LEWISTOWN, MT TO ST. MARY'S AT GLACIER

9/15

We're on the road again, with Glacier really in reach! Our travels to this little camping spot have were uneventful, but pleasant. And, by gosh, this campground- dubbed a Rest Stop"- is also a free campground courtesy of the Kiwanis of Lewistown, Montana. Now, here is a town we could live in-- in my next life I will plan for it! After breakfast, we went in search of some auto items, and this took us into the town with its wide and endless Main Street, lined with interesting businesses- the first of it's kind we've seen in a long time. People driving by waved to us, people on the street wanted to chat, and we're always up for that! A sign for Big Spring Market took us to a food coop/bakery/ wine seller. For coffee, they directed us to the Rising Trout Cafe on Main St.owned by the same person, who turned out to be Leaf Star Arnotti, also an artist. Leaf's cafe is a small haven-- free WiFi, small bookstore, and CD collection, not to mention excellent coffee and baked goods from her Big Spring Market bakery. Leaf's mural of trout is stunning, and there is a wonderful ambiance in her cafe. So we lingered awhile, since we didn't have a huge drive to our destination.

We really love the openness of the country out here. Somehow it seems quite liberating to be able to see for miles and miles. At times it's been field after field of hay bales dotting the landscape; some are rolled and left to dry by themselves while some form sculptures with the stacked bales. Sometimes it's a barren field populated only by an abandoned building or two. Why were they abandoned and who lived here once upon a time?

    Coming to Glacier from the south, we began to have glimpses of what we will be seeing soon.

That little speck you can see on the left side of the road? That is a recumbent biker, and the hill she was about to maneuver was VERY steep!

Finally we arrived, late in the afternoon, to St Mary's where Johnson's ( world famous even!) campground / cafe/ motel and gave us a prime site with a view of St. Mary Lake from our doorway. We set up and then Johnson's Cafe welcomed us warmly with its log walls and checkered tablecloths, and friendly waiters. We were glad to eat the delicious family-style food, with a specialty beef noodle soup just like our moms would have made.