Day 6: Sept 8, 2026. Billings to Glendive. 223 miles

This morning we Left Canyon Creek brewery. On our departure, we talked with some people that were moving from Washington State to Washington Missouri. They were dog owners and were moving because they were concerned most with homeless and free needle distribution. I looked it up. 

Washington State supports and funds Syringe Service Program often referred to as needle exchanges, as a core component of its public health strategy to prevent the spread of blood-borne infections like HIV and Hepatitis C among people who inject drugs. Operating legally since a 1992 state Supreme Court ruling, these initiatives are managed locally by county public health departments, non-profit organizations, and community health agencies. While the primary function of these programs is to distribute sterile needles and collect used equipment for safe disposal, they also serve as vital connection points for healthcare, providing access to overdose-prevention tools like Naloxone alongside direct referrals to substance use treatment programs. I thought it was important to understand why and how this program works. When we do cleanups in the Umpqua, we often have to deal with discarded needles. I wonder if it would help if they did the same thing with condoms? Another unpleasant cleanup item.

Our first stop was Costco for gas and a few items. I went in before Kasey to get a head start. If you have an executive membership, you can shop starting at 9am instead of waiting until 10 when the peasants can also shop. What a system. And I like it because it isn’t busy. But at what cost? I don’t like crowds and if I pay more, I can avoid them. Is this what it is like to have money and influence? This does not feel right but I also like avoiding the crowds. What a huge business. I got to wonder what the store inventory was worth. In the millions no doubt. We got 3 items. A record low for Costco purchases. One item was lemon juice for our pico de gallo 

Back on the road, we called Mike and then Jerry back in Roseburg to check in. Quite a bit of rain happened while we were gone according to Mike. He was working on getting his deck replaced and Jerry had Jacob over working on yard work. Both of those things are what we also need to do. But, what the heck, we can do that later. Now we are travelling.

We had great weather as we travelled east in Montana toward our destination of Minnesota. We were listening to Heather Cox Richardson, Heather Delaney Reese, and Mary Gedry. All while enjoying the views.

As the miles rolled on, we started listening to more of our book by Ken Goddard, First Evidence. It makes the time fly. I remember when the Ashland Forensic Lab first opened in the late 80’s. I asked for a guided tour which Ken Goddard granted. It was fascinating and I became an instant fan. When I found out he wrote novels, I read several. Now we are reading some of his works on our trip. He is retired now, but his career is amazing. The first ever wildlife forensic lab was designed and built under his direction and it sits in Ashland Oregon. 

We made a stop at a rest area along our route. The building looked like an administration office. I kept looking for the restrooms. But this huge building WAS the restrooms. All brick and individual and private stalls. The parking lot was almost empty too and had some historical signs for information. Something about Jedediah Smith.

Our destination for the day was Makoshika State Park. Pronounced, Mah KO Shukah

Accent on the O. It means Land of Bad Spirits. It is just south of Glendive MT. I sometimes wonder about the towns we pass along the way. Glendive is a small city in eastern Montana and the county seat of Dawson County, home to roughly 4,800 residents. Sited along Interstate 94 on the banks of the Yellowstone River, it acts as an agricultural, commercial, and transportation hub for the surrounding badlands region. Makoshika State Park is located directly adjacent to the city and is Montana’s largest state park. It is renowned for its striking badland formations, rock pine, and extensive fossil remains of Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. Glendive features two stops on the official Montana Dinosaur Trail, including the Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum and the Frontier Gateway Museum. The river flowing through town offers popular outdoor activities like paddlefishing, kayaking, camping, and hunting for Montana Moss Agates along the shoreline.  

Founded in 1881 as a Northern Pacific Railway town, Glendive historically served as a hub for livestock transport and later experienced brief oil booms linked to the Williston Basin. It is also home to Dawson Community College. 

We have been here before in 2023 so we were quick to pick out a campsite and reserve it the night before. It was quite windy at the campground but when we arrived, we unloaded the bikes and headed back to the visitor center. What a cool bike rack. Nice touch. 

