Eastward Ho! GO TOWARD THE LIGHT!

All the way I kept singing a spur of the moment song about driving east. Sometimes I'd add a line about how I was released from the clutches of British Columbia, or how Big Blue got her make-over and is now on her way. Yeah, that is road trip entertainment. I'm so sick of all my CDs.

There is such a stark difference between the gorgeous green landscape of south, southwest and northwest Montana compared to the utter ugliness of Northern Montana! This Highway 2 parallels not a river which is what you'd find in most of Montana, but a railroad track!

I stayed at the Fresno Reservoir Campground. Not too hot, fewer mosquitoes, nice and quiet. It actually had some trees which was a welcome after driving for hours through the stark ugliness of empty prairie lands. The temperature is between 85 and 91 degrees, humid as hell, and not very comfortable, but it cools down at night.

I continued across northern Montana on Highway 2 worrying about wildfires as I'd been scanning the wildfire sites to look at maps. They are supposed to be all over Montana which almost made me change my route. I didn't see one fire nor did I even smell smoke! WTH? Where are they? It's really difficult to get good travel information, but I'm happy not to have to turn around and backtrack due to a road closure.

North Dakota was more visually interesting with more green fields, trees and interesting rocky landscapes. (I hope it stays that way the further east I travel!) I attempted to stay at the Fort Buford Historic Site Campground, just over the North Dakota border. Very cool! I've read a lot of books that featured General John Buford who was one of the Union commanders at the Battle of Gettysburg. This fort was named for him and used during the Indian Wars. The cemetery headstones feature a lot of suicide as causes of death. How sad! They have reconstructed barracks and other buildings, lots of maps to let you know layout and how they used the fort. I don't know if I would have stopped if I wasn't looking for a free campsite. Fort Union is just down the road and it looks authentic, but it was closed.

As I'm setting up at my campsite, I feel this intense sting on the top of my foot. I look down. OMG! Fire ants swarming all over along side my van. I packed up too fast in order to move, but then carried a couple ants on my rug into my van. I hope I killed them all! That would not be good! My foot hurt for about an hour. I put some anti-histamine cream on it which helped. Four days later there is still a big red blotch and it itches like crazy.

I moved locations, checked the ground, no ants. So I sat in the van writing emails, writing this blog, etc. I went out to bring in the Starlink, put the box I prop it up on in the back of the van, and I notice there are ants swarming the ground!! I grabbed the box, but there are at least 8 ants on it. I brush them off. Oh god, I hope they didn't get in the van!

I left. Went to another campsite 30 minutes away. I had to get a camping permit for this one traveling another 30 minutes. I got back to the park and I notice...red ants all over the ground here as well! Damn.

I give up. It's now dark and I hate driving on little country roads with no street lights in the dark. I drove all the way to Walmart in Williston and stayed the night. No ants on this cement! But the traffic was noisy until late at night and early in the morning. This Walmart is on a corner with a busy intersection. So nice to have a safe place to stay if everything goes wrong.

The next day I drove through North Dakota, had brunch at an experimental forest site, then on to Grand Forks where I stopped in to say "hi' at Twin City Motors.

Why? You ask? Big Blue has a sticker on her behind for Twin City Motors. 

It seems in a past life she was sold through them. I wondered if it was her "birthplace", but it was a used car dealership. Maybe her second owner bought her from Grand Forks? I'm sure the salesman thought I was crazy, but that's OK, because I usually feel crazy. He was very nice.

I headed next to Minnesota! I'm very excited to make progress going east! I stayed at the Mentor City Park. Very nice with a porta-potty and garbage, swings etc., nicely cut grass to park on. It rained all night. Very hot and muggy.

Drove through Minnesota and Wisconsin all day along the Great Lakes in a thunderstorm. Lots of warnings on flash flooding. I decided I should find a higher elevation for the next night's camping and found the formerly Indianhead Ski Resort, now called The Lodge. The front reception guy said, "Sure! Park by the snow cannons." I did. I can't believe I'm in Michigan! Rained all night which damped my spirits. (Pun intended.)

