What we thought was clouds and haze turned out to be smoke, from fires to the north and west. We knew that the mountains were there, as we could just make them out along the sky line.
Not a lot of color out here, but every now and then, there was a bush or aspen with the leaves changing color. I imagine in another week the hill sides will be ablaze with bushes turning red like this one.
Found this on the map, as we stayed in Whitefish and Kalispell. The David Graham highway, that I am sure was named after our dear friend, David Graham!
Again, more gorgeous mountains surrounding Polson, at the southern end of Flathead Lake, at least that is what we believe is back there.
We visited Kerr Dam, located on the Flathead River as it leaves Flathead Lake. There is a scenic overlook that we found, that lets you see the dam, and then more of it down river. I took this, because I was amazed at how large the spikes were that held the timbers in place for the walkway.
Looking down on Kerr Dam. It is actually taller than Niagara Falls, but seems small from this far away. There were steps down to a closer lookout that you could go down. We opted not to, as there was scratched on one of the signs "349 steps!" More than I wanted to risk!
Looking down river, and there is actually another row of mountains beyond what you can make out here, part of the Bitterroot Mountain Range.
You can see the hairpin turn, or switchback, that was on the road down to the power station below. It was OK, and I told Ken I might be closing my eyes for a few minutes! Didn't need to, but sure was glad he was driving! Again!
A very strange site down below. No sign of rushing water at all. The river was at low volume at this time of year, so not much water going through. This is the power plant on the other side of the dam. In the spring and summer, rafters enjoy the rushing water, much like they do in Maine.
A rock sculpture along the river's edge. Only there until the water rises.
This was the only brewery in Polson, but wasn't open when we went through. Got a nice picture of the sign, though!
Along the streets of many towns, and adorning the entry ways of many motels are these beautiful, huge hanging baskets of flowers, many of them still in full bloom. These are about 3 feet around, and just add so much color to many of the streets we visited.
We had lunch at a delightful cafe on the Main Street in Polson. We have tried to visit eateries that are not large chains when we can. Fortunately, we have made great choices almost all the time! Today was one of the best. Mrs. Wonderful's Cafe, only opened 2 months ago, served the best lunch we have had! Everything is made from scratch, grown local, no GMO, full of flavor, and full of the nicest people. We were even treated to a homemade cinnamon bun, on the house! I hope they do well. (mrswonderful.net)
More smokey views, but my imagination says it is beautiful, breathtaking, and I am sure, awesome.
Most of the area we traveled through today was part of the Flathead Indian Reservation. We found in spots that the signs along the road had English, Native American, and what it stands for on the signs.
Arrived back in Missoula in time for one more brewery stop. The Kettlehouse Brewery taproom was on our list from our visit last week. It was worth the wait. The brewery is located in an old restored building right next to the trains. As a taproom, they don't serve food, and Montana law only allows 48 ounces a day to be sold to any one person. A good law, I would say.
I had the award winning Double Haul IPA- flavorful, great bitterness, and a long finish. Yum!
Ken had the popular Cold Smoke Scotch Ale- again, not disappointed at all. Nice place, good beers, as we bid Montana good bye.
Some of the other beers they brew and had on tap- some of the names are so funny!
We checked in to our motel, repacked our suitcases, and headed out for a bite to eat, and of course, maybe just one more craft brew. Ken had a Kettlehouse Eddy Out IPA, from the same place we visited earlier in the day. I opted for the Lewis And Clark Crystal Prickly Pear Pale Ale- say that fast 3 times! Lewis and Clark is in Helena, a city we will have to save for another trip! Good beers, good food, and....
....good weather. Yes, that is the correct temperature, around 6pm. It's so different because there is little to no humidity. Can't imagine a better way to end our trip.
That concludes our Montana vacation, 2014. Eleven days of outstanding vistas, amazing little and big towns, and such a great variety of good, craft beers. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have seen, done, and consumed such incredible things. There is so much, right here in the USA, that I want to see and experience. However, the best part of the whole trip, was having my best friend by my side! We are lucky to have each other, and most importantly, after 11 days of 24/7 togetherness, we are still happy, and love each other. Good bye Montana! Til we meet again!
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