Visit with a Friend Leads To a Love of Kayaking

Almost two years after we were supposed to visit a dear friend (one of my friends who traveled with me on my first trip to Slovenia) in Montana, we finally made it. The previous trip was canceled due to wildfires, not that there were no wildfires in Montana, but they weren’t as close at first.

Poppy loved visiting because the yard was large with lots of deer. In fact, one night at dusk, she ran off after some and disappeared into the tall grass. I was worried about how far she’d go. She is a fast runner. Fortunately, as I was calling her name, she came running towards me, happy as a clam from her adventure.

While my friend worked in the morning, Poppy and I enjoyed sitting on the balcony.

On our first day there, she took us to downtown Missoula. We walked along the Clark Fork River and watched people go over the man-made rapids. Poppy enjoyed it because she was able to go into the tea shops we shopped at.

Another day we went to Traveler’s Rest State Park (not sure where my pictures are), which is a verified campsite of the Lewis and Clark expedition. There was an exhibit of artwork with bison in the visitor center. One was a map from the late 1800s that showed the declining range and number of the bison. I had no idea that bison had roamed just about everywhere in the United States except Florida, for which I don’t blame them.

The next day she took me to the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. The views were great, and the water was clear.

Poppy got to have some fun later that afternoon when we stopped at a dog-friendly brewery. The owner’s doodle dogs were there and Poppy had fun being chased and wrestling with them. She’ll take on dogs of any size.

On our final day, she took us to Placid Lake to kayak. Neither of us had ever done it. It was so peaceful to paddle and float in the water. We loved it so much that we plan on buying kayaks of our own. We pass so many lakes and rivers during our travels. Being able to add kayaking to our activities will only add to our adventures.

We enjoyed ourselves immensely during our visit. My friend, and her son, are great hosts. I know Poppy looks forward to visiting again.

As we drove towards Glacier National Park, and unfortunately, wildfires, my friend sent this picture from her deck. A sad reminder of the reality of summer in this part of the country.