Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Bozeman Break —July 28-29

Montana is smoky from several local forest fires and also from the clockwise rotating of California’s smoke into Montana. As we were passing through Bozeman MT on our way north we were totally captivated by this University town and decided to stay a few nights as a "vacation fom our vacation."



I guessed the town had a population of maybe 125,000-150,000 to which Sharon (who likes to look such things up) announced it was about the size of our hometown Marion. These Western towns look so much bigger than they really are. Bozeman is booming.



Thus I spent my birthday preparing for one of my fall classes until dinner which we ate in the local park. There we discovered Bozeman was not booming for everyone—we ate beside three homeless folk who had lost their jobs and were down on their luck complaining that “the government” did not provide them with jobs. One was quick to say, however, that he was against Obama, “who is a Muslim and those ragheads will be dancing in the streets if we elect a Muslim President.”



The night before we had totally wasted our money watching “Hancock.” However perhaps some sort of age things was goign on since the theater was full of pimply-faced yuk-yukking teen boys who obviously thought the movie deserved at least an oscar. We chose not to bet any more money on movies tonight instead watching the history channel for our evening entertainment.

Today we continue heading north toward Glacier National Park but we don’t have to get there, or anywhere else, for several weeks yet, so we’re just moseying along as if we are on vacation.

keith drury

5 comments:

Burton Webb said...

Guess where I was today...? Standing 6 feet from the picnic table we lounged at for three hours waiting for someone south of Grand Lake! I was going to take a picture but there were some people sitting there waiting on something. Maybe it's a common occurrence there.

Dad and I hiked up to a place called Stone Lake. You would have LOVED it! Way up high, near treeline. About 20 minutes of pure tundra walking. Clear day with big boomers in the afternoon. Tomorrow we are only going 3 miles, but it will be up high! I think I may have tweaked my left knee today too. It is popping pretty good and getting stiff. Joy! Maybe we can have tag-team surgery.

I almost applied to graduate school in Bozeman. What a great town!

::athada:: said...

See the glaciers while you can...

... watered your tomatoes today (and grabbed a few, to keep them from rotting :) The line was down the first time we went, but someone has since fixed it and put the line up.

::athada:: said...

Have you checked out Wandering Wheels for your bike excursions (based in Upland)? Taking a short trip with them this weekend. Will make a report for you :)

http://www.wanderingwheels.org

kerry kind said...

"Going to the Sun Road," dividing GNP's northern and southern halves is no doubt in my top three scenic highways in America, and maybe number one, especially the western half. You can park and day-hike a few miles on the "high-line" at the Continental Divide. It is a level, easy ledge trail for a few miles. And the scenery (the Garden Wall) is spectacular.

Keith Drury said...

BURT, we're hgeaded south now... watch that knee. ADAM, thanx for tomato-watering..help yourself. KERRY, I posted something about that road before I read your commen--we agree.