Pouring rain the next day as I meandered through Wisconsin hoping to find some place to plug in the Bluetti. Several times the rain was pounding so hard I had to pull over off the highway and freeway. I couldn't see in front of me! It was frightening. Much to my horror, the roof started leaking! I discovered it when I sat at a gas station watching the downpour and I could hear "drip...drip...drip" so I think I caught it right away and place a bucket under. I'm hoping the leak (only in one place) is because the water came down so hard it was like being parked under a waterfall? When the rain slowed to normal, it stopped leaking. Can I be more stressed out?

The Bluetti doesn't like rain or clouds and it seems my last update destroyed my app connection so I can't even plug the Bluetti into regular AC outlet to charge! I'm in a panic...so I did the only thing I could do...I drove 16 hours through monsoon rains. I tried calling Bluetti but their first line support is useless. When I got a call back from a specialist only then could I get it working again. I did discover it takes 16 hours driving time to charge the Bluetti to full capacity! I think Wisconsin was beautiful, but most of the time I couldn't see it. Drove back to Michigan and camped at White Fish Point. It rained all night.

The next morning I went to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on the coast of Lake Huron. It continued to rain. I considered driving back west. I met a man who said the storm is moving east so if I can just hold out another day, I'd be behind it if I continue east. Another woman was walking the site with a short sleeved t-shirt while it was blowing wind and pelting raindrops. She said she came up from Indiana where it was 85 degrees. She didn't think she needed a coat! Everyone expressed surprise at this July weather. This information formulated my next plan...drive south. Forget Ontario and Quebec. Go south, then east up the eastern seaboard where according to the weather reports it is sunny and clear, then up to Nova Scotia. I might as well. I'd be really disappointed in myself if I headed back west only to hear the weather cleared the next day. Maybe on the way back I'll head through Ontario and Quebec? I'm not that excited to cross another international border and honestly, the people I had planned to visit seemed put out that I wanted them to stop their lives and go to lunch. I think they all thought I wanted to stay a month or move in. Do they not understand people with MCS aren't going to risk their lives and stay in someone's stinky house? People, even friends, are a pain in the ass.

As soon as I headed out, the rain stopped and the clouds lifted. They didn't disappear, they just moved high enough to allow some light to charge the Bluetti! It's such a wonderous game to watch the Bluetti app register solar power! I find myself elated and exclaiming, "YES!!! YES!!! YESSSSSS!!!" while I dance in my driver's seat.

I drove to Ohio and that night camped at Cabela's. I also worked on eating all my contraband food: chicken, eggs, and red peppers, in preparation for the border crossing. I awoke the next morning to clouds and then rain, but continued driving east. My new mantra "GO TOWARD THE LIGHT". Isn't that what they tell dying people? Good advice. I'm a sun chaser, just GO TOWARD THE LIGHT.

GO TOWARD THE LIGHT!

I've decided I have "Weather Affective Disorder". When it rains, I fall apart. I become depressed, stressed, irritable, angry, and cry. I cried the whole day in Wisconsin! When the rain and clouds clear, I am the happiest person on the planet!

I drove through Ohio and into Pennsylvania. Both very beautiful states with lush greenery dotted with gorgeous farms and fields. Pennsylvania in particular. Very clean and well-maintained villages with beautiful streets.

I hate freeway driving, but with clouds or rain, I'm not interested in a lot of sightseeing so it's the fastest route. Approaching cities gives me a headache and lung pain. I'd rather be out in the country. Every now and then I take a detour and drive into a village and into the country, then back on the highway. I took Interstates 90 and then 86 most of the day.

Besides freeways, another problem with the east...not a lot of free camping. Walmart, Cabela's, and Cracker Barrel are really excellent for providing a free place to park overnight. Most campgrounds charge a lot of money especially if they are anywhere near a tourist attraction. Very few if any boondocking opportunities. I was warned about this, but I am stubborn.

