After breakfast and packing (we had to change cabins today..) we drove back to Logan Pass, in the sunshine this time! The morning started out quite cold (38 degrees at the coldest point), so we set out wearing down vests, jackets, and gloves. By the afternoon, I was in a hiking skirt and tank top! The hike to Hidden Lake starts on a boardwalk at over 6000 feet. The boardwalk uses steps to climb steeply and then turns into a trail and climbs up to 7000 feet in the first 1.3 miles! It was hard going at first... The trail is very popular, and there were quite a few people until we reached the overlook, where most turned around. Just before the overlook, a mountain goat joined the hikers, and followed us along. We tried to ... read more

We spent three nights with our friends John and Linda at their amazing home in Helena, waiting for better weather to hike in Glacier. We hiked the local trails, played with Pepe the parrot, and laughed a lot. I went thrift shopping (of course)... Sadly, we learned of a mass shooting in a mall near our town, as the story made national news. On Saturday morning, we drove northwest to Glacier Park, up the Swan Lake Valley. The first pass we crossed was MacDonald at 6,312 feet. It has an interesting history: "The MacDonald road originated as part of a toll road authorized by Territorial Governor Green Clay Smith and built in 1867 by French Canadian Constant Guyot. Guyot ran a hay ranch along the url=https://en.wikip... read more

We drove from Sandpoint to Whitefish today...It was a beautiful sunny day, with almost no traffic on our route. We drove north to Bonner's Ferry, and then east to Libby, north again to Eureka, and finally south to Whitefish. We learned more about the great geographer, David Thompson, on this trip. David Thompson was born in London, England, on April 30, 1770. His parents were Welsh, and of little means. His father died when he was two, and at the tender age of seven, he was enrolled by his mother in the historic 'Grey Coat' charity school near Westminster Abbey. Having shown an aptitude for mathematics, his education was oriented towards preparing him for life as a midshipman in the Royal Navy. His studies included algebra, trigonometry, geography, and navigation using 'practical astronomy'. Over the years, ... read more

We decided a few weeks ago to take a short road trip to Glacier National Park, after school started and before snow closed the roads. We decided to book our hotel in Whitefish at the lower "no cancellations" rate...and now we are headed for rain...and some snow! Today Bill drove us from home to Sandpoint, Idaho. We took the North Cascades Highway most of the way here. We started out in dry, but cloudy weather, had heavy rain until we passed "Rainy Pass" and then alternated between rain showers and sun for the rest of the day. The countryside was very beautiful for almost all of today's drive! I always travel with the Roadside History and Roadside Geology books in my lap. And then I ask Bill to take endless side trips, and our compromise is ... read more

We spent our last two days in Palermo figuring out transportation and routes for the last ten days of our trip. We leave here tomorrow for the small Aolian Island of Lipari, a train and ferry ride away. It is close to Stromboli, an active volcano. After three nights there in an apartment almost on the beach, we take a ferry, train, and plane to Rome, where we spend the night, and then fly to NYC, and take a train to Connecticut to see my Mom and step-dad...and celebrate my mom's 85th birthday! We also toured the Palace (which doubles as the home of the local legislature), observed the end of a famous car rally, and took in a rehearsal of the ballet company's Cinderella at the Teatro Massimo. The quiet here still amazes us: in ... read more