Chicago

View of Lake Michigan near Hyde Park

So, we arrived in the Windy City on Thursday, 7/30, and have gotten the ball rolling with possible places to stay: apartments, sublets, hotels. Do you have friends or family we could stay with in the South Loop or Hyde Park area? The traffic here is out of control, so we can't be too far from the University of Chicago!

It's obvious that finding a place to live here will take quite a bit of time and energy, but I have lots of blog material that will keep coming your way, including updated pictures, themed retrospectives, and the most exciting - trip superlatives.

Stay tuned!

Good Food and Beautiful Scenery

Frank & Susan in a dry creek bed at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

We left Glacier National Park on Saturday morning and had a wealth of good food experiences in Montana. First, we stopped in the town of Choteau and bought a milkshake made from local Wilcoxson's ice cream and Montana Lifeline Curdish Delight cheese.

Upon arrival in Helena, we dined s at Toi's Thai on Last Chance Gulch Road and were advised to have breakfast at No Sweat Cafe down the block the next morning. On Sunday afternoon, we sampled brews at Blackfoot River Brewing Company. Kudos all around.

On the way to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, we made a last Montana stop in Billings at the Poet Street Cafe and picked up gazpacho, broccoli salad, a yummy sandwich, and freshly made bread and croutons. Our feast has lasted us well into our days here in North Dakota!

Still traveling, but it's over in less than a week...crying daily

Susan & Frank at Grinnell Glacier

Since the last post, we hiked over 60 miles in Waterton Lakes and Glacier Parks. We've had a blast. In Waterton Lakes & Glacier, we hiked the following trails:

• Waterton Lake - passing through U.S. Customs at Goat Haunt,
• Upper Rowe Lake - getting up close and personal with a bear (closer than the ski lift!)
• Crypt Lake - climbing a ladder attached to a cliff and passing through a natural tunnel,
• Grinnel Glacier - seeing a glacier and getting involved in a helicopter recovery of a hiker,
• Highline - running into bighorn sheep and three mountain goats, and
• Iceberg Lake - the name says it all.
  
  Since leaving the parks, Frank and I stopped at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center at Great Falls and sampled great food and beer in Helena, MT.Tomorrow, we head to North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

July 14-21 Updates

View of Okanagan Lake near Kelowna from Summerhill Winery's Bistro

Susan picking raspberries and huckleberries

Frank, Todd, Susan & Kathleen on Crypt Lake hike, Waterton Lakes National Park

On Tuesday, 7/14, we left Whistler and headed on a beautiful drive to the northeast. At Lillooet, we headed southeast to Kelowna, which is in British Columbia's desert. There are beautiful lakes all through the area. We went to Summerhill Pyramid Winery and had dinner at their bistro overlooking Okanagan Lake. Very nice.

After Kelowna, we ended up in Revelstoke, BC, at a Mulvehill Creek Bed & Breakfast. Run by a Swiss couple, they host a lot of German speaking tourists, so we got to brush up on our German, and enjoy all the b&b amenities: canoe, pool, hot tub, patio, ripe berry bushes, and nice hikes around the property.

Since Friday, we have been at Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta. Our friends Todd and Kathleen have joined us, and we've been on three amazing hikes, including one where we crossed the border into the U.S. and had to present our passports to customs at Goat Haunt, USA.

Later today, we're headed to the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park, Montana.

Squamish and Lil'wat Cultural Center

This is a fantastic museum! It starts with a great film on the two First Nations and continues with traditional museum-like displays of cultural treasures and modern artwork, including snowboard artwork!

Throughout there are videos and interactive stations/activities. My favorites: a memory game featuring the Squamish and Lil'wat languages and being taught how to braid cedar bark. Outdoors there is a forest walk and replicas of traditional housing, a Lil'wat Pit House and a Squamish Longhouse.

How best to see a black bear...from a ski lift!

Black bear as seen from the Blackcomb Mtn lift

Skiers on Horstman Glacier Peak to Peak gondola views

Cairn art atop Whistler Mtn

Susan & Frank tasting local British Columbian wines and cheeses atop Whistler Mtn

The pictures show off our day on top of Blackcomb and Whistler mountains. Absolutely awesome!

We went up Blackcomb Mtn: saw a bear on the way up, hiked around, and took a lift over to watch the skiers on the glacier. The Peak to Peak gondola took us to Whistler Mtn: checked out the cairn art and tasted local Britsh Columbian wine and cheese at Steeps Grill and Wine Bar in Roundhouse Lodge.

Rainbow Lake & the River of Golden Dreams

Frank and the Rainbow Lake Trail (Take a closer look at the boardwalk!) and Susan on Alta Lake

Frank and I arrived in Whistler, British Columbia on Monday evening late. Initially, we weren't sure about Whistler, but the last couple days have been great, and the weather is looking up for the next several days!

Tuesday - it rained, and we got our bearings.

Wednesday - hiking, 11 miles up to Rainbow Lake. This was a HARD trail - straight up with rocks, roots, bogs, steep mud slopes, and my favorite - lots of mosquitos.

Thursday - kyaking from Alta Lake along the River of Golden Dreams, which was really pleasant, serene, and beautiful. So what if we heard the whir of chainsaws along the way!

Today it's up the gondola to the tops of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Somewhere up there people are still skiing on the glacier.

Latest Delicacies (Mostly Local)

A glass of white sangria and rosemary shortbread

While on Vashon, the eating was pretty fantastic. We had an eat-in culinary fiesta for sure with mostly local ingredients. I laud the best dishes:

• Deb's beet salad and meatloaf,
• Seabreeze farm sausages with aprium (plum/apricot) sauce,
• Homemade pizzas with fresh herbs,
• White sangria (for FL and Agatha's 4th of July party), and
• Shortbread with rosemary and shortbread with lavender.

On the drive from Vashon to Whistler, BC, yesterday, we stopped to sample Appel Farms cheeses in Ferndale, WA, and now in Whistler, we've found local beef and a pie from a local bakery!

4th of July on Vashon

Vashon 4th Fireworks Display

Above is a chronicle of the Vashon 4th fireworks as seen from a party thrown by Frank's cousin, FL and his wife, Agatha. We met lots of young island families, and these kids were super-excited by the fireworks. Two came up with a Vashon 4th yogo pose: sit cross-legged, arms resting lightly on knees, fingers prepped in chant-mode, but instead of chanting "omm", chant "wow". Yes, I think that says something about these kids' upbringing and exposure on Vashon!

Savoring Seattle

Pike Place Market view & beer and local cheese at Pike Brewing Co.









Yesterday, Frank and I took a food tour with Savor Seattle. It was GREAT fun that I'd recommend to any and all! We took the Pike Place Market: Classics Tour and sampled: coffee, tea, cinnamon sugar doughnuts, three kinds of salmon, Beecher cheese and their mac & cheese, Chukar cherries confections, piroshkies (potato and salmon), two chowders, Northwestern crab cakes, and fresh cherries and nectarines. Yum!

Also, because of the tour connections, we sampled ethiopian at Pan Africa Market, a beer and local cheese sampler at Pike Brewing Company, and vietnamese at Thoa. It sounds like a lot of food, but not totally outrageous. This all took place over about 10 hours!