Glacier/Waterton 2004:
Day 4

Bundlings.com: [Main] [Contact Us] [Events] [Family] [Fun] [Garden] [Misc.] [Photos] [Search] [Site Index] [Travel]

Glacier/Waterton 2004: [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5]

	Saturday, August 14, 2004: We awoke to the sun rising over the hills in the east and were grateful once again for our fabulous corner room.
	The whole family gathered for one last meal together before everyone headed their separate ways (Indiana, California, Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota). The restaurant featured outdoor seating right next to Lake Waterton, and once again, we had gorgeous weather.
	We saw several of these birds during our stay. They had shiny blue wings and didn't seem to mind being around people at all.
	The relatives scattered to the winds, except for Debbie's immediate family, who joined us for a boat trip to the American end of Waterton Lake. Jill and her grandpa watched as the boat approached the US-Canada border, which is marked by a wide line where the trees have been cut down, visible in this photo.
	On the other side of the boat, we were close enough to shore to see the white border marker and the gap in the trees.
	The valley created by the two mountains in this photo is the starting point of the hike to Hole-in-the-Wall, which is the hike some of the Schillings take every few years or so. It's a strenuous but beautiful walk, and the destination is very special to us.
	We arrived at the American end of the lake at Goat Haunt Ranger Station.
	Tom and Jill posed in the same location where Jill's mother had first been thirty years earlier.
	Stewart's rock-skipping fever infected Tom, so rock-skipping occurred on the beach in front of Goat Haunt while the rest of Debbie's family went for a brief stroll along the lake.
	We cruised back up the lake and got this photo of the tiny town of Waterton, including the beach where we were skipping rocks the previous afternoon.
	As we returned to the dock, the Prince of Wales Hotel looked majestic, perched on the hill overlooking the lake.
	We said our goodbyes to Debbie's dad and stepmother, then went to another park with Debbie's brother's family. As soon as we parked the car, we heard two noisy woodpeckers. They're both in this photo, pecking on the right tree trunk, if you look carefully.
	Doug and Tom went to fetch wraps for lunch while Debbie and Susan discussed why they would surely win "The Amazing Race" if they ever got around to auditioning. Jill and Stewart got into the lake and had a blast with all of the driftwood nearby.
	We bid adieu to Doug, Susan, and Stewart, and headed south again, back into the Glacier portion of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park ...
	... which is located in Montana. Here ends your geography lesson for the day.
	On our way to spend the night in the East Glacier area, we took a short detour to Two Medicine Lake, on Debbie's dad's recommendation, and we're glad we did. It's a beautiful, uncrowded part of the park.
	Finally, we got to the Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier. The lobby is huge, with towering pine trunks throughout the building. Our room was located in the building which was added on a few years after opening. It was a corner room with hardwood floors and no sound insulation at all, but it was very pleasant and had a view of the mountains.
	We had a delicious dinner in the hotel restaurant. You'll just have to trust us that there was a beautiful view of mountains out the window.
	Glacier Park Lodge is famous for its huge lawn and long garden.
	If there's one thing Debbie loves, it's a garden. We had to walk slowly along every inch of the garden, examining every single flower.
	There were many columbine plants in bloom, which is one of Debbie's favorite flowers.
	The lodge faces the East Glacier train station, so this is often the first place visitors to Glacier see.
	This is one of Glacier's famous red jammers -- buses which take visitors around the park. We saw quite a few as we drove through the park, so it was great to get to see one up close. Day 5 >