Good-bye Summer, Hello Fall

By the end of August the temperatures start cooling down, the leaves start changing colors, and the fall season arrives in the Flathead Valley. Mornings and evenings the air is crisp, but daytime temperatures are lovely. We start wearing long sleeves and jackets, and linger a little longer around the fire. The first snow fell on Big Mountain, which is a clear indication that winter is on its way!

Gloria and Kent drove up to get a taste of autumn, and we loved visiting with them for a couple of days. We explored a new hiking trail above Sunday Lake and discovered Sunday Falls, which is another beautiful little hidden spot. All summer I had been wanting to check out the dirt road that goes through the forest and over the mountain to the north end of Whitefish Lake, so Kent got behind the wheel and off we went! The autumn leaves were gorgeous and it was an awesome ride. By the time we got to Whitefish we were ready for lunch at the Fart and Slobber, and ice cream at Sweet Peaks.

The last week of September the low temperatures started dipping into the 20's, which means it is time to start getting everything ready for winter. Lee winterized all of the vehicles and got them tucked into the garages, stacked the last load of hay in the barn, took the horses to the Bar W to spend the winter months, and made preparations to lock up and leave. We decided to be a little adventurous and take a new route home this time so that we could see some parts of the country that we had never been to. On October 1st we headed southeast and spent the first night in Gillette, Wyoming. The second day we drove into South Dakota, through Deadwood, to Mount Rushmore. It was rainy and cold, but such a thrill to finally visit this amazing destination, and check it off my "bucket list."

We spent the night in Rapid City, then drove the third day through Nebraska, and miles and miles of corn fields to Salina, Kansas. The last day took us through Oklahoma City to Dallas, and finally to Houston. Trip total: 4 days, 7 states, 2210.4 miles! It is always bittersweet to bid farewell to our "Happy Place" in Montana, but we are so grateful to have once again made that trek back home to Texas. The past six months have been filled with so many happy memories and adventures, and we are already looking forward to returning next spring!