Montana to Washington May 23-June 2 (Day 3-13)

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May 23 (Day 3): Three Forks, Montana
Once again we hit alot of rain along the way. We camp at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park near Three Forks, Montana. We are within the watershed valley system of both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers drainage basins — and is historically considered the birthplace or start of the Missouri River. The Yellowstone River also followed us for most of our journey from the North Dakota border. The town is called "Three Forks" because the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers converge to form the Missouri River — traditionally called the longest River in North America. Flooding was evident everywhere. It was fortunate the interstate stayed open.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed here in 1805 never knowing the caverns (caves full of stalagmites, stalactites, colums, helicites, etc). 103 years later President Roosevelt made it a national monutment. We did not tour the caves, since the 2-mile walk rising 300 feet and descending 600 stairs was just too much for Don's healing leg. Maybe next time!!

May 24 (Day 4): Kingston, Idaho
We camp at Bumblebee Campground in the Idaho Panhandle at the confluence of the Bumblebee Creek and the North Fork. It is still pouring rain so we are the only ones (except the camp host) in the campground. We had to use our heater to stay warm.

May 25-27 (Day 5): Wenberg County Park, WA
With the Memorial Day Holiday approaching, we decide to push across Washington State. The traffic near Seattle was something fierce eventhough we drove through at about noon. It was fortunate we drove from Idaho to Western Washington, since campsites were becoming difficult to find. So many people enjoy camping during the long memorial weekend. Our friends Jim (Paco) and Deb live in , Tulalip, WA (north of Seattle) so we picked a campsite near to them. After arriving, Jim took us on a tour of the area. The next day, we were able to visit their home and share a meal together. We had a great time. Don was able to walk longer distances and we enjoyed walking to the nearby Lake Goodwin.

May 28 (Day 6): Saint Joseph Hospital, Bellingham, WA
This morning Don woke up at our campsite in Wenberg County Park and complained of stomach pains. As the day unfolded, his conditioned worsened so we decided to take him to urgent care. Since he had an appointment on May 31st to receive his chemo shot 60 miles north in Bellingham, WA, we decided to travel there rather than find another facility nearby. We were VERY THANKFUL for onstar, which provided us with very accurate directions. Once we arrived at the hospital, Don was admitted to the ER where they put him on a saline drip and performed a CAT-scan. By mid-night, he was released with a perscription to help with the nausea. The doctor could not find anything wrong with him. He did not have any upstructions or abnormalities. His blood work looked good. They could tell us what wasn't wrong, but never told us exactly what was wrong. After receiving permission from the security guard, we camped out in the hospital parking lot. We thought it was a good idea to hang out near the hospital.

May 29-June 2: Bellingham RV Park
When we woke up in the hospital parking lot this morning, Don was feeling ALOT better. We decided to stay near the hospital and to stay in an RV park with full-hookups (electricity, water and sewer). Normally, we pay very little ($5-$8) to stay in a National Park or National Forest. Our airstream has 12-volt batteries that can be charged by our solar panel. Additionally, we have propane tanks and a 30-gallon water tank. This gives us lights, two burners, refrigeration, heat, sinks and a flush toilet. Every so often we need to dump our waste water tanks, but otherwise there really is nothing else we need. The bonus of an RV park are the hot-showers, laundry, wifi, and 110-volt hookups (allowing for microwave and TV). Both Don and I agreed that a shower after one week on the road felt really good. We have a shower in the airstream, but our 30 gallons of water is too precious to use for that purpose. Plus I could begin my blog, which requires my laptop. I splurged and purchased an ipad with 3G before this trip so I could receive email communications without wifi. But, the ipad doesn't work so well for wordprocessing, etc.

So we are currently at the RV park; and plan to stay here until we embark on the ship taking us to Ketchican on June 3rd.

Don will follow-up with the doctor on May 31st when he gets his chemo shot.

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