October 31 Great Falls KOA

OK, so this isn't really a C/G picture, but I couldn't resist!

Swiss chard

What a beautiful spot this is!  It is one of the most beautiful campgrounds I have ever seen.  There are gardens everywhere with vegetables, berries, flowers, shrubs, and roses everywhere.  We went 190 miles from Bozeman KOA to Great Falls KOA yesterday.  We thought it would take around three hours but it took six because of three enormous mountain passes we climbed up and then down which were stunningly beautiful.  The down parts were rather scary and long, primarily because we think we are overloaded. 

Once in Great Falls, we travelled down 10th Street for five miles in Saturday afternoon traffic getting nearly every red light.  I had called ahead to see if the park took trailers as the advertisement seems to cater to tenters and those who want to stay in one of the cabins.  I should have realized though that that meant that the roads would be tight inside the grounds, and they were.

We weren't able to get settled in and unhooked to do an oil change before everything closed so we decided to stay here til Tuesday morning and then make a run to the border.  Also we have to get rid of our vegetables and fruits by then. 

So last night the lad started a spaghetti sauce made with Pom marinara sauce, ground beef, and garlic and we had p-spaghetti for supper along with broccoli from one of the gardens that also had cabbage and kale.  It was an early night for both of us. 

Pak and I took several walks on the two Nature Trails here.  There is an enclosed dog run where dogs can run free, a pool with a water slide, two Kamper Kitchens, laundry, interesting and very clean Family Shower areas, free firewood, many small cabins, many tent sites, and lots and lots of gardens.  Flowers are everywhere which still remain beautiful although the gardens are pretty much spent.  I can only imagine how lush, colorful, and green this place is in Summer!

I'd like to do a small bit of exploring tomorrow in the area but I will be content to recharge and try and figure out our northern route.  Up til  now we have been pretty casual about stopping but it won't be as easy farther north as there won't be as many places open. I don't like traveling in the dark as it is too easy to get lost, miss a sign, miss animals, and you just don't see anything.  The lad likes to drive at night and enjoys the interactions with the truckers who pass us.  (Everybody passes us!)

The weather has  been stunningly beautiful and warm.  Yesterday we hit 63; it is 59 here now with a wind blowing.  That's another reason we are staying:  the winds are supposed to pick up and the lad and I both hate driving in the wind.  I don't think he will ever go  back to eastern SD again.  That was just miserable and scary when the wind picked up the back of the trailer four times in the parking lot of Cabela's.  We later found out they gusted to 71 mph!  So, although the winds are only supposed to gust to 25, it's more than we want.