This morning, the weather announced that I was officially out of the rain shadow of the Rockies. It poured and poured and poured. Not a good day for exploring Glacier, or for exploring Whitefish, or for photos. Instead, I slept in and left my sleeping bag at the princely hour of ten in the morning. Off to town, where I shopped for groceries and got a haircut. I don’t know where Great Clips finds their stylists, but they are consistently excellent choppers. Thanks, Brenda.
I also spent some time admiring the license plates. Montana has over 280 plate options, and most are absolutely gorgeous, especially the painted nature scenes. When my stomach started to rumble, I swung by the Wich Haus for lunch, and was greeted by a line stretching through a modest dining room. Polka music streamed from the speakers as I waited for my meal. The dining room was crammed, so I took my smoked chicken sandwich and potato salad to the car. Absolutely phenomenal. Everyone should put capers in their potato salad. Whitefish, Montana: the new food capital of the country.
Alas! It was time to move on. I slogged through the rain as I drove west on US-2 through Marion and Libby. The towns became more rundown, and the Montana tradition of combining gas stations and casinos continues. Eventually, the rain let up, and the road started following a railroad track and a clear, bruising river. I found a place to park and hiked down the slope and across the tracks. Clambering out onto a steep rock face, I found myself alone appreciating the wild grace of Kootenai Falls.
I kept on going until I crossed into the Idaho Panhandle, stopping for the night in the town of Bonners Ferry. This town feels right to me. People seem quietly happy. It’s unpretentious and clean. I think I’m going to like this part of the world.
Glad you like the scenery, Jake.
However, you haven’t been to “God’s Country” until you visit British Columbia.
Your approach to seeing the country is taking you to the best places, places that very few travelers see, apparently. How many people have been to Kootenai Falls, for example. It’s a beautiful scene and one that probably mostly only locals see. And for them it probably is so common that they don’t think twice about it. Or for travelers, they most often are in too much of a hurry getting where they are going to stop and enjoy such places. Same with your shot of Bonners Ferry, ID. You happened upon that sunset at just the right time. Beautiful. I am looking forward to your next post to see what you found there. Love, Grandma.