VICKI & RAY PLUS CARL & MAURA VISITS

We continued on to Montana for our visits with friends we had made through some fly fishing outings. Along the route Susan stopped for a few historic readings.

 







Quite a few years ago, (more than 20!!) we rode our bikes from White Fish MT, having taken the train there with our bikes from home, to Missoula, through the Swan Valley, up to Lolo Pass and on to Lewiston ID. At the time, Jenny was attending WSU and had driven our van there with all her college gear. We had her pick us up in Lewiston for our drive home with the van.

For our trip this year, Susan had the idea to drive the cycling route backwards. We have now done that and as we drove along somewhat busy, 55 mph auto speed Rte 12, we are surprised that we lived!! This route had only little and limited shoulder for bike riding, and some to the traffic included trucks. As we drove, each of us kept thinking there MUST be another route that we had taken. Nope. This was the only route! Consider ourselves fortunate. There were indeed beautiful views of the river and mountains and I remember much of that from our bike tour.

We have visited and stayed at our friends Vicki and Ray’s home in Missoula several times, so much so that they have become more like family than friends. ;’-). They always take us to see something of interest in their area, and this time it was to tour their relatively new library.

There are four stories with different themes or areas of study or family interest. Beautifully done and lots of areas for all ages of kids — lounging reading areas as well as research areas.

There is a small snack shop, and on the very top floor is a patio with tables, sun shades, and views of the city.

Not surprisingly the library has been awarded the World’s Best.

Feeling very bicycle riding deprived, Susan encourage my suggestion to take my ride from the house on the often ridden route I have done on just about all of our visits here. I went solo and found a few photos to take and post.

We are “out west”…

I could have gotten a bison skull I suppose. The bison on this ranch were way in the distance so I could not get a photo.

Barns of any kind always interest me.

This old place was abandoned with warnings…

I passed one more thing that drew my interest near the turn around point of my ride. I did learn that this submarine looking structure had been a Pulp Mill which was sold and seems to be gradually torn down.

I was thankful for my ride but this is a route that I will most likely choose to not do again. More than half my 22 miles along the  route has no shoulder, speed limit (again) is 55, and there seems to by MUCH more traffic, including fast pick up trucks pulling trailers, than I recall from the past. 

After the goodbyes with Ray and Vickie we drove on to Superior MT for our intended brief visit with Carl and Maura. They normally have a fly fishing outing for the club every year. For those who have read some of my past posts, theirs is the cabin where we viewed a nearby forest fire. 

FIRE!

They have remodeled their “cabin” to accommodate living there full time now. They then picked us up at our campsite in St. Regis and drove us around for some ideas of where Susan could wade in for some fly fishing if she chooses. We had dinner together at a place our friends say has the best food in all of Montana. Quinn’s was indeed a special treat and we so enjoyed having more than a ‘brief’ time with our friends.

Now we will join the Sisters On The Fly (SOTF) gathering and activities here at The Nugget Resort in St. Regis MT.