From Glacier Park we explored the Columbia Falls area and drove around on our way back towards Kalispel. I'd wanted to go a different way back instead of highway 2 but we thought that with all the snow still around on the back roads we might come across some closed road that would make for lengthy detours so we decided to stay in Kalispel and still go back the "2" on Sunday. We stayed at a one year 'new' Holiday Inn Express in the North end of town, and because it was Stacy's birthday we got a free room upgrade to a very nice suite, on the top floor! Even with a bunch of families staying for a wrestling meet, it was very quiet and we slept wonderfully!On our way back Sunday we stopped to take some photos of a couple of Bald Eagles and when we got to it we stopped at a place we'd always talked about stopping at but never had until now. The Kootenai River Falls is a scenic rest stop on Highway 2 between Libby, Montana and Troy, Montana. About a half mile walk gets you over the train tracks and over to the river. A few years back a movie had been filmed in the area about a families river trek and while I don't recall seeing the falls in the film, the falls were pretty impressive. I want to go back again in the evening and get some good photos of the area. We walked back on the trail and went to the "Swinging Bridge" that is a modern rope bridge kind of way to get across the river, West of the falls.
When we got to the bridge we walked up to it and as soon as Stacy got a look at it from the angle of actually walking out onto it, that was all it took! There was no way she'd venture out on a wobbly bouncy bridge. She walked back down to the path and I walked out on it and took some photos. Those turned out to be the last photos taken for this trip.
The rest of the way home was as nice as it had been the entire trip, light traffic, nice weather, just a great weekend.And we were very pleased with the mileage of the car also, we got 26 mpg going out to Kalispel near the speed limit of 70 mph with some Friday evening traffic and on the way back at a less rushed 62 mph with the cruise control set on an almost vacant highway on a Sunday morning, we got a solid 33 mpg. Very happy!
As long as you don't plan on taking much and buying only small things then the very tiny trunk will carry enough for a short trip. I still think my Gold Wing motorcycle will carry a bit more than the car will! But we had a blast and are now thinking about the next one of the weekend trips we should try. Either the "Selkirk Loop" (www.selkirkloop.org) that goes around our area and into Canada, or the exploration of some Idaho back roads south of Coeur D' Alene. Either would be fun and maybe we'll have gone on both before summer is over! We've driven and ridden on parts of the loop but never the entire loop, should be fun!
Above is the view if you're about to step out on the Swinging Bridge.
Below is Stacy going back to the trail after she took a look at the bridge and decided it wasn't for her!
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