USA4CT - Ride Day 20 - June 17, 2013 - Mon

Start Time: 0700 MDT
Stop Time: 1830 CDT
Start Location: Kalispell, MT
Stop Location: Williston, ND
Lodging: Best Western
Dinner: Big Willy's Restaurant
Miles Traveled Today: 581
Weather: 55-75, Sunny

Today was a ride across Montana, Big Sky Country. I knew that on our way, in the neat little town of Hungry Horse, MT was The Huckleberry Patch!! The place has been in business for 20 years and the people that own it have been dealing with Huckleberries for over 60 years. They do know Huckleberries! This was my THIRD time stopping by and having a piece of Huckleberry pie. I stopped here in 2007, 2010 and now 2013 (hmmm, every 3 years, will be interesting if I am back again in 2016, maybe so!!!!). I had asked Bill if he liked Huckleberries and he said "oh yes". I told him I knew the place we were going to stop by for Huckleberries in that case (of course, I was going to stop whether he liked them or not!!)

We had our normal continental breakfast at the Hampton Inn before we left at 7 am. We had decided that we would get coffee and a piece of Huckleberry Pie at the Patch instead of another full breakfast!! I thought The Huckleberry Patch opened at 7 too. When we arrived the door was locked with a sign that they didn't open until 8 am!! I thought OH NO, that is a loooong time to wait for a piece of Huckleberry Pie. About that time a lady walked by the door and I knocked. She opened the door and I explained that we were on a motorcycle trip from Richmond, VA and we just wanted a piece of pie. She said, "In that case, come on it. We won't have breakfast ready until 8 am but the Huckleberry Pie and coffee are always ready". She let us in, so we had the place all to ourselves while we enjoyed our pie!

WOW, it doesn't get any better than this!!! Huckleberry coffee and Huckleberry pie!! We also loaded up on some of their Huckleberry preserves and pie filling to bring home. Nothing more valuable could occupy the limited space on our motorcycles!!! hehe!

WOW, that is quite a smile on Bill's face!! Wonder why?????

I don't think I had a picture of myself for the "record book" in front of The Huckleberry Patch" so I had Bill take one for me. Now I have it officially recorded.

I also wanted to ride the "Going to the Sun" Highway through Glacier National Park. I had ridden the road back in 2007. Here are a copy of pics from that ride in 2007 and a video my riding friend made of me coming down the west side from Logan Pass:

The "line" mid way down the mountain in the picture is the "highway"!!

Keith, in 2007, was the "videographer" of me in this short video:

 

Unfortunately, the Going To The Sun Highway was STILL not open due to snow today!! No big deal, we would just continue on US-2. Neither of us had ever ridden US-2 around the south end of Glacier NP, so all is good!

We stopped for a break and a few pics at the top of Marias Pass and the Continental Divide.

I always like to take a few pics of my bike with the snow covered mountains in the background. I like the red in contrast with the gray and white!!

Here is Bill

More of my bike!!

About that time, I needed to take a "nature" break so I headed up the hill into the woods. (BTW, for all my East coast friends, I made sure I took my "nature" break on the Pacific side of the Continental Divide - sorry West coast friends!! hehe!!)

Remember the snake "incident" in the National Park in Maryland a couple of weeks ago. Well, as I was standing in the wooded area I looked over to my right and saw this. Now the picture doesn't do it justice, as what I thought I saw at the edge of the woods was a GRIZZLY BEAR!! But as you can see it was a brown limb of an evergreen tree (if you get back from the picture it does look like a bear face). It was enough to startle me a little!! hehe, again!!

On east we rode. The true meaning of "Big Sky Country" was realized as we headed east of Browning, MT. WOW!!

Reminds me of the song I like by The Highwaymen, "The Road Goes On Forever and The Party Never Ends"!! (One of my "theme songs" for this trip!)

The last sight of the Rocky Mountains of western Montana behind us. BTW, that is Bill behind me as I took this picture with the camera backwards. Lucky shot traveling around 70 mph!!

We made it to Williston, ND for the night. We had called several places the night before trying to find a hotel room. If you don't know it there is a oil boom going on in western North Dakota and Williston is right in the middle of it. I will post more pics tomorrow of the area and talk more about it. Here was our dinner for the evening. We found a really neat restaurant within walking distance of the hotel we did find with a room!