We've made it!

Well,  we have finally made it to Columbia Falls!  It was five days of long, hard driving but all worth it.  The scenery is breathtaking, and we haven't even entered the park yet!! When leaving Helena, MT,  I wondered, "Should I top off the gas tank?"  In the background of the photo below, we rolled into "Stony's" Gas Station with 70 "DTE" (distance to empty) miles  showing on gauge.  The answer is "YES" always top off the tank before going on in this country.  The maps are so deceiving, short distances are actually pretty long.  We took the scenic route through Montana and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We are going to get settled in now.  The cabin is really nice, look for a link. We'll take some pictures as well and post them a little later.

We looked briefly at the visitors guide for this cabin.  What really gets your attention is the section about this being bear country. They warn you not to leave your children unattended outside!  Our fireplace is warm and cozy, the ambiance in this cabin is rustic and comforting. The journey is over and now we can relax and enjoy the beauty of all that is outside our door.

Thanks to my Dad for inspiring me to take these types of trips and thanks to my sister for the "data points" along the way. Most of all thanks to my co-pilot for reading the GPS, the actual old fashioned map, and all the laughter to break up the hours - we make a great team!

Especially to Zach and Erin, thanks for the warm Father's Day wishes. It meant a lot and I really enjoyed hearing from the both of you.  BTW - get your bags packed for the next time - Love you both, Dad

We were still 150 miles away when we saw our first sign for GNP!