The New York countryside is delightful. Beautiful scenery dotted with gorgeous farms. Lots of huge white farm houses, white paint and white trim. Vanilla is their flavor of choice. Lousy drivers!!! They are crazy especially on the freeway!

Near Allegeny nearer to Almond, New York, at a dispersed camping site called Bully Hill, I found a dispersed campsite way out in the woods. It was a little clearing, a field that was maybe 100 feet x 50 feet. Clear sky (for the Starlink as long as I place it on the roof) and sun (to charge the solars)!! The temperature is a perfect 72 degrees and no mosquitoes! I stayed two nights to get some work done. Some ATV and pick up truck traffic up and down the dirt road, but most of the time very quiet.

Sunday's weather forecast predicted rain by noon so I planned to leave in the morning. I headed to Syracuse to do errands: get caulking for my roof, get copies of work documents, and to visit their food co-op. The city looks pretty beat up. The university district where the food co-op is located has wonderful gigantic Victorian houses all lined up on the streets, but they are in need of paint and maintenance.

Then I headed to the Adirondacks. I had high hopes since this was a popular location for 19th Century American painters. The towns along the route were gorgeous, but overcrowded with tourists. The scenery wasn't that impressive. Lots of trees, but not much view from the highway. Since it was raining (as predicted!), I wasn't inspired to get out and hike. Once the rain stopped, it was nice, cool, and NOT muggy. I found a great place to camp at Union Falls Dam, but the trees kept it too dark to be able to charge the Bluetti or use internet. Still, it was a nice peaceful spot for the night.

Next morning...it was cloudy, but I could see light in the distance! GO TOWARD IT!

Killing Time. The Idaho, Washington, and Montana Loop

After returning from Alaska and Canada I headed to Idaho to wait for yet another appointment to get the van repaired to replace manifolds and coolant lines that are leaking up to five cups of coolant a day. I've got about two weeks. This will be a good opportunity to convalesce. I used the Eastport U.S. Border entrance. There were about ten cars in line so totally unlike the Porthill border that never has a line!

It was Thursday so I headed first for Brush Lake Campground and it was full. I checked Smith Lake Campground it was full. After a long day of driving and washing the van, I was exhausted but I drove the extra thirty minutes to Sandpoint to stay at the RV parking near the Schweitzer ski resort. I was afraid it, too, would be filled, but no one was there! For a moment I wondered if they closed the place down, but the next day an RV showed and then another. I love this place. Yeah, it doesn't have a river, creek or lake, but no mosquitoes either! It also has an internet option if you have a personal hot spot! This is luxury! This time I didn't encounter any bears! I spent the next few days in Sandpoint cleaning the van inside and out, using the internet, getting groceries, reading, and just relaxing. I also checked with the Pomeray post office about general delivery and they offer it with smiles!

After two days of being in Sandpoint, I drove by a sign for a Renaissance Faire! For such a small town, it was huge with lines of cars trying to find parking and filled with costumed people. Many had pointy ears and tails! I watched the bellydancers in honor of a friend of mine who used to bellydance at Ren Faires as I think she'd be disappointed if I didn't. As I walked around looking at booths and watching entertainment and costumed people, I had tears in my eyes...I miss this life. But after two hours I was reminded why I don't go to these events. The misery isn't worth it as I suffered from a raging migraine from the essential oils, incense, and scented candles. I just can't do an overload of humanity!

I drove south to Grangeville and Hell's Canyon. The further south I got, the more agriculture, quilted fields of various colors stretching for miles and every little town had a granary.

I stopped above Lewiston to check out the scenic view and historical site. Idaho has a lot of historical sites featured along Highway 95. The aerial view of the city was stunning, but there is the Lewiston Highway which was a construction marvel in the early 1900s. From this high it looks like a toy car track! (It's hard to see it but it's in the middle ground of the photo below.) I wondered what the crosses (in the foreground) represented? People who died on the highway? People who threw themselves off the scenic viewpoint? Or people who just wanted to be buried up there? I don't know. There were about five of them with no explanation anywhere.

