Helena & Home...

That evening, Bid and I survived the narrow winding deteriorating road to the town of East Glacier as the park seemed to be closing behind us.

It was not lost on us how the stellar weather had opened an opportunity for us to see a part of this country that in most years shuts down the beginning of September.

The next day we regrouped….visited one more museum, the Museum of the Plains Indian, in Browning, Montana and headed down the hill to Helena, where I planned to visit another dear friend, Shimmer, whom I had met years before on that hike in Yellowstone.
She's the one who got me up the mountain and I'm still pinching myself that I was able to see her again.

So that was pretty much that.

After some celebration, Bid, Shimmer and I hugged, got a bit emotional and watched Bid drive away toward her next adventure after which I crawled back into my warm bed,
exhausted from the travel and a cold I'd suffered from the entire journey…..

The next day I crossed visiting the world renown Archie Bray Foundation

off my bucket list...

from their website:

'Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Bray is located three miles from downtown Helena, Montana on the site of the former Western Clay Manufacturing Company. Set against the wooded foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the 26-acre former brickyard is internationally recognized as a gathering place for emerging and established ceramic artists. The nearby mountains and brick factory ruins provide a backdrop for the creative environment; more important is the dynamic arts community created by the resident artists that come to the Bray to work, share experiences, and explore new ideas.'

And as everything else was closing due to the impending winter weather, this place was pretty much shut down as well..

as that weather finally seemed to be closing in on us and snow was in the forecast…

                                                                                   

 we saw this….

a short video taken by Shimmer from the side of the road...

And the perfect ending to my 2,000 mile road trip.

leaves me wanting for more every time I see it

Montana….

The weather held out for us at the end of September,  

and the constant threat of wildfires didn't dampen our resolve to get to 

Missoula "a river runs through it" Montana,

located on the captivating, ever present, Clark Fork River,

where we spent the night with a clear view of the Blood Moon eclipse …

and then headed north to the sweet town of Whitefish,

through smokey vistas,

past the massive, crystal clear, cold as ice, Flathead Lake...

and to Glacier National Park the next day….

We drove across the 'Going-To-The-Sun Road' 

completed in 1932, engineered and built by road artisans of the time….

(and imagine being from New Zealand driving this road…

mostly in the middle, thank the Dogs no one was coming from the other way!)

to the eastern side of the park…

past burned forest…..

another glacial lake….

and this disinterested guy as we left the park ...

Catching Up, or ….You CAN go home

For the last eight weeks I've been either planning for, ON, or recovering from

our three week cross country drive back 'home' to Michigan.

While there we enjoyed

lighthouses,

an abundant harvest of delicious cherries,

corn as high,

 lighthouses,

my happy place, still cared for and loved...

more servings of planked whitefish than I thought I could ever consume,

 did I mention lighthouses?

sunsets over magnificent lakes,

one more beautiful than the next,

and the sacred ground of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore.

we experienced

moments of solitude

white sandy beaches,

clear water…

dense woods

and favorite haunts that continue to impress

and historic establishments that still nourish after all these years….

we drove over….

and cruised under 

the magnificent Mackinaw Bridge 

that connects the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan.

We ferried to Mackinaw Island,

for a perfect 'chamber of commerce day'

sunny and warm,

without the hum of engines and only the squeaks of bicycles and clicks and clops of horses hooves...

and the flap of a flag or more….

we witnessed the full moon rise,

and Tahquamenon Falls….

we drove to the top of Michigan…

to Whitefish Point

home of the Shipwreck Museum

and down again

to the center of Michigan to see the sun set after a powerful storm..….

and rise again over this inland lake…still as glass

back in the Detroit area, 

we visited  

the beautiful grounds of Cranbrook Academy, 

and this

inspiring Nick Cave exhibit at the Art Museum there

then headed back to New Mexico through Nebraska 

where we stopped for respite here,

and here,

before we headed south though the center of Colorado to the quaint river town of 

Salida, Colorado

 my new favorite place,

then through the Valley of Peace to Crestone, Colorado

on our way to experience more sand dunes...

of the Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado….

and another magnificent God lit sunset as we headed home to New Mexico.

This trip was filled with connecting with friends and family I've been longing to embrace and spend time with, 

and 

delicious home cooked meals

not to mention warm lake breezes and sand between my toes….

….and I am so happy to report that visiting the favorite places of my youth left me feeling that they are more beautiful, better cared for and respected than I remember. 

With relationships loving and intact,

we say a 

HUGE

Thank You 

with deep appreciation for our friends and family who welcomed and cared for us so graciously.