We spent a little time at the visitor center since we missed out last time we were here. The dinosaur history of this area is fascinating. They had a display of current inhabitants as well. 

We took Tad out for a walk to check out the area more. The layering on the hillsides is fascinating and shows the lines of soil deposition through the eons. Since we were here last, a disc golf course was constructed. A little windy today but apparently it was well researched and meets the PDGA standards.

Back at camp we proceeded to chop and process our peppers and tomatoes for salsa. We made a huge batch.

Our neighbor in the campground stopped by and we quickly gave him a small container of our creation. His wife would love it he said. 

Dinner was skillet burritos. Quite yummy. We spent the rest of the evening playing more games and sampling beer from our friend Al Walker. 

Soon it was bedtime. The wind was calm and it was so quiet. Another chapter of our book and we felt sleep overtake us. A good day.

Day 5 : Labor Day, September 7, 2026 - 396 miles, 7 hours

We pulled away from Jean's beautiful home on Swan Lake Monday morning full of warmth and special memories, grateful for the time we had shared and excited for the road still stretching ahead of us.

Diana had left about an hour before us, pointing her vehicle west toward Oregon while we would soon be heading east. We love traveling with Diana and wished she could simply turn around and join our little wagon train for the rest of the Grand Adventure.

That left Janice and me with one more precious hour with Julie and her mom, Jean.

After the stories, meals, laughter and memories of the past several days, there wasn't much more that needed to be said. Sometimes you recognize a special moment while you are still living it. This was one of those times. Our visit couldn't have been better, and I know it is something we will treasure forever.

One Last Stop in Swan Lake

Before leaving the area, Janice and I stopped at the Mission Mountain Mercantile for one last look around this delightful little store—and, importantly, to fill our coffee mugs for the road.

On the wall were beautiful panoramic maps of the Swan Mountain Range and Mission Mountains, identifying the peaks, passes, creeks and valleys of the country that had surrounded us during our stay.

I had also picked up a wonderful hooded sweatshirt covered with topographic lines and sketches of the mountains, trails and lakes. It seemed like the perfect souvenir—a wearable map of a place that had become much more meaningful to us over the past few days.

Coffee mugs filled, we climbed back aboard our rolling cabin and headed down the road.

Montana Through the Windshield

Our original plan was fairly modest: drive about four hours to Bozeman and call it a day. But plans on the "Chariot of the Dogs RV" are subject to change!

During the first part of the drive, as we worked our way toward Interstate 90, intermittent showers followed us through the mountains. Once we turned east, however, the clouds began giving way to sunshine, revealing the spectacular Montana landscape, forested mountains, dramatic rocky peaks, broad valleys and that seemingly endless western sky.

One of the things Janice and I enjoy when traveling is listening to local radio. It gives us a little sense of the communities we're passing through, the music people are hearing, the local voices, advertisements and bits of news from places that otherwise might simply be names on highway signs.

And Montana certainly seems to appreciate its classic rock.

Near Bozeman we found KBZM and its Labor Day special featuring classic hits from A to Z. It became our soundtrack as the miles rolled beneath us.

By the time we reached Bozeman, we were feeling good and decided, Why stop now?

So we kept going.

When the radio signal finally faded, we switched to our audiobook, First Evidence by Ken Goddard, a captivating mystery set in Oregon. A good audiobook is one of the great secrets of a long road trip. Before we knew it, another two hours had disappeared and Billings was coming into view.

Our destination was Canyon Creek Brewing, a Harvest Hosts location where we have stayed twice before.

Harvest Hosts has become one of our favorite ways to travel. Participating breweries, wineries, farms and other businesses allow RV travelers to stay overnight, giving us something much more interesting than another parking lot, and often introducing us to wonderful people along the way.  

The Staff at Canyon Creek Brewing welcomed us as graciously as ever. It being Labor Day, they were hosting a free barbecue, and the owner had roasted an entire pig along with several chickens. A lively crowd had gathered, including at least eight other people staying there through Harvest Hosts.

We found a spot on the patio, enjoyed the feast and a beer, and naturally brought Tad along. Which meant that within minutes, Tad was the star.