I continued to Grangeville. Sweet little town with a great main street featuring shops of all kinds. A lot of the buildings were vacant. I drove about ten miles to the Fish Creek Trailhead and Snowmobile Parking Lot. I had originally searched for a national forestry campground hoping it was free, but it was $12 a night. This trailhead/parking lot is also in the national forest so should be fine to park overnight. There were no "no overnight parking/camping" signs. It was nice and quiet and in the evening I hiked the Fish Creek Trail which was flat and easy.  Internet was useless. The road was paved all the way with a scenic view of the town:

My sinuses had cleared up about a month ago after months of congestion and pain, but perhaps due to the faire or all this agriculture, I am back to suffering and struggling to breathe. Damn.

I drove all the way down Highway 95 which runs parallel to Hell's Canyon. These canyons are less green, more rock but very interesting, with amazing valleys. I've seen photos of Hell's Canyon, but finally someone told me the only access was purchasing a motor boat tour. I don't want to be confined on an enclosed boat with a bunch of stinkers. No thanks. I drove to south of Riggins then decided to find a place to stay. Most of the Wildlife and Fishing access areas are free for camping and there are many along Highway 95.

I stayed at Twin Bridges Fishing Access near White Bird right next to the Snake River. After looking at nearly all of them, I thought this one was the best with the most shade. It's up in the 90s today so too hot for my liking. OH! The water is glorious!  Cool and clean with a little white sandy beach of my very own! Well, until an RV with Nevada plates became my neighbor, but I like nice neighbors. It makes me feel safe.

I went swimming six times in the first 24 hours, mostly because it's damn hot out and the van is like a metal oven! When I finally went to bed, I slept with a frozen water bottle! I can't tell you how badly I want to eat ice cream non-stop! Bonus: there is internet!!

The second day dipping into this wonderful river almost made the heat bearable, but then I encountered another problem...a mansplaining, disrespectful, beer-guzzling, abusive egomaniac. I made the mistake of giving him just enough attention to make him think I would be his new best friend. He's a local who brings his dog down to the river to swim every night. The Nevada RV guy told me about him, but did not indicate he might be a problems...or intolerable. It seems he chats up someone every night and it was my turn. He starts by complaining about the people who camp at this location and threatened to bring his RV down just to park it so others can't camp. What an asshole. I kept thinking, Does he realize he's insulting me? Then he proceeded to teach me what it's like to live in a van although he has never lived in a van and he has no desire to do so (another insult). Any subject we start to discuss, he made sure I knew he was the expert. If I volunteer information, especially information he didn't like, he would demand loudly to know my "facts" as if I'm being quizzed in a junior high classroom. He seemed to enjoy proving me wrong and his attitude would become hostile and his voice louder. Typical bully behavior to control and manipulate others. He complained incessantly about anyone and everyone. It seems he hates a lot of people...especially people who camp anywhere in this area. I was a bit cautious with him so I avoided challenging him. He was a big guy and he bragged about his gun collection. He was already angry at everyone so I didn't want to incite more of his temper. Eventually he left, but all night I was afraid he'd come back in the dark. Although my mistake was being friendly, I handled it well. Problem is I ruminated about what I could have, should have, would have said all day the next day! This helped me decide when to leave and immediately was not soon enough. There was also a camper about fifty feet away from me, but every time he lit up a cigarette, the wind blew the stink into my van. I moved to the far end of the campground for the night and left bright and early the next morning. Great thing about living in a van - you can leave anytime. Bad neighbors don't last long!

The next morning I drove through White Bird, a cute little town tucked away in a canyon populated with a variety of old buildings. If it didn't have 81 people as advertised, it would be a really cool ghost town.

The White Bird Battlefield was just down the country road up the valley. This is where in history the Nez Perce Indians fought (and won) against the U.S. Cavalry. I really wanted to hike the trail but there were "Venomous Snakes" signs posted everywhere. I figured in the cool of the morning, they'd be out on their morning slither. Hiking here didn't seem to be a good idea!

