Smith's Away

 Not much to report today and no pictures. I was picked up at 8am by my taxi and driven to the Glacier Airport  in Kalispell.  Lovely  driver and we chatted all the way.  Arrived in plenty of time, just the way I like it and I used the machine and got my 2 boarding passes. How clever was that. Arrived in Denver where my gate changed 3 times, so again I had a nice walk around. Got something to eat and eventually our plane was called.  We arrived a bit late but my shuttle was waiting for me and drove me back to my hotel again. I then tried to make sense of my bill from last time as numerous  amounts had been taken out. They couldn't  work it out either but I think I've  got it worked out now and only one charge is out of order. Hopefully  I can sort it tomorrow.  I walked over to McCallisters for some soup and salad, delicious. Now back in my room and ready for bed. Travelling is tiring but all good. Funny being back here without all ...

 Cheers Brian!! Here I am at the Chalet restaurant last night, toasting Brian with a margarita and eating a Bison meatloaf and Huckleberry sorbet for dessert.  I had a glorious sleep in, got up and got myself a cuppa and went back to bed. Ahhh. Finally thought it time to get up and walked down to the Highland restaurant beside the gas station for breakfast.  Delicious eggs and sausage and French toast, all on one plate. Savoury and sweet on one plate. I added syrup to the toast after my egg and then discovered that what I thought was ice cream was actually butter. All delicious. I came home for a cuppa and ensured Sydney was still able to take me to the bus pick up for the road to the sun. Yep all set. She drove me there and we chatted. I wasn't  sure how to get back but thought I'd ask the driver to drop me at Agpar tourist centre which isn't too far from the Belton. The red buses were great. Roof off and great commentary from Gil. We couldn't do the whole of the ro...

 My brother Brian's preparation for this trip never ceases to amaze me. The shuttle from the hotel took me to the train station at Whitefish and 35 minutes later I was off again heading to my new accommodation.  Brian's  notes told me to cross the highway carefully, stop for a cuppa at the gas station (I went to their rest rooms instead as I had cuppas and breakfast before I left last night's hotel) Then heading east past the highland hotel to the Belton Chalet. Not more than 100metres. In his research Brian was very taken with this Chalet. Built by the railway, which is close by and built to look like a Swiss Chalet he thought it would be well worth a visit. And again he wasn't  wrong. A fire was going as I checked in. Tea and cakes were available.  The receptionist Sydney remembered me from our many emails and she continued to be very helpful even offering to drive me to the meeting point tomorrow for my ride to the sun!!!! My room is really quaint and the sur...

 Up very early for my uber that arrived just before 7. My driver from Lithuania was delightful,  in fact I'm soo impressed with uber. My app from home works the same here, so convenient.  Got to the airport and discovered I'd inadvertently paid for a ticket from Jackson, Mississippi,  rather than Jackson Hole. The code for each differs by 1 letter and my airport guy says it happens frequently ( why don't they change it then??!!) Fortunately he was able to change my ticket but they wouldn't simply transfer the amount so I had to pay another $600 Australian.  My silly mistake. So flew to Denver again, then onto Kalispell.  The shuttle Brian had written about wasn't there but when I rang the hotel they sent the shuttle to pick me up. It was very warm and the air-conditioning was on in the hotel. The shuttle will take me early tomorrow  morning to the Whitefish railway station where I travel  into Glacier National Park and stay at Belton chalet that B...

 What a day. Again beautiful  weather and I got a cup of tea!!!  Got up to have breakfast at the place I'd checked out that sold tea. Ate and drank it in the park. Went back for another cuppa and walked back to my cabin. I had loads of time so then walked to the rafting place. And was told you needed to wear wet suits. $20 for that. Well I squeezed into them, and put special boots on too. Then it was suggested a strap to keep my glasses on, $10. By this time I'm thinking, oh gee this is going to be rough!! Fortunately I wasn't  the only one with white hair. The bus drove us to the rubber duckies and we left everything  on the bus, so no mobile phone to take photos. A young girl had a waterproof one so got copies from her. Chatted to Joseph and Danielle on the bus and we were in the raft together. I sat in the middle so I didn't  have to paddle and felt safest. It was fine, quite exhilarating going through the rapids. In the quiet parts people jumped in but ...