One of two mother bears with...
One of two mother bears with their cubs spotted from their parking space at the beginning of their hike. Needless to say, they moved the Superbird before hiking in the opposite direction.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Cheryl and Brennan decide it is time for a vacation day that does not involve the car. Of course, before they can distance themselves from the Bird, another crowd gathers to gawk at the Mopar. Ed, a cook in a nearby restaurant comes out and says, "That is the single most beautiful thing I have seen today." With all of the picture taking going on, Cheryl joked that, "There are going to be about 5,000 '06 summer vacation photo albums with an orange Superbird in them."
Finally, Brennan and Cheryl take their much-needed hike through the Many Glacier portion of Glacier National Park.
The Glacier area had been struggling with aggressive forest fires before Brennan and Cheryl arrived, which left much of the area smoldering, but explained the abundance of visible animals during their hike.
Even the view from the parking...
Even the view from the parking lot is breathtaking.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Cheryl and Brennan decided to leave the Bird behind again and hike around Two Medicine Lake.
The next day would consist of more driving, a task that sounded less and less appealing as thoughts of the B-Body's non-air-conditioned interior and insufferable bucket seats bounced through their heads.
As they finished a light supper at the historic East Glacier Lodge, another motel guest and two of his friends from Texas approach to ask about the car-a pleasant and familiar routine by now for the duo.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
The couple decided to drive back along the road that skirts the south end of the park. As they were caught in a line of vehicles slowly ascending a steep grade, a black Pontiac rushed the row in the opposing lane trying to sneak in higher in the procession. the impatient driver of the sedan rudely squeezed in front of the Bird, hitting his brakes hard and nearly causing an accident. He then pulled out and passed the remainder of the line, but not without Brennan, furious, on his rear bumper. the driver weaved over to the slow lane as the winged Plymouth blew his doors off in the passing lane. Any future attempts to pass traffic by the Pontiac were thwarted by Brennan and the Superbird, who kept the head of the line for the next 20 miles.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Taking leave of Glacier, Brennan and Cheryl made a stop at the Lewis and Clark Center in Helena, Montana. Helena has the third of four such major centers that trace the trail made by the intrepid explorers under the direction of President Thomas Jefferson in 1804. After a miserably hot day of driving with the windows down, the Best Western turned out to be a lifesaver with a hot tub to the rescue.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Returning to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, they finished viewing the display, and then jumped into the Superbird to drive from Great Falls, Montana, to Glendive, Montana. The space between the two cities is a testament to the actual breadth of this nation's size. "There are places in Montana where you can't even get a country music station on AM radio," Brennan exclaimed. "Cellular coverage was nonexistent unless we were near a community."
 At one point during the trip,...  At one point during the trip, Cheryl wanted to see something other than the dash of the Bird, so two days of hiking satisfied her cravings for spotting natural wildlife, including this gopher, some mountain goats, snakes, and plenty of bugs. |  A local feline kept warm under...  A local feline kept warm under the cooling exhaust tubes. When's the last time you saw a Bird give a cat shelter? |  It wouldn't be a road trip...  It wouldn't be a road trip without a picture in front of some wildly bizarre, fiberglass dinosaur . . . only in America. |
Pushing on to the North Dakota border, they stopped in Jordan, Montana, for a tank of gas (and the usual meet-andgreet with curious auto enthusiasts). Once in Glendive, they collapsed into bed exhausted from a long, hot, slow, noisy, and uncomfortable drive. "I have no idea how Lewis and Clark did what they did," Cheryl gasped.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
"We are in the home stretch now," screamed Brennan over the noise of the rushing wind, exhaust clatter, and rattling lifters. With only about 200 miles of the Great Plains remaining, Cheryl decided to get a few more miles of clutch time, taking the wheel from Glendive, Montana, to Dickinson, North Dakota.
During a final gas stop in Glendive, only a few hours from home, a gentleman, after asking a few questions about the Superbird, said simply, "Thank you for sharing it." It would be the perfect summation for a trip filled with friendly faces, handshakes, and inquisitive glances.