i’m amazed (montana/idaho/washington)

The morning started out quite nice today. After falling asleep to train whistles and a highly efficient air conditioner, we were well rested and ready to tackle the day. We checked out at 11:06 (always a few minutes late) and headed to Sacajawea Park to fulfill Amy’s desire to visit. I’m so glad we did. It was situated on the river with beautiful mountain views. We had our leftovers from dinner as we took in the amazing scenery. Amy did a little light rock climbing…as much as one should do wearing mere flip-flops. She made it to the water’s edge and I saw a foot go in. I guarded the belongings and snapped pictures of the event.

Next stop was a very badly needed car wash. The Wild West has an incredible amount of bugs – not as many as Florida, but more than I expected.

We hopped on the road and there we stayed…for about 30 minutes. I think it’s fair to say that we’re both suckers for artisan foods. I read somewhere that the Neely’s had visited this award-winning caramel shop nearby. We drove out there and sadly the factory was closed. However, I had read that their caramels were distributed to over 600 retail outlets. There was still hope. On the way to the caramel destination, we had seen the Bozeman Co-Op. Once seen, I think we both knew that it was not an optional stop – it was a must. This was easily one of the best decisions of the trip (there have been many, though). It was a great little place where we enjoyed salads with tasty options (quinoa, edamame) and a really wonderful bowl of veggie soup. The healthy meal really hit the spot. Bonus: they were a distributor for both the caramels and a local goat cheese I had read about. Bringing a cooler on this trip was an excellent plan.

Fueled up , we were ready to drive our little hearts out. And that we did – for 6 hours.  In order to keep this a little interesting I’ve decided to make a few points. If you know me, you know I love bulleted lists. So:

• Montana is amazing. I mean, just spectacular. I would love to spend more time visiting. Summer home?
• Everyone on I-90 drives a Subaru. Not, everyone, but a ton. I definitely think it’s the most common make of vehicle we’ve seen on the road. Also, whenever we see another Subaru, Amy (in her best Buster Bluth) acknowledges them with, “Hey brother.” It’s the cutest thing. Ever.
• Also, another road observation: Montana may have the most concentrated amount of personalized license plates in the country. It made for an awesome past time.
• Oh, Butte, MT is not that amazing. We found a travel stop with a McDonald’s, a casino, an Arby’s, a Subway, and 3 toothless people buying corn dogs. Judging from the crystal meth signs on the highway, I think we might have stumbled upon a place that won’t be on either of our repeat visit lists.
• The speed limit is MT is 75. Which means good things can happen over 80 – that’s only 5 over! Also, neither of us has seen an authoritative figure on the highway since Minnesota.
• We got beef jerky before leaving Big Sky Country. Just the smell takes me back to childhood. I supported the purchase for that reason alone.
• The sea salt caramels were delightful.

We saw thousands and thousands of trees today and it never got old. I am just taken aback by the beauty that surrounds us. Sometimes the mountains appear to go on forever. The vastness is mysterious and wondrous.

We pulled into Spokane’s fabulous Holiday Inn Express and were warmly greeted. We haven’t experienced much more than genuinely friendly people on our journey. We checked in, unpacked, and ventured out to see “Our Idiot Brother.” Cute movie. Nice to see more than the road for a few. Also, Zooey.

Tomorrow it’s off Burien, WA. We are staying there while visiting Seattle. Super excited!

Joellen