Seeley, Kalispell, & WhiteFish

We set out this August to pursue another bucket-list item, that of visiting Glacier National Park.  A friend was nice enough to offer us the use of his mountain cabin located in Seeley Lake, a town that is one to three hours from any place in lovely Montana.  On the plus side, we found great joy in the quiet serenity of tranquil surroundings.  

Our host only asked us just one thing - to mow the lawn.  We arrived late Friday afternoon.  I was anxious to press the automatic garage door opener, and was delighted when it actually worked.  With a smile I drove into the garage, but 

as I got out of the car, I detected a strong odor of gasoline, and my smile quickly turned.   Thankful that there was no explosion.  We opened the two windows and left the door open hoping the fumes would swiftly dissipate.

  

The next day, my friend

Mike went right to work, as the weeds were knee high.  It wasn't long before Walt, a local church leader, and his wife visited us, and before they left Mike had the lawn mowed and set the hose sprinkler.

The next-door neighbors, Loren and his wife came over to welcome us, and give us advice on things to do in the area.  I really think this area would be a great place for younger folks accumulated to outdoor activities.

  

The home had a very friendly atmosphere, but the gas fumes daily plagued us.  Mike and I moved the lawn mower, four wheeler and gas container outside, along with a section of carpet and several foam mats which smelled badly of gas.  We moved practically everything in the garage around in hopes of finding the smelly source, but to no avail.  Upon our departure six days later, we told Loren, the neighbor, that we left the windows open.  He assured us that he would keep an eye on the garage.    

Dining area.

Kitchen.

Entertainment.

Bedroom.

Deer were a part of the scenery, it seems.  It was almost as if they were tame, which provided many opportunities for us to get some really good photos.  

All mothers love their offspring.



A small farmers market was set up alongside the highway, not far from Walt's church.  It was run by Mennonites.  Bev and Debbie got a kick out of looking at the freshly harvested veges.  Bev was looking for a deal on huckleberries, but unfortunately they were sold out.  By the way the hucks were selling for about $60.00 a gallon. 

What Seelly Lake doesn't have is a movie theater or playhouse.  It does have a little fast food place called "Pop's,"  which is for sale.  This place makes great Huckleberry shakes, by the way.  Across the highway is a nice steak house, and close-by are a couple of tourist traps.  Also in town are a couple of boat/ATV rental shops, a grocery store, a fabric shop, and an ACE hardware store, and really that is about it.

The road around the lake itself is called Boy Scout Road.  At one point on this lovely drive, we stopped on a bridge to view a large growth of lilies on the pond.   An old pickup truck stopped next to us as we stood there, driven by an older local fellow.  He just wanted to welcome us to his town, and we commented how beautiful this area was.  He told us that in the winter, the snow gets up to 6 feet level.   

After spending a couple days of restful seclusion in Seeley, we ventured northward to visit a couple of historic towns.  Kalispell was first on the list.  On the side of the road was a directional with an arrow that said "Conrad Mansion," so guess what?  That was our first destination.   One of it's earliest settlers, Charles Conrad was a successful entrepreneur in this town.  

Unfortunately, we didn't get inside of his mansion, as it is closed on Mondays, but we did wander the spacious, and beautifully kept grounds.   

Conrad Mansion

Bev enjoys a moment of rest on the mansion's deck.

After leaving the Mansion, we came across a delightful old school, which is now called the Museum at Central School.  It was built in the 1894, and sold to the city in 1993 for one dollar.  It was opened as a museum in 1999.

The wildness of Montana's past is portrayed in this wonderful building.  There are Indian artifacts galore, as well as original mountain man stuff.   

On the second floor is a room devoted to the logging industry.  On display is an original saw mill from the late 1890's.  I found this of great interest, as my Grandfather was the proud owner of several of these types of mills.  He was one of the early lumber barons in the Mt. Shasta area of Northern California during the period of westward expansion.  

In this building are some of the works of Charles Russell, the great artist who, at the age of 16, made his way to Montana and lived out his life capturing the "old west" on canvas.  

I think this one is of Sitting Bull.

Just north is the town of Whitefish, which caters more to tourists, in my opinion.  Several streets are lined with antique/gift shops, many of which display rocks and minerals.  The town also has a railroad museum. 

Now, some time ago, Bev had found on the internet that Loulas restaurant had the best rated huckleberry pie in the west; so Debbie entered the address into her smart phone, and we were led directly to right spot, but guess what?  There was no sign of Loulas.  Determined to not give up, I slowly cruised the street looking, searching, seeking.

I ended up back at the exact coordinate, and found an obscure door, probably a service entrance, with "Loulas" scripted on it in small lettering, but Bev was delighted, so we entered the establishment the back way.

Bev paid a small fortune for this pie, but hey, you only live once, right?

My next posting will be about our exciting adventure in Glacier National Park, so be sure to check back in about a week.