As happens nearly everywhere we take him, someone eventually said the words we have heard countless times:

“I haven't seen an Irish Setter in years!”

Tad accepts such admiration with appropriate dignity.

Among the people who came over to meet him was a family from the Netherlands who were traveling across the United States in a converted school bus. They stopped to pet Tad, and before long we were talking about traveling, the places we'd been and the adventures still ahead.

These spontaneous encounters are one of my favorite parts of being on the road. We arrive as strangers, Tad provides the introduction, and suddenly we're sharing stories with people whose paths might never cross ours again.

Eventually we returned to our little home on wheels. After 396 miles and seven hours on the road, you might imagine Janice would show some compassion for her weary husband. You would be mistaken. She proceeded to unmercifully beat me in a couple games of Spite and Malice. Apparently there is no mercy clause for long-distance driving.

We took Tad for his evening walk and then settled into bed, listening to another couple chapters of First Evidence before turning out the lights. And just like that, another day of our Grand Adventure was complete.

That morning we had awakened beside Swan Lake, surrounded by people and a place we had grown to love. That evening we were nearly 400 miles away in Billings, sharing barbecue and beer with strangers who quickly became acquaintances, while Tad collected yet another group of admirers. 

The mountains were now behind us, but I had them printed across my new hoodie, special memories tucked safely away, Janice beside me, Tad stretched out on his bed up front in our rolling cabin, and thousands of miles of road and special times together still ahead.

Day 4: Sunday, Sept 6. Swan Lake and Hiking Holland Lake, Montana

The rain continued into the morning as it pitter pattered on the roof of our motorhome. Kasey mentioned that there was even some thunder, but I didn’t hear it. I had let the rhythm of the rain lull me to sleep. I woke only a few times during the night making for a restful slumber.

The rain tapered off just in time for daylight. Like clockwork, Tad reminded me of his need to go for a walk. It was cool out but not cold. In the house, Julie had plugged in the coffee maker to my delight. She was quietly absorbing the morning news in the den away from the living room where Jean would have been awakened. I joined her with my coffee and we talked about many things. We were proud to have trapped the mouse that was terrorizing the the place and were celebrating our victory having saved the day.

Jean woke and was up so we joined her in the living room. Julie wás insistent that she relax while she made breakfast.

The lake was cleared of the low clouds except for a few along the far shore. It was gorgeous. Diana joined us we stared out at the lake’s changing view. 

Julie started in on breakfast. Considered a ”light” breakfast, she made sausage, and eggs. I cut a waterloup, a cross between a cantaloupe and a watermelon.

After breakfast, we piled into Julie’s car to go hike to the falls at Holland lake. Jean stayed behind, opting to rest.

Holland Lake is popular, for a reason. It has spectacular scenery. The dogs were plenty and a few I know enjoyed a lake swim. It was 1.5 miles to the falls and we took our time. 

Part of the Flathead National Forest, Holland Lake has developed a little controversy lately centering on developlent.

 https://takingthekids.com/controversy-has-suddenly-taken-over-this-once-quiet-montana-lake/

Kasey and Tad were a little faster than us as were the vast majority of young and tall adventurers. I would step to the side of the trail to let them pass and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to remind them of how this hike was possible because it was public land. “Enjoy your public lands, don’t forget to vote,” I would say as Julie chuckled at my bravery, or whatever. Young people, enjoying the publicly owned lands, during an important midterm, who knows. Maybe it made a difference.

We returned to the car just in time for the rain to start and made our way home. We stopped at the Mission Mountain Mercantile to check it out. A wonderful selection of gourmet items, clothing, groceries, fresh made sandwiches, and more. I got a portable table for the motorhome.

Back at the cabin we all decided a nap was in order. Couple of hours later, we emerged. More visiting and sharing history. We talked about how we all met our partners. Julie talked about her first job and the manual she edited for AI.

Before we knew it, it was dinner time. Jean and Julie cooked up a lasagna and green beans with a caprice salad. Jean shared more stories of her work with executive leaders.

We continued talking and sharing stories into the night.

