Trip to Montana

On the weekend B and I took a roadtrip with J&M down to Montana; mostly for the fun of it, but also to see Molly's family, do some shopping and experience the landscape that is Montana. We had bright sunshiney weather when we needed it, which made the trip that much more enjoyable, and a big thunder and rainstorm, which made the air cooler and less dusty. We stayed in the small town of Dutton, where Molly's mum grew up and in fact stayed in the house that Molly's mum grew up in! Molly's grandparents were incredibly friendly and hospitable--expecially considering B and I were just strangers. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome and were interested in our lives and willing to share about theirs--something unfamiliar and welcome to me, who has never really had deep grandparent relationships. We drove into Great Falls Friday night to do some shopping, each of us coming away with some interesting and cheaper-than-in-Canada purchase (I got to visit a Victoria's Secret store for the first time ever!). Grandma Marci expected a fashion show when we got home, and we were glad to do so (well, except for my VS purchases). ;) Saturday we had breakfast with Grandma Marci and then drove out to the mountains over what really could be called the equivalent of a Forestry Trunk Road--it was clay-y and wet and full of potholes. Thankfully, we took Grandma's Jeep rather than attempting the road with our little Matrix. We visted the grandparents' cabin and the outfitting lodge where both Grandma and Grandpa have worked over the years--Grandma as a head cook and Grandpa as an outfitter and wrangler, which he was out doing when we arrived there. We climbed up to the top of cliff across the valley from the cabin--a hike Molly had done before and wanted to share with us. It was absolutely beautiful there--dry like Kootenay Plains but also clearly further south, with the danger of rattlesnakes, with cacti growing along the way and with the sweet smell of sage. Sunday we drove home again, stopping several times to do geocaches along the way, and making it back across the border completely painlessly. It was a most memorable trip!