RV Tour Leg 43 – Missoula & Glacier National Park & Calgary: Friends, Lakes, and Mountain Roads

July 22 - August 2, 2025

I’m writing today from a sparkling-clean camper parked in a gorgeous spot outside East Glacier National Park. David took a side trip to visit his old college roommate in Calgary, three hours north, leaving me with two days alone with the camper, the cat, and my bike. It’s been a lovely little break. The camper had reached peak “lived in” status, so I spent a day scrubbing, organizing, and restoring order. Phew! Now Daphne and I are hanging out, enjoying the calm, and I finally have time to catch up on the blog.

Hanging out with Daphne in this sparkly clean camper

Chewing Black Bones Campground - our campsite in East Glacier where I spent 2 days alone - the view was not too shabby

A view from Chewing Black Bones Campground a traditional Blackfeet campground standing along the shores of lower St. Mary’s Lake.

We’re now 11 months into this journey—only one month to go—and it truly feels like we’re on the home stretch. I can’t wait to reconnect with friends and family, meet Alex’s new girlfriend, and share all the stories from this adventure. I miss everyone immensely.

Our adventure to date —after looping the country, we’re finally pointing the truck toward home

This trip has been a beautiful testament to our marriage. After 38 years together, I didn’t think we could know each other any better—but living in tight quarters, solving problems, and sharing adventures has strengthened our bond even more. (And yes, a few days apart now and then helps too!)

Missoula: Burgers, Beer, and Old Friends

Before reaching Glacier, we spent two nights in Missoula visiting David’s college housemate Lynn and her husband, John. Our visit hit all the right notes:

• Amazing food: Lynn took us to Double K Ranch, famous for its sustainably raised, local meats. We brought our to-go burgers next door to a brewery and declared them the best we’ve had since Victory 44 in Robbinsdale closed. Delicious burgers without all the guilt! What could be more perfect! Great food, great beer and old friends?

Double K Ranch - Missoula Montana - Best burger since Victory 44

• Beautiful hikes: We explored the nearby national recreation area and soaked up the quiet mountain scenery.

Hiking the national recreation area outside of Missoula with David's college friend Lynn

Beautiful views of the valley near Missoula, Montana

• Local flavor: Lynn and John showed us their lovely home of 35 years, introduced us to their sweet cat, and led us to the iconic Rockin Rudy’s—once a record store, now a treasure trove of eclectic gifts and funky finds.

Lynn, John and the cat on their gorgeous property where they lived the last 35 years

• Garden inspiration: We visited the Iron Griz restaurant garden, where tomatoes grow overhead on arched trellises—a design that may inspire David’s next garden project.

David and Lynn exploring the Iron Griz garden - tomato arches in the background - tomatoes have some growing to do before harvesting

As always, reconnecting with old friends and seeing their world was such a treat.

Glacier National Park: Going-to-the-Sun and Beyond

Glacier National Park straddles the Continental Divide and is united by one of the most spectacular roads in the country: Going-to-the-Sun Road. Completed in 1933, this 50-mile engineering marvel winds over Logan Pass and offers jaw-dropping views around every curve. We camped three nights on the west side and three on the east, exploring from both directions with the help of Shaka Guide, a GPS-based audio tour that made every mile more interesting.

• West Side Adventures: We drove to Logan Pass, stopping at scenic pullouts and soaking in the glacier-carved valleys and jagged peaks. A day of biking the trails let us slow down and enjoy the park’s quieter corners.

On the shore of Lake McDonald as we start our asscent up Going-to-the-Sun" road

View from our lunch spot on top of Logan Pass

Exploring West Glacier on our bikes - this allowed us to skip the lines at the entrance on a busy Saturday

Cell tower visible from our campground - disguised as a tree!

• Two Medicine Magic: On the east side, we hiked among waterfalls and wild views in the Two Medicine area—and even spotted two moose! One foggy drive had us biting our nails with zero visibility, but the clearing skies on the return trip gave us spectacular scenery as our reward.

• 

  Hiking to Rockwell falls in Two Medicine required a walk over this wobbly suspension bridge - only one person allowed at a time!

A 7-mile hike through gorgeous scenery in Two Medicine rewarded us with this view of Rockwell Falls

• Many Glacier Missed: Access to Many Glacier requires a timed entry reservation released the night before. I tried three nights in a row at exactly 7 p.m., but faster fingers (or faster internet) beat me every time. No worries—we happily spent more time exploring the trails along Going-to-the-Sun Road instead.

St. Mary falls in East Glacier - the blue color is caused by the "Glacial Flour" - small particles ground up by the glaciers - we saw the same phenomena at North Cascades National Park

Bonus waterfall our our hike to Virginia Falls, this one wasn't even on the map.

Glacier offered everything we’d hoped for: wildlife sightings, dramatic mountains, serene lakes, and just enough logistical quirks to make it feel like an adventure.

While I was scrubbing down the camper and enjoying some quiet time with Daphne, David headed north for a quick trip across the border to see an old college friend. I’ll let him tell you that story in his own words…

Calgary: David Visits Old Friends

Written by David

The wonder of life-long friendship is easily rekindled by a short visit. Jim was my freshman roommate in 1974—more than 50 years ago. We shared a quad with two other college newbies. We were from the heartland, they from north and south California. Perfect match.

Jim and his wife Janet live in Calgary. Ever been there? My visit was a first. Canada’s fertile land north of the border looks a lot like Iowa or Nebraska, but not far to the west lies the spine of the Canadian Rockies—verdant, rugged, and beautiful. It’s an easy three-hour drive from East Glacier.

Janet was a good sport, listening to Jim and me jabber almost nonstop for two days. We had plenty of material to draw upon—memories of our freshman dorm, its cast of characters, dramas, and various shenanigans.

Jim and Janet in their native element

Highlights included hearing about Jim and Janet’s far-flung travels, Jim’s impressive athletic and musical pursuits, and a visit to the spectacular Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller—one of the finest dinosaur museums in the world. We capped it off with a splurge dinner at a local gluten-free restaurant, the Selia, where I had fish and chips. Yum.

Albertosaurus fossil at the Royal Tyrrell Museum—Alberta’s own Late Cretaceous predator

Now we’re scheming to reunite the “Fab Four” from Branner Zoo (our frosh dorm’s fourth floor). Fly fishing in Alberta? Sounds like the perfect way to sum up the actual lives of four befuddled freshmen—well, three. Steve always knew what he wanted and simply executed.

Next stop: Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park in Montana as we make our way toward Yellowstone!