The rain continued throughout the evening and by the time we retired for the evening, it had thouroughly soaked the surrounding grounds. We hastened to the motorhome where we snuggled in for a few chapters of our book, First Evidence, by Ken Goddard. 

Tomorrow we depart for places east and Diana will head home to Roseburg. Julie will stay for a few more days.

Day 3: Saturday, September 5, 2026 — Swan Lake, Montana

We awoke Saturday morning at Swan Lake surrounded by the mountains, water and forests of northwest Montana. It would become one of those days when we saw some spectacular scenery, but by evening I realized that the most memorable parts weren't really about the places we visited.

They were about people, stories and connections.

Pancakes, Bacon and Stories

Our day began with breakfast with our wonderful hosts, Jean Erickson and her daughter Julie Erickson Lowe, along with Diana, Janice and me. We enjoyed pancakes and bacon while Jean shared stories about her childhood.

Jean grew up on a large farm and ranch in northeastern North Dakota. Her parents had come from Norway, which gave us an immediate connection through our shared Norwegian heritage, my grandparents on my father's side also came from Norway.

Jean grew up before her family had electricity or refrigeration. In winter, they harvested ice from a nearby lake and stored it in a sawdust-insulated icehouse to use throughout the year.

One winter when Jean was only about four years old, she went with her father and brother in a horse-drawn sleigh to harvest ice. Her father and brother were loading blocks when little Jean wandered over to the enormous hole they had cut in the lake. 

And she fell in.

Her heavy winter clothes quickly became waterlogged. Fortunately, her father saw what happened and pulled her from the icy water.

What made the story even more tangible was that the old ice tongs her family used to haul those blocks are still here at the cabin, hanging on the wall more than eight decades later. Julie held them up for a photograph.

Suddenly they weren't just antique tools.

They were witnesses to a family's story.

George's Saddle

Later we went out to the shed because Julie wanted to take home another piece of family history—her father George's saddle.

I helped bring it down.

Calling it a "saddle" doesn't quite convey the experience of lifting the thing. It must weigh at least 50 pounds! It is a substantial working saddle from a life in which horses weren't decorations or hobbies but part of the family's everyday world.

George, Jean's husband and Julie's father, died in 2020 after living with Alzheimer's disease. That same year, Julie also lost her younger brother Erik. Listening to Jean and Julie talk about George made the saddle feel like much more than leather, wood and metal.

Julie also has the saddle Jean used as a girl. She plans to take both home to Oregon, where she and Chris will display them together.

We loved hearing Jean tell stories about Julie riding horses from an early age. We are so proud of Julie and her passion for nature and her connection to her Dad and Mom special part of who she is.

Before we put George's saddle away for the trip west, Tad and I posed beside it in Jean's living room.

Hungry Horse Dam

Later, Diana, Janice and I headed toward Hungry Horse Reservoir, not far from Glacier National Park.

Hungry Horse Dam is an extraordinary structure tucked into equally extraordinary country. Standing there, I found myself thinking about the sheer scale of what humans can build, and the landscapes and watersheds in which we build them.

We did a little sightseeing afterward, although anyone who knows me knows that crowded tourist attractions and shops designed primarily to separate tourists from their money aren't exactly my favorite form of recreation. There was, however, one important exception.

A huckleberry shake. Now that was worth stopping for!

Our next stop was Sacred Waters Brewing Company, where we met Janice's longtime friend Carol Jorgenson, who lives in Kalispell.

Carol is also a retired wildlife biologist and someone Janice greatly respects for her work protecting wildlife. They hadn't seen one another since Janice retired in 2019, so this was much more than a quick beer stop.

We ordered a flight, some French fries and nachos and settled in for a long-overdue visit.

Carol brought us gifts, and the conversation quickly became what these gatherings are really about, catching up on the years that have passed, hearing where life has taken someone and rediscovering a friendship that time and distance never quite erased.

Tad, meanwhile, joined us and appeared to believe that the primary purpose of a brewery patio was for people to admire an Irish Setter. He may have been right.

