So I was surprised that I wasn't quite ready when Dan texted that he was ready to hit the road. It had seemed a little strange having our own rooms last night after we had enjoyed the suite in Seattle for the two nights there. But it was nice not to have to pull out the sofa bed! I quickly threw my stuff together - we had only brought in what we needed - we left the suitcases in the trunk.
Dan needed coffee so we stopped at Starbuck's. I'm not a big coffee drinker but the iced coffee wasn't bad. Then we headed out. Our original intent had been to go to Glacier National Park this morning. But a snowstorm last week dumped 2 feet of snow on the Going-to-the-Sun road which was then only open for 15 miles. National Park Service shuttles were only just being allowed on the road. So, since we couldn't drive the Going-to-the-Sun road, we decided to have a shorter day and head for Helena, Montana where Dan had made a reservation at a Marriott Residence Inn when we thought we would be coming from Glacier National Park.
During our travels in the northwest, we saw several wind farms on the mountains. Reminded me of the ones on the Kerry-Cork border in Ireland. Johnny Murphy and I drove right up to the windmills on our way to Cork. They were surprisingly quiet. Some of the residents of Falmouth where I live complain that the town's two windmills make too much noise. They also claim that the shadows and possible change in air pressure cause migraines, palpitations, loss of balance.
I read that Montana has enough potential wind resources to generate one quarter of the electricity needs of the US. Makes me think of the Cape Wind project for Cape Cod that has dragged on for years now.
During development of wind farms in the Northwest, the proponents and developers stated that they infuse money into the local economy during construction. Then going forward, they pay local taxes and stipends to the landowners. Each state in the Northwest offers different incentives for landowners. The best wind resources are located in rural areas and are compatible with farming and ranching. Renewable Northwest, which promotes "environmentally responsible renewable energy resources in the Northwest," claims that landowners make between $2000 and $7000 annually for each wind turbine located on their property. That is nothing to sneeze at if you are a rancher or a farmer fighting drought as well as all the other problems they face.
As in east Washington and Idaho, we traveled through forests, then open flat land, then farming areas. Each has a beauty of its own.
In the arid dry areas there was sagebrush that reminded me of the furze bushes in Ireland. You can see some of it in the picture above.
As we drove along route 90 in Idaho and Montana, we crisscrossed the Clark Fork River which was pretty low in some areas. We also saw railroad tracks which followed along the river. We saw many trains here and along the larger rivers. I counted over 50 cars on most of these trains. Lots of the cars seemed empty. I wonder where they were going? What kind of cargo did they have?
We crossed the Continental Divide at McDonald's Pass which was built as a toll road when Montana was a U.S. territory. There was a sign on the side of the road that said Frenchwoman's road. Apparently, a Canadian built the road, but his wife managed it. She also ran an inn - she charged $2 for a bed and $1 for a meal. The Frenchwoman was found murdered and robbed of $6000 in gold dust. No one was ever charged with the murder although the Canadian was a drunk and abused his wife so was considered a prime suspect.
Continental Divide - 6440 feet.
Helena, capitol of Montana, was founded in 1864 during the gold rush days when gold was found in the Last Chance Gulch. That Last Chance Gulch is now the main street.
Catholic cathedral in Helena.
We arrived in Helena ready for something to eat. We picked Bert and Ernie's Saloon and Pub on Last Chance Gulch. When he was small, John Brendan had an Ernie doll like the one on the horse below.
It was here that I had a delicious cheeseburger, and Dan had Irish nachos.
The waiter told us that the Hibernians held their monthly meetings at Bert and Ernie's.
Bert and Ernie's were celebrating their 40th anniversary that evening. By the time we came out, they had Last Chance Gulch and some surrounding streets blocked off and were getting tables and portapotties in place.
We headed for the Residence Inn and had a quiet evening in preparation for the long day tomorrow and the highlight of the trip - Yellowstone!
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