Dock on Flathead Lake in Polson, Montana

Good morning from Livingston, Montana.  I slept just outside of Gardiner, Montana on a pull off where some other vehicles were doing the same thing.  Today I hope to be in Glacier National Park at some point.  My posts have been intermittent due to lack of wifi available.  In Yellowstone cell service was nearly non-existent.  I may not be able to post again until after I leave Glacier National Park.  

Well I am currently awaiting for the Lolo Creek Steak House to open (45 minutes or so).  One of the things I did before leaving was to see if any of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives was on my route.  Not finding any I just did a search on some of the places in the vicinity of my travels on the food network’s site and the Lolo Creek Steakhouse was the only one to pop up.  Since I like steak a lot I thought this would be a good spot to check out.  I stopped in Butte, Montana and did the priceline.com thing and will end up spending the night in Kalispell, Montana which is close to the entrance of Glacier National Park.  I will have Wednesday and Thursday to explore the park and maybe even go into Canada into the Waterton area.  I know I will need to leave at some point Friday to be back in time to start work as usual on Monday.  So far it’s been a fun trip and I have learned a lot things too.  

I think this trip would have been more fun if you had a photography partner.  With the way I planned this trip it would have been impossible, i knew there would be a few nights in sleeping in the car, however not nearly as many as there have been.  But the next go around I think I would do it differently.  The Louisville Camera club guys seemed to be having a blast doing what they were doing.  So far I have only used my tent once.  So the money I used purchasing that was nearly a waste except I am sure to use it in the smokies.  The same is true with bringing the bicycle.  It has hampered gas mileage and there was a cost for the rack.  Once again this is something I think I will use when camping in the smokies.  One thing I have learned is that I miss the great outdoors and being in nature.  As a kid I did a lot more things like camping and Sunday drives through the countryside with my folks as I got older it became about computers and making an easier life then what my parents had to go through.  I don’t think one has to go this far to discover the beauty that life and nature have to offer but a trip like this will definitely jump start your taste buds for nature again (not a pun on eating Elk by the way).  The elk I ate were raised on farms.  

Well according to my odometer the trip so far has gone on for 4327.3 miles.  I got my oil changed in Bozeman today so I should be good till I get home.  It has been very tiring and rewarding at the same time.  I have gotten to see a lot of the country even if I didn’t photograph it all.  In fact I think that parts of the beauty out here is almost too vast to photograph.  Even with my wide angle lens its very difficult seeing what your eye can actually see.  Maybe once I see my photographs on a larger screen where I can see the details I will contradict myself but I think not.

I really haven’t taken any photographs today that were set up for their natural beauty.  I have taken a few snapshots  out the window while driving so the shot for today will probably be from earlier in the trip.  Unless one of the snapshots is decent.  If any of you know of good places to shoot while in Glacier let me know, email or facebook is best since my phone picks up more then my laptop does, and I get both on the phone.  Well it looks like customers are already rolling in and the doors haven’t opened yet so this must be a pretty good place.  I’ll let you know…

Well the steak was undeniably the best steak I ever ate.  Had the been selling homes next door I would have bought one.  All other steaks are cardboard compared to this steak, from hence forth the steak I had from the Lolo Creek Steak House 

will be how other steaks are measured.  I got a 16oz sirloin and they cook it over a wood grill in the middle of the restaurant.  It comes with a salad, and when they bring it to you it comes with a baked potato and a piece of homemade garlic bread that is about as long as your forearm.  The steak was the juiciest most tender steak I ever ate.  If thats the last time I ever eat there I would be surprised.  Another thing that is cool (not the dead animals on the walls) is that the owner comes out and greets the people he’s seen there before, going from table to table asking how the families have been and what’s new in there lives.  The waitresses seem the same way.  Also you get two waitresses one for your food and one for cocktails.  I only needed the first one however.

Well I continued on my journey to Glacier National Park.  I got close to place called Flathead Lake.  Did someone say vacation home?  Yes, definitely.  When I get home I will probably start checking the listings.  This is a large lake apparently partially fed from Glacier National Park itself.  It is one of the nicest places I have ever seen.  It was sunset when I got to the town of Polson, Montana and as far as not getting any shots for the day well I got them here right off the road.