I saw an osprey nest later in the afternoon - with birds in it. There appeared to be several in the nest as well as an adult that flew off and then came back again. I thought he was going to dive bomb me at one point (OK, I was probably standing too close to the pole where the nest was, but I really wasn't THAT close.)
It was a somewhat wishy-washy day. I couldn't decide whether to stay in Bigfork or ride on to Kalispell. I decided it was time for a real rest day though, so wherever I end up today is it for 2 nights. I decided to play it by ear and decide later. I rode to Bigfork and wandered through the old village area. There were a lot of shops, pretty much a tourist area. I was hoping for some interesting art galleries... Then I headed south on route 35. I thought I'd ride along the east coast of Flathead Lake. Unfortunately, it turns out that the lake is almost totally surrounded by private land. I bought some Flathead cherries at a roadside stand - at $1 a pound. That is an unbelievable price for fresh cherries. I rode a little further south, then turned around. I checked out Wayfarers State Park, but I wasn't thrilled with the campgrounds. so - on to Kalispell. See - I told you I was feeling wishy-washy today. But once I made the decision I was really happy about it.
It was another really hot afternoon. Hot and sunny - which allowed me to see this unbelievable water view:
When I got to Kalispell I stopped by the Chamber of Commerce visitor center to check out campgrounds and hotels. The place was "manned" by three total dingbats. When I asked about campgrounds and hotels, they said "we have lots - look at the brochures on the wall". That wasn't overly helpful, but I did find a place to stay. I'm at the Days Inn tonight. There's something to be said for national chains with consistency and no surprises. And it's only $38.
One word of warning - don't try to stop your loaded bike from falling over if it decides it wants to fall. When I was leaving the visitor center, I unlocked the bike, and started to walk it out to the street. I must have been tired (or not paying attention) because it started to go over, and I tried to catch it. The only thing I accomplished was to put my leg right where it would get gashed by the chain ring. Oh well, just a couple of puncture wounds, not too much damage (but a bit bloody). I think I could have a permanent chain mark on my leg!
It's hard to make myself stay in one place for a day, but I think I really need a rest day before I head up to Glacier National Park. I just made a hotel reservation at the Red Lion for tomorrow night. They have a pool, which sounded good. There's some kind of craft show in town tomorrow, so I'll probably go there for a while. Hmm - stayed inside 2 nights in Missoula, and 2 in Kalispell. But I'm about to start hitting the parks, and will probably be all camping from here on.
I chatted with a couple of guys from England this morning when I stopped for a cold drink. They were at Logan Pass yesterday and said that it was no cooler at the top of the pass. That was one place that I expected to need some layers.
Took the time to really clean and re-lube the bike tonight. All ready for more riding.