Next I stopped at Cottonwood to see the St. Gertrude Monastery. It's unbelievable someone built this way out in the middle of nowhere two miles from the nearest tiny town. A local told me it was used as a Catholic school for a long time. Now it's a museum although the nuns still live there.

I backtracked to Lewiston (with too much industrial stink in the air. UGH!) and Clarkston which is over the border in Washington. Clarkston has a Walmart, but they didn't have water machines! Then I headed east on Highway 12 to Missoula through the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest. The highway ran along side the Clearwater River. So gorgeous and clean!

Arrived in Missoula for lunch at Five on Black. I was here barely a month ago and the landscape has turned from all green to all brown! After lunch I headed west on Highway 200 to Sandpoint. I considered stopping and camping at any number of spots, but the temperatures were up to 100 degrees on the way. If I stopped too early, the van would get too hot so drive all day it is! I'm really not sure how I'm going to survive the summer. Far beyond Missoula the landscape turned back to green with rolling hills covered in pine trees.

I finally did stop at the Clark Ford Drift Yard Dispersal Campground about thirty minutes east of Sandpoint. My plan was to camp at Sandpoint's Walmart, but it's so hot I'd have to leave my doors and windows open and I wouldn't be comfortable doing that in a city. The MOSQUITOES were tormenting me all night. I'm not surprised. This campground is on a skinny peninsula with one side lake and the other two sides swamp.

The next morning I headed to Sandpoint to pick up my STARLINK! Whoo hoo!! The post office at Ponderay has a wonderful general delivery policy and the woman there was very friendly and welcoming. After getting groceries at the excellent Winter Ridge Natural Foods, I headed to Libby, Montana, hoping and praying there was a spot available at the Dunn Creek Flats Campground. I stayed here over a month ago and did some river dipping in the ice cold water. I loved it here, possibly the best spot I've been too, except it doesn't have internet. Starlink satisfies that need!!  I figured it would be a great way to spend the Fourth of July weekend away from cities and crowds. Thankfully there was a spot left!

Big Blue and Little Blue (the tent) at 
Dunn Creek Flats Campground outside Libby, MT.

Wow! Internet finally! People I met in Alaska said it is a game changer especially if you are trying to work from your van. I have internet!!! Wow! I got the Mini and Roaming subscription. It was on sale for $100 off!  It'll be too tempting to be online all the time. I only have 50GBs per month without incurring extra fees. We'll see. Everyone I talked to says they go over all the time. If I stop living in this van, I can always use Starlink as my internet provider where ever I go. OMG!!

Starlink looking for the Satellite! Whoo Hoo!

This Fourth of July (2025) was the best I've had in 20 years! That's not an exaggeration. I relaxed in perfectly warm weather, reading nonfiction most of the day. That afternoon the clouds moved in. At dusk it started to rain. Even surrounded by two large families with children, there were zero fireworks. No bombs bursting in air. Totally quiet. This is such a change from living in a town where one heard fireworks one week before July 4th and up to three weeks after. I did find out later that fireworks are forbidden in these campsites. So strange the temperature dropped from 90 degrees to 55 degrees in record time. Again, zero noise except for the pitter patter of tiny raindrops...my kind of holiday! The rain was off and on the next day, but the weather report predicts from 77 to 84 degrees in the next day or two. Love it.

My third morning at the Libby campground at the crack of dawn, I went on my morning walk. As I was coming down the back stretch I saw what I thought was a little bird jumping under my van. I got closer and realized it was a PACK RAT trying to jump up into Big Blue's engine. I never ran so fast in my life! Because it was daylight, I had removed all the blinking lights and rat beepers, but I had not yet lowered the hood. Anytime I park near grass or bushes, I take anti-rat precautions just in case. This was the first time I had any indication there was a rat infestation, although my camping neighbors told me in previous years there has been a problem. I sprayed peppermint oil all over inside and outside the van. That night I worried the rats would get into my van even with all the blinking lights. I didn't sleep much! Time to leave!

