you would have found in 1900. There was a huge garden being worked by two men in period clothing and about 4 or 5 ladies in the house. The wood cooking stove was working in the kitchen and it smelled like heaven in there. They live in the house from 9-5 daily and work the garden, chicken house, etc. All the furniture was period furniture and they were cooking foods that were grown there and also venison steak that the people of that time in the area would have eaten. Tate loved it and pitched right in helping pump the water from the well and going out to gather eggs out of the hen house. In turn, I did see him getting a fresh tomato to eat and told us that he got a hot roll with butter and sugar right out of the oven thrown at him to eat. He says it was the best ever! He wanted to stay forever and they wanted to adopt him. I think he would have been a very happy boy if we had left him. Mike and I sat out on the back porch and talked to Jack. He had been working in the garden and was coming in for lunch. Jack was a wonderful story teller and we could have spent the whole day there with him. He grew up in northern Missouri and moved to Montana. He talked about raising mules and walking horses as a boy and leasing them out to work. He was so interesting and a very young 80 something. You just can't get information like this from a book.

We finally (sadly) left Bozeman. We all liked this town better than any so far. There were plenty of arts downtown, people dinning out on the streets, and just wonderfully friendly people. We stopped to eat on the way out of town and discussed that we could have easily stayed another day or two.

We crossed the 2,000 mile point today while driving. We weren't in the car as long as normal, but it seemed like a long day today. At one point, I needed to make an emergency bathroom stop. Let me tell you, that is a difficult thing in the middle of no-where. When we finally found an exit the first thing I noticed while pulling off was the "NO SERVICES" sign. Well, that wasn't really an option at that point. I was afraid we were about to the find a tree on the side of the road point, but that isn't much of an option either...............there aren't many trees where we were. I had noticed a sale barn out in the middle of no-where about a mile back. My instructions were simple.............take me to the sale barn. Mike looked at me like I had 3 heads! I figure growing up working at a trail ride where we were always going to the sale barns that I would be able to find a bathroom there. Well, I jumped out and asked the brand inspector and he said sure. Problem solved and boy did I feel better. I must confess though, when I walked in I once again was looked at from the boys working the cattle like I had 3 heads again! I am sure they rarely see strangers, let alone strangers asking to use the facilities! Oh well, problem solved and we were back on the road.

At yet another bathroom break (this one at a roadside park and not for me!) we saw a sign that we were directly across the road from the creek that they first found gold in Montana in. Of course Tate had to go. There were gold flakes everywhere that you could see. Nothing big, but tons of flakes. Tate also spotted large trout in the creek. We finally had to start the car as if we were leaving him. I am not sure what pained him more, not getting to fish or not finding a chunk of gold. He did leave with a pop bottle full of silt and gold flakes though.

As we traveled, we came over a hill to see and smell smoke everywhere. A sign was on the side of the road that said do not get out of car next 10 miles. Missoula had forest fires burning right before you get into town. It was scary to see how much had already burned and they were still working on getting it put out. They are thinking there is a chance for rain tonight, I hope it gets there soon.

Well, as I said, we made it to Polson, had Mexican outside on the patio of a restaurant overlooking Flathead Lake. It is huge and stunning to see with mountains all around it. Tonight we are all settled in, windows open right at the lake side. We have a cool breeze and can hear the water crashing at the shore line. I can't wait to see the Road to the Sun first thing in the morning.