There is a lot of road construction in Montana, and the country is rugged with long distances between cities and even between houses.

 Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana, hosts the 341st Missile Wing of the Air Force Global Strike Command, responsible for maintaining Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles. Most military bases have temporary lodging intended to provide housing for personnel waiting for housing assignments on base or for those attending classes or training. If rooms are available, military personnel and retirees on vacation may use these spaces. Because of John's rank, we are often able to stay in Distinguished Visitor's Quarters, among them this "Rodeo" suite:

 Someone had a lot of fun decorating

 Free laundry was available, so the general wandered down to the laundry room to catch us up for the next leg of our journey.

When the Lewis and Clark expedition reached Great Falls, Montana, they had been warned that there was a large waterfall.  They had to portage around not only this one "great" fall, but around 4 others. What they thought would take 1 day took 18. John gets a feel for the strength necessary to move a canoe around the rapids:

At the Giant Springs, now in a state park, 156 million gallons of water bubble up every 24 hours.

   The "great falls" is still impressive, even with the dam.

    We walked across this bridge to view the falls.

   The Blackfeet Tribe was celebrating North American Indian Days when we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Browning, Montana. A rodeo was going on right outside our window,

    including the start of a race!

 
We drove into Glacier National Park on Saturday, July 9th. Share the road!

    Glacier's famous 100 year old red tour buses:

    John talked to one of the drivers who told him that everything is original from the frame up and     everything else has been rebuilt.

    Cannot imagine building the Going to the Sun Highway today, much less during the 1920's.

   We saw these mountain goats near Logan Pass, the highest point on the highway.

   Scientists predict that all of the glaciers in Glacier National Park will have melted by 2030.

    We crossed the Canadian border and passed many canola fields.

    In 1993, Mary and her Mom and Dad took Matthew and Benjamin to Alaska.  John was jealous        when they saw this Lancaster Bomber at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton,    Alberta, even though we brought him a shirt. He finally got to see it for himself.