Last time I was here I dipped in the river because it was too cold. I had planned to jump off the dock by the last day, but I never got the chance. I took my chance the night before I left and as I jumped I thought, This is not a good idea, but since I had already jumped I followed it with a, WHOOPS! TOO LATE! It was much warmer than a month ago, but still cold and I was not inspired to swim around for any length of time. But I did it!

The next morning I left back to Sandpoint, did grocery shopping, and headed to the Brush Lake Campground hoping since it was a Tuesday, there would be an empty space. I arrived just in time to snag my favorite spot with shade!

Now back to British Columbia...

Montana: The Loveliness of Libby

I headed northwest toward Canada after a day in Kalispell. The BLM land was about an hour outside the town and filled with noisy-generating RVs, barking dogs, and screaming kids. It was more like a free RV park than BLM land with privacy. I've noticed it's the quality of the campsite that colors my perspective of the area. Kalispell health food stores are all closed on Sundays and Mondays. It's a rather religious community with many Jesus signs all over. So I left...heading toward Canada. Next town is Libby.

What a beautiful area! The town is small, but filled with all the necessary amenities plus as a bonus a really awesome health food store. First day I used the laundromat with the top loading washers and washed not only all my dirty clothes, but all my bedding. I want to start fresh for Canada. $15 for five loads with drying took two hours. There was a sign on the door "Dogs on Premises". I didn't think anything of it and imagined a couple yappy rat dogs. When I first got out of the van, I was rushed by GIANT HORSE-SIZED MONSTERS! Great danes. Very friendly, but a bit of a shock as they rushed my van. It seems they eat 90lbs of food a week. Good god!

I visited the grocery store several times. They had a limited selection of organic produce and a Primo refill water machine. Each time the employees were incredibly friendly, customers chatting together in the aisles and people kept talking to me. It was quite possibly the friendliest place I've been so far! The Heaven's Peak Market was equally as friendly with lots of gluten-free and organic products.

I found a glorious campsite at the Dunn Creek Flats Recreational Area just east of the town. Beautiful park-like area right on the Kootenai River. I chose site number 3 that was right next to the dock...I planned to go for a dip! I even had a campfire each night and cooked food over a fire! This is the life! Only draw-back...no internet! Heck, no cell phone reception! I kept thinking, how bad is it to turn off each night and not be a slave to technology? 

I'd like to say I would get used to it, but I just wanted to use internet to plan the trip, check the weather, look at maps. Instead, I went to McDonald's everyday to work and be online. Libby has a library, but like so many others, the computer lab-table area with outlets is in the basement. I tried the first day and within a half hour I could hardly breathe. Thank god for McDonald's! There is no Starbucks in Libby.

Next I checked with the auto mechanic locals highly recommended: RMV Auto. I was told they would be expensive and difficult to get an appointment, but I had nothing to lose. Big Blue feels like she's working too hard and I can hear and feel a grinding noise. They squeezed me in within two days. In the end, they said nothing wrong! Everything working fine! The brakes are about 1/2 used and at that point may start adding noise, but they are fine. THEY DIDN'T CHARGE ME ANYTHING!!! I was shocked and extremely thankful. Peace of mind is priceless. I would have paid anything they wanted! 

I stayed three nights and everyday I went down to the dock, stared at the cold, freezing river water too long and then instead of jumping in the deep end, walked in and dipped to my neck. One day I did dive under, but not brave enough to jump. Freezing numbing cold. I vowed I'd jump in by the last day, but the last day was 88 degrees until it wasn't and wind, clouds and sprinkles started. I never got a chance to see if I had the courage to jump in! Call me paranoid, but a woman traveling alone, diving into freezing water...if I drowned no one would know until my 14 day stay was up and they wondered why my van was still sitting there! I left a note each time I dipped just in case I did drown!

