Geezers, Wyoming and South Dakota - Deadwood to Whitefish, MT

Day 19 – Deadwood to Butte, MT

We were up early this morning as we wanted to get an early start for our long drive today.  A look out the window showed rain and we could hear thunder in the distance.  We were on the road by 8:00 and made our way to I-90 for our drive west.  We spent the day driving in and out of rain and only saw the sun briefly as we entered Montana.  After an ill-fated attempt to find a restaurant in Billings (there were plenty of restaurants, just not the one we were looking for) we ended up just up the highway in Lindsey where we found a Mexican restaurant.  We arrived in Butte around 5:30 after a 550 mile drive.  Tomorrow we only have a 300 mile drive to Whitefish where we will spend three nights.

Rain in South Dakota.

Rain in Wyoming.

Some rays of sun in Montana.

Day 20 – Butte to Whitefish, MT

We had a much shorter drive today so we slept in and after getting some breakfast, we were on the road by 10:00.  The weather again was not cooperating with us and it was raining with temperatures in the high 30’s and low 40’s.  We were back on I-90 heading west until we reached the small town of Garrison, MT where we turned north on to a very scenic back road.  By this time the rain had stopped, except for some occasional sprinkles, and the heavy overcast had turned into cloudy skies; no sun, but at least not that ominous gray.  As we made our way north we could see patches of blue sky and could see the sun shining on the mountains in the distance.  We stopped for lunch in Kalispell and then drove the short distance to Whitefish, MT where we would be spending the next three nights.

Welcome blue sky ahead.

We were staying at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, which turned out to be a great location.  The Lodge is located right on the lake and has beautiful grounds and wonderful views.  By this time the sun had come out with just scattered clouds and the temperatures had warmed up to the high 50’s.  After checking-in and getting settled, Val and I walked out by the lake and enjoyed the beautiful view and the warm weather.  The Lodge has a full dock with boat rentals including pontoon boats, kayaks and canoes.  After finishing our explorations we hated to go back inside so we decided to have a drink at the outside bar by the lake and just soak in the good vibes of the area.

Val out on our balcony.

This area is just outside of Glacier National Park so for the next two days we will be exploring the park and surrounding area, we hope the weather holds out.  Tonight we are just going to have a light dinner and get some rest after our two day drive across South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.  Kudos to Val for finding such a great place to stay.

We did interrupt our restful evening when we noticed it looked like it was going to be a good sunset.  We went out on the dock and spent a while watching the sunset and taking too many pictures of it.  One odd thing happened when we were out on the dock; as we started back to the lodge after the sun had set we said hello to a lady and her daughters who were also out on the dock and she said “hey, weren’t you in my restaurant today?”.  It turns out she waited on us at the deli where we ate lunch in Kalispell, what a coincidence running into her.  Anyway, by then it was getting dark and cold so we headed back to the room and called it a night.