Day 61 August 25, 2001 I stayed in a campsite in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Two unsettling things happened there. First, the whole campground was filled with all types of flying insects. I asked if this was the norm and the people in charge just shrugged their shoulders. Forest fires were popping up all over …
Continue reading 70/7000 Flying Insects, Thin Tent Walls, A Flood, and A Bag of Jewels
Days 57-60 August 21-24, 2001 Heading home but still taking in the sights. I took this picture of The Mint Bar built inside a church in Sundance, Montana. Ironic? Amazing? Amusing? "The Wild West" is quite the place! I stopped at the Cabela's Store in Billings, stood under a stuffed grizzly bear, and learned that …
Continue reading 70/7000 A Bar in a Church and a Grizzly Bear
My apologies to my readers because I am interrupting the flow of my 70/7000 saga but this autonomous traveler needed to get away alone this week. Don't get me wrong, it's been a wonderful summer with camping, friends, home improvements, fly fishing, grandkids, and my first endeavor as a blogger. But whoa, it got way …
Continue reading Another Apology to My Readers-September 2018
Days 55 and 56 August 19 & 20, 2001 Stopping to camp in High River, Alberta for few days and realizing I'm getting anxious about going home. I had learned so much about myself on this trip. Would it stick after I got back to the real world? When I get back to my teaching …
Continue reading 70/7000 An Anguished Transition- Heading Home
I'm reposting this for my friend, Leona, who turned 89 a week ago. We had lunch today and I found out she never saw this post. Enjoy this, dear friend. Love you and happy birthday!
Days 51, 52, 53 August 15, 16 & 17, 2001 The first thing I did when I woke up in my van in the parking lot in Jasper, Alberta, was to walk over to the gas station restroom. Thankfully no one had locked it. I then drove to a quick stop and got a large …
Continue reading 70/7000 The Columbia Icefields and The Continental Divide
Day 50 August 14, 2001 I'm a worrier. It's bad because it's stressful but also good because I tend to have all my ducks in a row. Before the trip I had anxiety about the ultimate travel nightmare, not finding a place to stay. I saw it as the worst thing that could happen to me and …
Continue reading 70/7000 Slept in a Parking Lot in Jasper, Alberta
Day 48 & 49 August 13 & 14, 2001 I stayed two more nights at Lake Louise in my hard-sided van camper. Some seasoned hikers told me to buy a set of bells at the camp store because the grizzlies were afraid of them and would move on. I bought a bell bracelet and shook …
Day 47-August 11, 2001 Today I hiked with Jack and Henny, a very fit and active couple from the Netherlands. My time with this nice couple allowed me to ask questions about their lives in The Netherlands. Henny works part time and engages in physical activity as much as she can. Both she and Jack …
Continue reading 70/7000 Conquering a Mountain and Maybe Myself
Day 47 August 11, 2001 A take my breath away moment, seeing Lake Louise for the first time. As I stood at the edge of the lake, very engaged in gawking with my mouth open, a ranger with a survey on a clipboard saw my potential as an extremely positive statistic. "Would you considered …
Continue reading 70/7000 Beautiful Lake Louise, The Canadian Rockies
The Autonomous Traveler 