Blogs from Whitefish, Montana, United States, North America

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

Our second day in Montana started with a wonderful surprise as I opened my bedroom window to come face to face with some deer. It was an experience to be repeated every morning while I was there, and I joyfully welcomed my morning visitors from then on. Our day started with a hike through one of the several natural trails within the Flathead National Forest, right from our back door through our friend's property. The climb to the main trail proved challenging for me, unused to the climb. Soon we found our way to Bear Creek, and the exertion was forgotten in the enjoyment of the peaceful isolation and wonderful wilderness surrounding us. Afterwards, we made our way to explore Whitefish, quiet before skiing season. A highlight of the visit was our lunch at a popular ... read more

Two days before departure and preparations are well in-hand. Briefly, here are the bare-bones of our North America trip: On Tuesday (01July) we're on a flight (BA) to London. We change at Heathrow and then join AA for their flight to Vancouver, Canada. Four Days relaxing in Vancouver then (5July) we fly to Kalispell, Montana via Seattle. Jen is on the Lynn Erickson 'Concept Based Education and Instruction' certification training course at Grouse Mountain Lodge, Whitefish, Montana. We have a couple of days extra in Whitefish before we board Amtrak's 'Empire Builder' for the 7 hour journey to Leavenworth, Washington State (mock Bavarian township). After two days relaxing in the Rocky Mountains in Leavenworth, Worthos we are back onboard Empire Builder (18July) for the 4 hour run into Seattle. We are looking forward to four days ... read more

Since this particular trip through Whitefish was in August, it was nice, sunny and warm. Whitefish is a beautiful little town, withbeautiful scenery. It’s so beautiful, ABC’s The Bachelor 2013 even filmed an episode there. (They spent their group date canoe racing, milking goats, and bucking hay*…because that’s what all Montana girls do…) (That being said, most Montana girls probably do know what “bucking hay” is… but if you don’t know, the dictionary defines it as: “is a type of manual labor where hay bales, usually 65 lb. to as much as 140 lb., are stacked by hand in a storage area such as a barn.") Whitefish is a very tourist-friendly town – and not just because it’s a world-renowned ski destination, but it also has so much to do in the summer. Even the ski ... read more

No post yesterday as the Wifi was down at our hotel. It was a long day, and the first two thirds were roads that we had already traveled. We saw a few bikes heading north still. We wish them good luck. Last we heard was that it would be this week. But once it does open, there will be 3 or 4 days worth of backed up trucks and other travelers all going the same way. The last third of the ride was wonderful from Grande Prairie to Jasper, AB. The trip down the Ice Fields Parkway had been recommended by another rider in Ft Nelson. We had mountains on both sides of us, but rain a lot of the time. Jasper reminds me of the little towns around Boulder, CO. Same atmosphere, and same sort ... read more