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6/11
The day is sunny & bright as we head for the Kalispell Regional Med. Center for a test the doctor wants Gary to have. That took about 20 minutes from check-in to ready-to-leave. We then went on the hunt for the elusive valve stem replacements we need for that leaky tire valve we wrote about days ago. After several phone calls & visits to parts stores that thought they had what we needed, one parts house got the part number for the items & one more phone call got results. The parts have been ordered & we may have to stay one more day to give them time to get here. Finally! Returning to the campground for a lazy early evening, we took a walk about 8 pm. Still light & bright out. Much to our surprise we spotted two authentic (no kit or reproduction) 1930’s era model-T cars with home built trailers. Seems they are on their way from Kentucky to Alaska. The men are quite the experts with these vehicles & have some commonly used replacement parts, like gaskets, with them. Gary talked briefly to one of the wives who assured him that these two could fix anything that might happen mechanically to the cars. She spoke of replacing head gaskets while on the road. They have learned to build parts they cannot find. They did replace a fan belt one time by using women’s pantyhose. While camping here, they did hook up to the electrical. In one of my pics, I noticed an electric coffeemaker in their storage area in the back of the trailer. We wish them ‘Happy Trails’. Looks like a true adventure.
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We’ve seen some unusual camping outfits in our travels. These go to the top of the list! These authentic 1930’s model T’s with their home built trailers are on their way to Alaska. They stopped for the night here & had all the campers gathering around with great curiosity. The story above details a bit about the owners. Can you imagine the stares they will get along the AlCan or in Alaska itself? What a time they will have!
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This snappy ‘T’ ,with it’s wooden trailer complete with a vent on top & an awning to keep that bright morning sun off the window, is just raring to go.
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This cutie’s trailer is a bit different than its travel mate. A rather large window across the front ensures plenty of light inside. It has no vent on top. Not sure if one of the windows actually opens.
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You can see the entry door for the sleeping quarters on the right side of the picture. The cooler on the fender doesn’t stay there when traveling, but the gas can does. The rear entry door is open.
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This is the storage area of the little trailer. You can see the cooler, folded up cookstove & other assorted items needed for food prep.
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With its primitive look, I was surprised to see the cord from the trailer to shore power. Both trailers were plugged in. Would like to have had time to talk with them about it all. But they were preparing to retire & we needed to finish our walk.
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6/12
A change in the weather today. Bright & sunny with temps reaching 77*. We decided to make a short run to Bigfork. We stayed in this lovely place last year & just wanted to see it again. Of course, once there, we stopped at the Fly Shop so Gary could reacquaint himself with their entire inventory. Finding they had one too many poles, Gary relieved them of this burden. A TFO 9’, 4-piece, 5 wt., with a matching reel with line, accompanied us from the store. We checked out their tiny farmer’s market & found an old osprey nest being fought over by 2 osprey. The beauty of this place and the drive to get there is overwhelming. The Flathead Valley is huge. Various mountain ranges surround it. Farming is the order of the day, however the interest of tourists is changing the landscape. New homes in the foothills, mainly for summer residents, have been popping up for several years. Reminds me of the 1940’s & 50’s migration to California & how that forever changed its face. I’m afraid it’s happening here. It’ll take years, if it does continue to grow, but it will change the whole look of the place. So, we enjoy it for what it is now. We returned to Kalispell & just spent the rest of the afternoon being very lazy. Our evening walk had us again visiting with the couple from Alberta, Gordon & Janet, and two couples from northern California. There are now about 12 rv’s in here from Alberta. Gordon explained to us that ‘cheap gas & other inexpensive shopping’ are the reason they come this way at this time of year. Perhaps that is the reasoning for some of the others that are here. Gas in Alberta right now is close to $5 a gallon. So, in spite of the beauty of where they all live, they can enjoy driving around Montana for about $2.80 a gallon. This cute couple also spends time in Lake Havasu, AZ when things get chilly up North. We end the day turning on the heater as it is going down to 42* tonight.
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The Flathead Valley is a huge place that includes several towns, such as Polson and Kalispell. Grassy plains surrounded by several mountain ranges, the Valley makes great grazing & farming land.
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Last year Bigfork’s Farmer’s Market only had about 5 vendors. This year there were about 9. There is no produce because of all the rain, but there were Montana hot dogs ready to eat, a jewelry vendor, several people selling a variety of plants, a couple of vendors with different types of homemade jellies & our favorite, ‘Carolyn’s Award-Winning Carrot Cake’. If you’re ever in Bigfork, seek out this baker. Her carrot cake is yummy!
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Above: a bay where all the homes have docks. Flathead Lake is in the background.
Right: The Swan River is rushing out to help fill Flathead Lake. The Lake is already quite full.
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MT-35 is eastern side of Flathead Lake route from Polson to Bigfork & points north. It is a beautiful drive. It wanders through forest & lakeside & the wonderful cherry orchards.
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We happened on an osprey nest. Not sure what the behavior is that these two are engaged in. They appear to be fighting over the nest. Several fly-bys & close encounters with each other and neither staying with the nest. After watching them for several minutes, we left as they were flying an ever widening circle around the nest. It was a successful nest last year as we saw the chicks being cared for.
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On Mt-35, a few miles north of Bigfork, there is a lot of farmland. This lovely old farmhouse sits near the road facing its fields. We noticed it last year & were curious about its owner. We have yet to see her even though we’ve passed this way many times. One of these days, I’d sure like to see the ‘Plowgirl’. I’ve read a couple of books about the women of Montana & some of them take on lifestyles quite different than those of us in more cosmopolitan areas. Some out of necessity, some because of personal preference. Not unlike the women of Alaska. Capable, tough & up to the challenge.
