Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Weekend Lens in July, part 2

We took a little road trip this weekend and drove with Bob's parents to Kalispell, Montana to visit Mom's sister and some of her family.  The two sisters had a great visit, reminiscing and laughing about times when they were young.

It was very hot and that, combined with a record-setting amount of rainfall in June, has made for awesome growing conditions.  This garden had the biggest leaves of spinach that I have ever seen!  Mine are positively measly compared to Uncle Philip's!



On our journey down we decided to take the scenic route around Waterton Parks and through Glacier National Park.


The Going-to-the-Sun road is breathtakingly beautiful with wide mountain vistas! 



 This 50 mile long road took 10 years to build in the 1920's and is now a National Historic Landmark.  


The road opened on June 15th this year and there was still lots of snow around.


We crossed the Continental Divide at Logan Pass.


This section of road is called The Loop and it winds right along the side of the mountain.    The rock railings along the edge of the road (that you can see here) are being historically restored.


As we came around near the end of The Loop, you could see far down into the valley.  In the center of the photo is a waterfall that splits.


You can park your car at either end and then use the shuttle system to explore the area.  At every lookout point the parking lots were full of cars.  The park was being enjoyed by lots of people this weekend.  


These three mountain goats were right along the side of the road!  It's the first time we've seen the elusive goats while driving through the mountains. 



I can see why this drive is considered one of the most scenic mountain drives in North America!

Fun fact:  "Glacier has some of the darkest skies around and is an ideal lace for viewing many celestial wonders." (from the Glacier Visitor Guide)  So there's an educational programs, 'Half the Park Happens After Dark", which provides an opportunity to see the night sky in all its glory.  They even do laser guided constellation tours.  Cool!




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