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Monday, August 26, 2013

2013 Western Trip – Kalispell Finally - Spruce Park

If you’ve been a readier of this blog for a year, you know we made a trip west in our other RV with the intent of visiting Glacier National Park before making a swing back toward home.  After an alternator issue in Rapid City, SD I was afraid to go any further west so we went south through eastern WY and into CO, missing Glacier and Yellowstone.

After leaving Sandie and Jim Dixon in Avon, we drove up the beautiful valley past several gorgeous mountain lakes and through the towns of Seeley Lake and Swan Lake but since all of the scenery was on my side, we didn't get photos - we’re likely to go back the same way and Bev can snap a few shots.

While not without RV issues, we made it to northern Montana and the Spruce Park OnThe River RV Park in Evergreen (next door to Kalispell), MT.  We’re 46 miles from Glacier and about 20 miles from Bigfork on Flathead Lake which is another destination for this visit.


Spruce Park is situated in the evergreen trees and adjacent to the swift running Flathead River and this is the view from our camp site the afternoon of our arrival – one site between us and the river.  The haze is due to the fires in the area.

The caution tape is due to a washed away part of the river bank from high water earlier in the year. 

The next morning I got a shot of sunrise over the Flathead and shortly after a small fishing boat went upstream – I didn’t think the river was deep enough for a motor. 

I got another shot early in the afternoon and the haze seems to be clearing.


Later that afternoon,  Madison and I walked down to the river and here came a rubber raft containing four life jacketless girls and a cooler of beer.  I yelled it looked like they knew how to have fun and they responded they were tough Montana girls – what a hoot but wished I'd had the camera along.

Most of the campground looks pretty typical with some sites being pretty close together.


Tent camping nestled in the trees and beside the river.


We are in an area that was once occupied by mobile homes and therefore have much more room - that's us on the far right and then first from the other direction. 

Plus there is a big open field behind us where the dogs are permitted to play unleashed, which Bodie loved.

I think the site between us and the river may be the only better one in the here.

I walked around the roads with Sweetie this first morning and there seem to be more Alberta, Canada plates than any other - nice that the Canadians are helping out the local economy.  Second was Arizona and I suspect they are the summer-in-MT, winter-in-AZ crowd.

Our first day was spent as a rest up, grocery store, and guy coming for a few repairs day.

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

8/24/2013 event date

10 comments:

  1. We sure do love those Canadians and their money. Not sure if Montana could survive without them. Good luck with the repairs. Hope you get up the Going to the Sun today.

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  2. Larry, The Canadians got enough of our money during our trip to Alberta earlier this month. Our prices are reasonable as compared to theirs...hence, travel to the USA! You need a small camera that's easy to carry for those special moments that happen when you're not prepared. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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  3. Beautiful river and scenery - sounds like it is all going well. Happy travels!

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  4. Sorry about the smoke . . . but it was so wonderful to meet you!

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  5. I'm sorry to hear about your continuing RV problems, but it looks as if you found a very pretty RV park to stay while waiting for repairs.

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  6. I too am sorry to hear about your RV problems. It's a shame that you won't be going to Yellowstone. We absolutely loved it there and enjoy all of the animals that roamed freely in the park. I had never seen a buffalo in person and boy was he a big fellow. It was a fabulous place for a picnic.

    The fires and the smoke out west sound frightening. I'm glad you are headed home.
    Sam

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  7. Sorry for the RV problems... Yellowstone is amazing (and so is the NW) so I hope you make this way again someday.

    It looks like the RV park was pretty nice!

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  8. Since we hope to go to Glacier in 2014, I'll need to pick your brain after you all are there... Hope it's as great as they say it is!!!!

    Sounds like a neat RV Park.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  9. What? People want to get out of Arizona in the summer? Why? :) hehehe
    Okay, seriously, the site looks really nice. And of course, glad you made it further than you did last year!!

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  10. Other than the RV blips and bobbles, it looks like your trip is going well and you are enjoying our wonderful country. There sure is so much to see! What beautiful places you are visiting and really fun that you are meeting some bloggers along the way. I hope the rest of your trip goes smoothly!

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