I visited the Libby Dam. The Kootenai River is not only cold, but so clean and gorgeous with a turquoise cast. Beautiful!

I thought for a moment I could live here with such nice people and a glorious health food store, but these were all over:

ALL OVER! I can't live in a place that thinks a sexist, racist, sex offender is an adequate president.

Montana: Glacier National Park...WHERE ARE THE BEARS??

Glacier National Park. I've read the series Death in the National Parks and I know there are more bear killings here than any other place. I have yet to see a bear anywhere! I spoke to one woman who said they've seen bears not only in this park, but also Yellowstone! I haven't seen one bear!

Montana in general has the most beautiful views with an endless supply of rivers, lakes and creeks. Crystal clear, babbling or raging fueled by snow melts. The landscape is green pines with emerald green fields. The whole state looks like a park. And then there are the parks. Glacier National Park had such clean, crispy air with a hint of warm pine. So beautiful...but no bears!

McDonald Lake

I camped up an isolated road. Not great, but relatively private except for the pickups going up and down the road. There were so many other locations I could have stayed, but without internet I didn't know about them until I continued the next morning down the highway. That's the problem with these online free camping sites...you have to plan ahead because once you are there, without internet if the location is not to your liking, there is no way to know if there is something better. The problem with these outback locations is I'm afraid to go for a walk or hike for fear of meeting a bear face to face. I long to see them on the side of a road or at a distance, but up close and personal...no thanks!

I love Montana!

 

Montana: Great Falls

I decided to take a detour and head to Great Falls. Not only do they have multiple Starbucks, and a library, but a Five on Black and a health food-oriented store. Sounded like a great place to get some work done before heading north.

The drive on highway 200 from Missoula was gorgeous! Green fields and pine-covered mountains. Once I got closer to Great Falls it started looking more like the Dakotas: desolate prairie. On the way I found the BLM campgrounds at Simms. I stayed one night there, all alone, and the after-work gang of men showed up with their cooler of beer, loudly talking about...high school? This is situation where I'd pick a bear over a man, or men. I was NOT comfortable to say the least. Some of the comments for this BLM site state the locals show up on the weekends and party loud and hard until two in the morning. That would not be a quiet and relaxing experience!

The next morning I got up at 3:30am to get to Starbucks when they opened to work. Driving in the dark through unfamiliar countryside was not fun, but after twenty miles my tire pressure warning light came on. It shouldn't do that if the tires have been warmed! Needless to say I was in a panic imagining myself stranded out in the middle of no where. The tires looked fine. I found a tire shop, but what was I going to do for four hours until they opened? I could not find my tire pressure gage. Finally I just drove to Great Falls, found the Starbucks, looked for a tire shop nearby, parked the van in their parking lot, and walked to Starbucks. Three hours later when the tire shop opened, I walked back. It was just the freezing temperatures. What a hassle!

I spent the next few days working at Starbucks and the library, eating Five on Black, doing a load of laundry, and washing the van. The second, third and fourth nights I stayed in the Walmart parking lot. This is the Walmart on the South side. The north side was creepy. Still, on Friday night a gang of teenage boys walked by near midnight, then two possibly drunken teenage girls, then motorcyclists. Nevermind, I had to move once because the RV that parked next to me had a barking dog that wouldn't show up and another RV parked across the parking spaces and his ass was blocking one of the exits. People are stupid and RVers who are thoughtless will ruin it for the rest of us! Good god, Great Falls is horrible.

Great Falls was horrible in so many ways. Lots of signs about meth addiction, anti-abortion, lots of homeless people, yards not mowed, run-down houses, men in the library using the internet to watch porn. The streets are strange, some one-way, some not, 2nd Street South vs. 2nd Street North vs. 2nd Avenue North vs. 2nd Avenue South. I prefer street names with some imagination. Hard to find my way around at times. But, unlike Missoula it has a lot of parks that have free parking. Some of the older neighborhoods had magnificent mansions and old style brick apartment houses. It's not a town I'd want to live in permanently, but it served its purpose.