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Pending motherhood has not made her a happy camper. I was waiting for her to whip out a gun.
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Something we haven’t seen on this river. Normally just small boats or rafts without motors, using oars to guide the crafts through the waterway, are in use here. The water is up right now due to rain & snow melt. Maybe when it goes down to its summer levels these fellows will head for the lakes.
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A pretty iris blooms exuberantly with the sun finally out & nice, warm air encouraging the flowers to display their pretty petals.
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With its ‘feet’ firmly planted at water’s edge, this tree displays its many, many flowers. Very aromatic. Smells a bit like honeysuckle.
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6/13
Another gorgeous day. Temps in the mid-70’s with a light breeze. Nary a cloud to be seen. Just rich, blue sky. We decided to re-visit the Conrad House. Charles Conrad was one of the founding fathers of Kalispell. He named the town using an Indian name that means ‘grassy land above the lake’. The lake being Flathead Lake. Built in 1895 by famed Spokane Washington architect Kirtland Cutter, it featured 3 floors & basement, electricity from date of completion (highly unusual), 3 bathrooms, a freight elevator & other state-of-the art amenities in its 13,000 square feet. Charles Conrad's youngest daughter, Alicia Conrad Campbell, actually lived in the home until 1964. Then, in 1974, she made the decision to give the Conrad Mansion to the city of Kalispell in memory of her pioneering parents. Her father came to the Montana Territory with his brother. They had grown up in the south as part of a 13-child family. After fighting in the Civil War, they returned to their plantation & a new way of life. The plantation could no longer support the whole family, so the brothers took off for the Territory to seek their fortune. They went to different places. They worked incredibly hard. I am using the words from the Museum’s website to better explain this kind man, who died at age 52 from diabetes & tuberculosis. This mansion is rather unique in that 99% of the furnishings are intact. Also a large collection of period clothing & various paper memories that belonged to the family.
‘The Conrad Mansion in Kalispell, Montana sits proudly today on the edge of the original townsite, atop a bluff overlooking the valley and the Swan mountain range. When Charles E. Conrad, a founder of Kalispell, arrived in the Flathead Valley in 1891, this lovely town with its tree-lined streets was still but a dream. But Conrad had vision, and he felt that not only had he found a good investment opportunity, but also a permanent home for his descendants. Along with establishing the Kalispell Townsite Company and eventually the Conrad National Bank, he had this gracious Victorian home built for his beloved family in 1895 in what was then a wilderness.’
When touring some of these lovely old homes, we realize that the families that occupied them were often extremely hard working, subject to the same joys & tragedies as the rest of us and were very honest, caring people. They were ruthless in their determination to succeed, but were often kind to the less fortunate around them. Such was the story of the Charles E. Conrad family. The mansion was gorgeous & the family’s story very interesting. It was a lovely way to spend a beautiful afternoon.
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Some of the flowers by the front gate of the Conrad Home. They just look happy!
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Gary approaches the front porch of the mansion. To the left is the main door, to the right, the porch wraps around the side of the main floor. A place to beat the heat on a hot Montana summer day in 1895. On the top level you see 2 windows together poking out of the structure forming a ‘open book’ look. This is the laundry room. Because of high water table, the normal basement laundry was not possible. So, they put it on the 3rd floor. Can you imagine how hot it would be while you scrubbed clothes or ironed the fashions of 1895? They had a picture of the SIX laundresses in service at the mansion. I’d kill for just one. And mine wouldn’t need to iron much.
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I’m reacting to Gary saying, ‘Look!’ Standing on the side porch waiting for our tour to begin, we were getting a bit bored. This is the result.
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In a tiny flowerbed by the back door, this daisy had grown a long, strong stem. Standing alone & with great dignity it let its perfection speak for itself.
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Some early blooming annuals impressed us with their strong colors & diverse sizes. This red flower on the left is about 5” wide, while the flowers below are about 1/2” to 1”
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The Charles E. Conrad home. 13,000 square feet enclosed by a shingle finish. She was loved & appreciated by the family who lived there. She looks pretty darn good for being 115 years old.
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The ladies’ sitting room. The wallpaper isn’t. It is hand-painted linen applied to the walls & ceiling. The fireplace is quite different from the rest seen in the home. Delicate design with Italian tile surround, it is very feminine. Just like the room.
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This fireplace in the dining room is designed to heat a large room. Wouldn’t want my backside to close to it when it was going full on. The dining furniture included 14 matching chairs. It has a pass-through pantry to assist the servants as they served a meal. & a small solarium attached that brings in additional light to the room.
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Aaah, the wonderous stove! To the left of the burners is a covered broiler. Three ovens below could turn out just about anything. Built to the architects specifications, it was designed & built in France for the absurd price of $122.00.
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An upstairs bathroom. I was quite taken with the wicker chair and its unusual design. On the floor by the tub is an electric fan. Don’t know if it was original or something added through the years.
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The keys to the castle. These represented access to every lock on the property. And there was more than the house. The carriage house and other storage buildings were also on the property in its heyday.
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Charles died within a few years of the house being built. His wife died in 1926, leaving their son in charge of the estate. He didn’t handle money well, spent the family fortune & sold off most of the property, but his sister managed to buy him out of the mansion & about 2 acres of land. The home on the right is the old carriage house, now a comfortable home with the two-car garage we expect to see on a newer home. It sits immediately across the side street of the mansion. The weather vane, slightly askew, uses a horse to show wind direction. The turret & the rest of the structure are original. There are 4 other homes in the neighborhood that trace their origins to outbuildings of the original estate.
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