Eastward, Ho!

Heading east, with hopes of seeing puffins in Newfoundland , then driving back.  The map shows generally the distance but as we finish the first day, it’s dawning on us that we have a long way ahead.  We’ll zap through Montana and North Dakota before we slow down to see sights further north.  We met a fellow camper the first night who was born on Newfoundland!  What are the odds that we would meet in the back lot of a brewery in Missoula on our way to Newfoundland?  Life on the road can be so interesting!

Some photos:

 Heading into the Rockies, western Montana 

Facing the open roads 

The greeting committee at Teddy Roosevelt NP

And friends…

We camped in the Cottonwood campground, inside the park.  Sort of a different national park experience, since all the bathrooms were locked up and there was no water.  No staff (although someone was living/hiding in the host house).  No signs, no information about the park or campground (compared with familiar parks warning of bears, cougars and the rare lahars).  Thank goodness for the van, and its amenities but I wondered what all the tent campers were doing!  Don’t ask; don’t tell.

On the other hand, we had hoped to see wild horses, since herds are in the park.  I’ll spare you the horse “sign” photos I took, but there were lots of hoof prints everywhere.

Fortunately the gift shop had postcards:

It seems like we’re a long way from home, but it’s only been 3 days!!  With any luck we’ll be on the shores of a Great Lake in a couple days!