BLOG #9 - GLACIER NATIONAL PARK AND WATERTON LAKES

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After being on the road for 2 1/2 months, we looked forward to meeting up with relatives at Glacier National Park for a family reunion. For close to 60 years, this has been a tradition for Doug's mother's side of the family. Every three years, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins all gather at a scenic spot somewhere in the United States for a week of bonding, fun and relaxation. Previous family reunion locations include Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, The Grand Tetons In Wyoming, Arcadia National Park in Maine and Cour D'Alene in Idaho. As a result of passing years, Jeannie, Doug's Mom's sister, is the only family member left from her generation. She is quite healthy and spry at age 87 and we were glad she was able to join us.  

The family rented condos at Bay Point Lake in Whitefish, Montana, so we had the best of both worlds. The trailer was set up in a nearby campground, but we decided to take a break and stay in the condo with Doug's daughter and son, Betsy and Ben. It felt really strange to have so much living space and a dry bathroom! A high point of the week was having Doug's granddaughters, Ava and Ellie, stay overnight in the trailer. Betsy joined too and we all ate s'mores and had a great time feeding the mini horses, lamas and mules that were in the campground's petting zoo.

As it's name implies, Glacier National Park is a land shaped by the activity of glaciers. The mountains were thrust up from ancient sea beds and glaciers formed long, u-shaped valleys filled with lakes and rivers. There are a number of active glaciers in the park at high altitude and many beautiful and challenging hiking trails. The sons from three Tweddale families went on an overnight hike to a glacier field. Here's what they saw:

A special treat for Doug during the week was discovering that his cousin Janet dabbled in pastel and was eager to try painting plein air. With extra equipment in tow, they headed for the mountains on two separate days and painted river rapids and mountain scenes. Janet now has the plein air bug!

One of the features of Glacier National Park is Going- to-the-Sun-Road. This 50 mile road was built in 1932 with great effort. Park officials initially planned a design that was a switch-back road up a mountain face. They decided it would ruin the natural look of the landscape and opted to build a beautiful, yet more expensive road. It goes up the mountain gradually with only one switchback, so it blends in with the surroundings. 

Unfortunately, this road was closed near the top due to a 3,900 acre forest fire that started on July 22, right before we arrived. A Park Ranger told Doug it was started by a car overturning and catching fire. As of this writing (August 6) the fire was still burning and only about 67% contained. 

We were sorry not to be able travel the full length of the road to see the glaciers, but luckily, our next destination was Waterton Lakes National Park, which is on the Canadian side of Glacier National Park. On the way, were were able to look back to see the burning fire: 

At Waterton Lakes, our campground was right in the park and there were mountain vistas all around us. Doug was thrilled to be able to wake up and paint right away without having to drive for miles to find the right spot. The painting below is Mt. Vimy and he painted it right outside our camper in his "spare time", over the course of three days. 

One of the main attractions of the park, Cameron Falls, was right at the end of our road. 

Doug captured it's spectacular beauty in a painting. To Sue's dismay, a nice couple came by and explained that their family has owned a cabin near the waterfall for 40 years. They fell in love with the painting and offered to buy it. They made an offer Doug could not refuse, and so went yet another potential gem for Sue to hang on the dining room wall. She did manage to get a picture to remember it by:  

On August 2, we celebrated Sue's birthday with Doug's sister Deb and her husband Mike at the Prince of Wales Hotel. This hotel was built in 1927 by the American Great Northern Railway to lure American tourists north of the border during Prohibition. Situated on a high plateau among the mountains, it offered a spectacular view in addition to the beauty of the hotel itself. What a wonderful way to celebrate the day!

We have been amazed by the beautiful country we have seen, both in our destinations and in our travels. Clean flowing rivers, majestic mountains and mile after mile of productive ranches and farms. This country is truly beautiful from sea to shining sea! It needs to be seen to be believed. Everywhere Doug looks, there's a painting. So many, that it would take a hundred lifetimes to begin to scratch the surface.

Not only has the land been beautiful, but the people have been gracious and appreciative of Doug's work. He often has a crowd of people watching as he interprets and paints the surrounding landscape.

Our next adventure will take us to Fairmont Hot Springs in Alberta, Canada for three days of luxurious relaxation and rejuvenation. From there we go on to Banff, which is said to be a unique paradise on the scale of Yellowstone.