July 2016, Montana, Day 10

After a big breakfast we loaded another Jammer for a tour that highlighted the eastern side of Glacier. Thomakazi thought this would be the perfect time to catch some zzzzs. Again. In a word, the Bullingtons are TIRED by day 10. And every year, we ask ourselves. Selves, why don't you go home on day 10? This year is no different. We just couldn't figure out how to fit it all in. Next year, 10 days.

Thomas and his new BFF Lucas, who I think might be named after his favorite Luxemburger.

Our tour guide, Charlene, navigated the mountain road with ease and highlighted the different glaciers and mountains. She's a school bus driver during the year and spends every summer in Glacier as a Jammer. Not a bad gig!

Happy Hubby

Seeing beautiful scenery from the comfort of a bus was a nice alternative to seeing beautiful scenery through beads of sweat and a cloud of fatigue.  AND, WE SAW A BEAR!  It was pretty close and walking along the lake.  

Lonely bear seeks another bear for fun and friendship. Likes long walks on the beach.

Little Sis loves her Big Sis

I pity the fool who challenges a stuffed Long Horn Sheep to a staring contest. 

    

After lunch at the Many Glacier Hotel we decided to take some canoes out on Swift Current Lake. The girls took a tandem Kayak and Mr. Bullington and I took the boy in a tippy canoe.   "Don’t rock the boat" proved challenging for Master Thomas who sits about as still as a gnat. Our harrowing canoe trip narrowly avoided submersion. Our trip was cut short when the clouds moved in, the thunder rolled, and the weather turned sour.  After a quick paddle back to shore, we decided that it might make more sense to try and move on down the road to avoid having to get up at 5am to make it to Little Bighorn National Battlefield. We set our sights on Great Falls, Montana. They had a Marriott with a Laundry Center! But first,  we had to release ourselves from our current reservations for the night at the Rising Sun Inn which I liken to some of the other less-desirable properties of the National Park.  Their policy was that you have to cancel more than 3 days before your stay to receive a full refund.  It took some sweet-talking, but I managed to recoup our entire deposit. Whoot! I can almost smell the Tide from here! It was pouring rain when we left but it didn’t make leaving this beautiful place any easier. Glacier NP has been my favorite yet!

How can you still be so beautiful in the clouds and rain?

After arriving in Great Falls, we drove to the little downtown area to try and find some dinner. We heard Maria’s Mexican restaurant was good, but when we arrived at 8:30, it was already closed. On a Friday night?  La Parilla would never leave me without a Margarita on a Friday night.  Instead we found a decent BBQ place, Big Mouth BBQ. 

Texas Flag on the ceiling in Montana! Yee-Haw! 

Then I stayed up until midnight doing laundry. The baseball parents weren't too happy with the volume of laundry that I was bringing to the table. But, they don't have to live in my air. And my air of late has been a bit polluted! Although, I can't imagine that teenage boy baseball tourney laundry smells like a petunia.....