Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
We were up at 5:45AM our time or 6:45AM campground time. It was a beautiful sunny morning. The furnace had been working all night. The snow on the front of the trailer slid down into the pick-up box. It was so cold that some of the snow was still there. We are not used to this cold.
The truck and trailer ready to leave site E4.
The Snake River RV Campground Office.
The Montana Border Sign coming North on Interstate 15 and leaving Idaho.
It was 37F when we crossed the Montana border. We pulled into the beautiful little village of Lima, Montana at 9:30AM our time. What a great place to live. Snow capped mountains all around with fields of beef cattle and horses grazing all over. One guy was running down town with a 4-runner exercising his dog that was running alongside. I do not know the breed but a beautiful red animal. I had a nice chat with her.
The filling station turned on the diesel pump and I topped up the tank. Just across the street was an old B12 Bombardier snow machine. They were very popular years ago in Canada's north. Most were painted yellow with some black trim. Some were powered with a small V8 Chrysler or Ford gasoline engine. The one the Navy had at Aklavik actually had an Army 19 radio set that was able to maintain contact with the Navy Radio Station. They came with rubber tired wheels that replaced the skis for the few weeks of poor sledding.
The B12 Bombardier at Lima, Montana. I was unable to get an interior view. It was locked but I took a couple through the windows that did not turn out.
Across the street was Jan's Cafe specializing in home cooked meals. We could not resist and had a very good meal. We were stopped at Lima for over an hour and departed at 10:34AM.
Joan takes so many very good photographs it is hard to pick out a few to include here. These cattle were like so many we passed and these were just east of Lima. Note the snow capped mountains.
It is rather hilly. We were up hill, down hill, through the rocks and so on. These interstate highways make for a nice easy relaxing drive. I set the cruise control several notches below the limit and let the traffic go around me. The speed limit up through there is 75 miles per hour and I came up at a steady 60 miles per hour. We knew we were on the right trail because about two of the three vehicles that went around us were registered in Alberta.
We kept trucking until 1:23PM when we pulled into a rest area for a quick snooze. We departed the rest area at 1:55PM and kept going until 3:39PM when we pulled into the Exxon pumps at Great Falls. We are getting back to the real world. The pump accepted my credit card and I was able to fill the truck without going to the cashier.
We departed the Exxon station at 3:46PM and went to the next exit of interstate 15 and went in to Dick's RV Park, 1403 11th St. SW Great Falls, Montana. This is Cascade County. We were hooked up in site 80 with supper over and done with by 5:15PM. We even had all our emails answered.
I enjoy driving so much it is hard to stop. I promised myself I would not spend so much time on the road at one sitting but it just has not worked out at all.
Today's run was 578 kilometres. Such long runs are crazy!
We simply spent the evening cleaning things up on this computer and went to bed early. Crossing the border tomorrow will be rather nerve wracking to say the least.
That was the day and another is history.