Holy Moly, Montana is BIG. Drove all day from Missoula to Billings (350 + miles) under a big sky filled with every different kind of cloud imaginable. It drizzled, it rained, the sun shone, the wind blew and blew. I've discovered that when you're driving 80 miles an hour and catch a fierce side wind, it takes some strength to keep the car on the road. Luckily there was little or no other traffic, so our travels were unimpeded. Can say, however, that several hundred bugs lost their lives on our windshield and in retribution left their sticky guts all over the car. Carol has become adept at washing them off during gas stops. We also picked up another rock chip. Good thing we didn't get the new windshield installed before the trip.
I loved the scenery today. Big trees, full and raging rivers. We must have bridged over a waterway called the Clark Fork a dozen times. Cattle, sheep, horses. Snow on the mountain tops. We crossed the continental divide and climbed to an elevation of just over 6300 feet. I wondered if we were gaining elevation even before I checked the garmin or saw signs -- at about 4,000 feet my head starts to feel as if my brain is getting sqoozed. As I've aged I've become less and less tolerant of higher altitudes and a headache is usually my first symptom.
Sailor has been a trooper. I threw the ball for him this morning in the Montana rain. We both got soaked - one of us was happy. We've had no trouble in hotels. I've told them at check-in that I have a Service Dog with me and it's been no problem. He's incredibly well-behaved and altho I can tell he's not thrilled with the long hours in the car, he's as sweet as ever. Tonite he got some of my Costco canned salmon (thanks Michele for the great can opener) and some of Carol's pizza, so he's got lots to wag his tail about. We've booked the last two nights on Hotwire and gotten great Wyndham hotels for bargain prices. I just booked the next two nights in Keystone, South Dakota at a Holiday Inn Express that gets great reviews on Trip Advisor. We've a long drive ahead of us tomorrow (approx 400 miles), so staying put for two nights once we get there sounds very attractive. We will get to see Mt. Rushmore and scatter some of Aunt Ruthie's ashes in the Black Hills.
Today I was tired. Really, really tired. I drove in the morning and into the afternoon -- Carol spelled me and took a driving shift for a couple of hours while I rested my eyes. We stopped for gas just before Billings and now have been relaxing in the hotel room. This hotel actually isn't a Wyndham any more, but was until recently. It's called the Big Horn Resort, but it was listed at the Big Hron Resort on Hotwire. Made me laugh and think of Icelandic, where the major road around Iceland is called the Hring road. Water parks seem to be the attraction for Montana hotels, and Big Hron has a big indoor water park. I'm too tired to slide, paddle, or tread water, so to avoid drowning I left my swimsuit in the car. Is it only yesterday that we left Pasco?
It was nice to skype Ingi this evening. He even managed to get Miss Belle on camera, and it was soothing to me to see her. I tried to get Sailor on camera too, but he was busy with his nap so all Ingi got to see was a sleeping dog. Speaking of, it's time for me to take the Boy out for his last potty break and head to bed myself. Did I mention how tired I am?
See you in my dreams.....
Sleep well, dear one.
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