Thursday, July 14, 2011

A full day on the road

After a quick continental breakfast in Ritzville, WA our plan was to get on the road quickly and make the fewest stops possible in order to get to our destination in time for dinner. Just before we left I sent a text message "eta 7 hours" to our gracious hosts who were intending to wait until we arrived for dinner. Preparations were underway and we didn't want to be late. Of course we forgot the time zones and another lost hour, and we also didn't count on getting lost while trying to find our way. The miles rolled by

P1070050

and soon we were in Idaho . We also took the longest scenic backroads along the way which also conspired to make us late . Before long we had made it to Montana

IMG_5018

There are three of us travelling together; Bluekat (& Ron) and myself . (Ninja, Nighthawk & Wee). It felt like a long day. We only stopped for fuel and a quick snack at Subway and only one overlook

IMG_5008

the Moyie River Canyon, for photos of the stunning bridge

IMG_5012

Bluekat was riding lead and her sharp eyes noticed the "overlook sign" . The stop was a welcome relief from the heat where we could shed our riding attire and take a short refreshment break, and stretch our legs.

When I sent my text message at 8am ("eta 7 hours"), the intention was to arrive at around 4pm, give or take a bit. With the time zone change, and our getting lost, and taking the longer route we were nearly given up for lost. It seems that our host Charlie6 (Dom)
had been waiting by the roadside, waiting to guide us in.

We had finally made it, and this is our first glimpse of Dom and Vikki

P1070065

I feel it was an honour to have been able to spend a few days with him and his family while they were on vacation near Kalispell, MT . This was to be our home for the next few days. An isolated homestead cabin over 100 years old, retrofitted with electricity and indoor plumbing.

P1070067

It was not an easy place to find had Dom not been waiting for us. There is no internet service, nor was there any cell phone signals. We had been cut off from the outside world for the duration of our stay, unless we went into town and snagged some free wifi from somewhere

P1070070

with our bikes safely tucked away for the night we could focus our attention to our marshmallow roasting bon fire and generally just chatting the night away as we admire the moon and the stars above.

P1070084

early to bed and early to rise. No visual distractions, no electronic gizmos to fuss with. Back to the simple life of times past. Dawn will bring a new day, and a new adventure

P1070089

All is well in Abbott Valley, Montana

8 comments:

  1. Now THAT's a road trip!!! Well done you guys. Spectacular scenery and looking forward to the next episode.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is a great shot of the bridge. And the cabins in MT look like a pretty nice place to stay. Hope you all have a great time.

    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  3. No electronic gizmo's? Bob, your middle names are "Electronic Gizmo" so how are you going to cope? Well done for tucking away so many miles in the past few days – it is a long trip!

    ReplyDelete
  4. oooooooooooh id love to be w/o my electronic gizmos for a day, i think. :) fabulous bob!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Bobskoot:

    What a plreasant and exciting run... With a cabin tucked away in remote Montana, with the best of company. God, I wish I was with you guys. The cast of characters here is nothing less than stellar. Tell BlueKat, Ron, and Dom I said "Hello," and that I am followimg everyone's antrics closely.

    It's my turn to meet bloggers nest week: Steve Williams, Chjris Luhman, Rick Slark, and Nikos.

    I am breathless with anticipation.

    Fondest regards,
    Jack/Reep

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey Uncle Bob,

    Fantastic start to your road trip, not many 80 year olds could do what your your doing, Linda posted you some Birthday cake, hope it arrives before November!!

    Cheers,

    Dave...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ninja, Nighthawk and wee, oh my.

    Looks as though everyone is having a great time. It is so awesome that the three of you managed to plan a vacation together and got to meet up with Mr. Redleg's rides himself.

    Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oops...those pesky time zone changes. Hope Dom had a good book or a good snooze. Great trip so far. Great scenery. Hitting the miles hard isn't always the most fun, but it sure can be satisfying sometimes. Waiting for more news!

    -Steel Cupcake

    ReplyDelete