it can't get any better than glacier national park!!!!!!

Whew!!! I'm back to the land of cell phone service and wireless internet. My cell phone didn't have reception for almost 36 straight hours in and around Glacier.

I know having spent yesterday and the day before in GNP (Glacier National Park) that the trip can only be downhill from here. It was spectacular!!!! Better than the Alps or Norway in my opinion!! We stayed in a Park Lodge. The actual hotel was nothing much to speak of. It kind of felt like being at camp (with many 8th graders running the hall and bunkbed type furniture). But the view out our window was the best ever!!! (See image 2). We saw tons of wildlife-grizzly bears (from a distance), mountain goats, a moose swimming in the lake and bighorn sheep. Actually, the goats were right on our path-a mommy and a baby. They were so cute.

Herb and I went on a 10 mile hike to an alpine iceberg lake. We heard it was better to hike in groups of 4 to avoid bears so we hiked with a couple in their 50s (who were very fit). They were from Ohio so there was some Buckeye chatter and we all did a little "hikotherapy". We were with them for around 5 hours and amazingly we never ran out of things to talk about. The woman had a pretty loud voice so Herb and I felt much less anxious about bear attacks. After a couple of miles I noticed Herb had even loosened his grasp on his bear pepper spray.

Anyway, we had a great time in GNP and identified it as one of the key places that we want to come back to. Today we are off to Seattle-back to civilization!! We have seen a lot of cute little Westerny towns with wood saloons and gun shops. We stayed last night in Kalispell, Montana. I think Ennis, Montana has been our favorite so far. I am happy to get to the West Coast but feel sad to have left Glacier. It really was the most beautiful place I've ever seen!