Not Quite Flying Solo

I am coming back and camping/boating/climbing/hiking the heck out of this park. Too bad Tako can’t come back with me, but he’s way too cute to be bear bait.

Can we take a moment to acknowledge how much effort I put into getting just one semi-passable selfie with Tako? He is so uncooperative! I try for you guys; I really do. I am literally bent in half in one of these, and I still didn’t get the shot. Look at that side-eye he’s giving the camera!

To be fair, my selfie game is pretty weak in general…

We left the park, despite my urge to turn around and go back the way we came. Our AirBnB for the night was on the eastern side of the park and quite a bit south, so if we’d done it all again, I probably wouldn’t have reached it before nightfall.

The route to tonight’s bed took us through Blackfeet Nation. From the 89, you mostly see the farmlands, but there are a few markers and vistas with historical information, which were really interesting.

Look at these amazing metalworks at the first vista I came across.

And I saw more bison there than when I drove through the National Bison Range.

Just hanging out, being bison, right off the highway.

The final town before our AirBnB (which is on a horse farm in the middle of nowhere and peaceful and gorgeous), was a little place called Choteau (pronounced Show-tow) that really likes dinosaurs.

Someone can probably tell me what kind of dinosaur that is on the left. But it decorates the ice cream parlor. I’m not kidding.

I didn’t realize this, but there are a lot of dinosaur excavation sites in Montana! Always wanted to touch a dino bone? Head to the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center just north of Choteau in a town called Bynum. Tako was not allowed to touch dino bones, sadly.

Choteau also houses the Old Trail Museum, which includes replicas built outside. I didn’t get to go inside because no dogs allowed. But I think it’s mostly souvenirs and photographs.

And then Google took us on a very interesting (but apparently the most direct) route to our AirBnB.

Not pictured: The cows that kept me company on my 5mph journey.

Thank goodness I traded in the Jetta for the Mazda. Otherwise, I’d probably still be stuck in a mud puddle right now.

 

High

Everything about Glacier National Park, but especially Lake McDonald. I could live on that beach.

 

Low

Finding out that I couldn’t take Tako on the one trail in GNP that’s usually open to dogs. Whomp whomp.

 

Breakdown

Driven: 3740mi

Hiked: 42mi

Written: 4k

Listening to: “Hurricane” MS MR