Back to Swan Lake

By the time we returned to Jean's cabin, Tad was ready for a swim. He and Freya headed into Swan Lake for a swim, splashing through water so clear that we could see the stones beneath their feet.

We sat on Jean's deck overlooking the lake. A boat passed. People paddled kayaks across the water. The mountains rose beyond the opposite shore. The afternoon light softened, and eventually great clouds above the mountains caught the colors of evening.

Nobody needed to be anywhere.

Nobody needed to buy anything.

We just sat together and talked.

Diana had thoughtfully picked up a jar of huckleberry jalapeño jelly for me during our travels that day. It was a particularly special little gift because she knew I would enjoy the combination of sweet huckleberries and a bit of jalapeño heat. I shared it with everyone as we sat together overlooking Swan Lake, and we all enjoyed another delicious taste of Montana.

Jean's Marvelous Dinner

Eventually we moved inside, where Jean prepared an extraordinary dinner from one of her handwritten recipes, a Portuguese-inspired dish combining pork, ham, chorizo, prosciutto and clams, along with onions, garlic, tomato, herbs and spices, served over pasta.

It was delicious!

But, once again, the food was only part of the experience.

Around the dinner table Jean began telling us about another chapter of her remarkable life.

Jean became involved with Friendship Force in its early years, around 1982. The organization brought ordinary people from different countries into one another's homes with the idea that personal relationships could help bridge cultural and political differences.

Through those experiences, Jean traveled the world, met people from many cultures and even had the opportunity to meet President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter.

Jean is vibrant, curious and engaged with the world. She has traveled extensively and written four books. Sitting at her table listening to her stories, it struck me that we weren't simply hearing about history.

We were sitting with someone who had lived a remarkable piece of it.

The Things We Carry

Saturday began with an old pair of ice tongs and a story about a four-year-old girl falling through the ice in rural Minnesota.

Then came George's saddle.

Later there was a dam, a huckleberry shake, an old friend, a flight of Montana beer, two happy dogs swimming in Swan Lake, an evening sky reflected across the water, a handwritten recipe and stories from around the world.

The ice tongs survived.

The saddle survived.

Jean's handwritten recipe survived.

But none of those objects really matters without the stories attached to them.

Perhaps that's one reason Janice and I wanted to make this Grand Adventure in the first place. We're traveling thousands of miles across the country, and I'm sure we'll see extraordinary mountains, rivers, forests and places along the way.

But increasingly I suspect that isn't what this journey is really about.

It's about the people we love, the stories we share, and the things we choose to carry forward.

Saturday at Swan Lake reminded me of that.

And as the light faded over the mountains and another day of our Grand Adventure came to an end, I felt enormously grateful simply to be there.

Day 2: Sept 5. Boardman, OR to Swan Lake , MT

Our overnight stay near Burnt Fields Brewery was interrupted by the usual train passings but all in all, we slept well.

The trip for today began with an early departure from Boardman at 7:30 AM, meeting Diana at a planned gas station stop near the freeway. The route traversed eastern Washington, Idaho, and into Montana.

During the drive, I researched Samuel Boardman, the first superintendent of Oregon State Parks. He was instrumental in acquiring many of the state's current parks He was born in 1874 In Massachusetts.

The drive through eastern Washington shifted from flat grasslands to volcanic, rocky terrain characterized by sagebrush. Spectacular scenery awaited us upon entering Montana. It was a long drive and Tad was bored.

A traditional stop to view live rainbow trout and purchase huckleberry shakes was a must at St Regis, MT. A the "postage stamp sized" dog park was inadequate for a large dog so Kasey took Tad for a walk while Diana and I went inside the gift shop.

We arrived at Swan Lake before dark and greeted by Julie. We maneuvered the motorhome into a spot and went into the home of Jean Walker.

The evening was spent on the deck admiring the lake view and discussing Jean Walker’s crafts and her life in the local community. 

Dinner consisted of veal with Hollandaise sauce, salad, asparagus, and bread. The meal was prepared by Julie with assistance from Jean. A wonderful triffle was presented as dessert to cap the evening.

Adventures await tomorrow.