Waterton National Park

We left Glacier Campground at 10 a.m., along with Tom and Nanci. Valerie and Frank stayed to do laundry (their dog had thrown up in bed the night before), and Don and Cassie stayed to travel with them. The drive around the southern tip of Glacier National Park and up the west side was very scenic.

Typical view on the drive around to the east side of Glacier National Park

We stopped at St. Mary Visitor Center and watched an interesting film about Glacier Park produced by the Discovery Channel. Native Americans have lived in this area for 10,000 years. The Blackfeet reservation is adjacent to the park, and a Blackfoot elder was shown telling the next generation about the sacred places in the park, especially Chief Mountain. After lunch we drove on north on Hwy 17 and found a place to pull off to view that mountain—a very imposing presence, clearly formed by glaciers.

Our rig and Tom & Nanci's at the St. Mary Visitor Center.

Lee with Chief Mountain

When we came to the US-Canadian border, we stopped at Canadian Customs, where we showed our passport and were asked only a few routine questions. The only surprise was that after we said we had no firearms, the officer inquired, “When was the last time you traveled with firearms?” Tom and Nanci had left their passports in their rig, so they were delayed a bit by the irate customs officer. As we pulled over to wait for them, Frank and Val and Don and Cassie crossed the border, so our group was all together again.

Just inside the Canadian border is the signboard for Waterton Glacier International Peace Park.

The Lovelace, Marks, Rowe and Erdmann rigs at Waterton Springs.

We stayed at Waterton Springs Campground, just outside the Canadian national park. After we set up, everyone except Tom and Ken went to the Waterton Village—ostensibly to do some shopping. Actually we ended up doing some sightseeing too, including my first view of a bear foraging by the roadside.

Alas, our US Senior Passes didn’t get us into the Canadian park, so we ended up paying about $5 each to go into the Village. We saw lots of deer, including one fawn. There were signs warning that the deer could be unpredictably dangerous towards dogs. We wandered around some of the shops, including one chocolate shop that smelled like heaven. Frank remembered a waterfall from their previous trip, so we went to see Cameron Falls. The rushing waters followed the inclined sediment layers in an unusual pattern. A sign indicated that the rocks exposed by erosion were the oldest in the province.

On the way back to the campground, Frank followed a sign to the Bison Paddock, where we saw a massive bull bison sitting calmly only 10 feet from the road. Later we saw a small herd, including some calves.

We invited everyone over for a few minutes in the evening so that Don and Cassie could see Venture. They travel in a motorhome, have a fifth wheel at a resort in Palm Springs, and own a home in North Carolina near their kids.

We are going through "internet withdrawal" since we can't use our Verizon modem in Canada without paying exorbitant roaming fees. It is so convenient to be able to get online while we're on the road or in places where we're not staying long enough to warrant putting up the dish. Ken did put the Qube out so he could watch TV.