Sisters To St. Paul

Day 6

 

Date: July 30, 2005

Route: East Glacier to Idaho Falls

Distance: 450 miles

Ride Time: 7.5 h

Elevation Climbed: ? Over the Continental Divide

Weather: 42 – 92 degrees

Log:

This was a rest day for cycling and a drive day for Jon. We waited until 6:30AM to leave so Jon could get his Breve at the local espresso shop. I started out with my usual lemon-poppy breakfast cookie, 2 glasses of water and a Diet Coke. I had another Diet Coke along the way. Why is this of interest? Because by the time I needed to stop we were in the wilds of southern Montana with no bathroom in sight … just endless fields of wheat. Short, stubby wheat or absolutely flat, mown wheat. Wheat that would not camouflage a child, let alone me.

At last we got to Butte. We took the first exit and stopped at the first station: an Exxon right off the freeway. What an amazing experience! On the outside it looked like a normal service station bathroom. I had to ask for the key and I approached the door with both haste and trepidation. You never know what condition you will find when you step through the door. I certainly couldn’t afford to be choosey. I entered a bathroom wonderland. The stall was painted pink and both sides of the stall door were decorated with hundreds of fanciful stickers: flowers, trees, birds, stars, puppies, kittens, hearts … you get the picture. The ceiling was covered with butterflies. In the corner by the sink was a ficus tree (artificial) filled with different kinds of birds on every branch. There were ceramic figurines on the counter and Renoir prints on the walls. The air was sweet smelling and the light was low. When I returned the key I complimented the proprietor profusely and said that I had never had such an extraordinary experience in a service station bathroom. He just smiled sweetly. I continued, “Does everyone remark on your wonderful bathroom?” He replied, “If they don’t, I go and check to see if there is a problem.”

The rest of the day was uneventful. Our room is on the Snake River at the falls. It is very nice but it is a little odd to be back in traffic and civilization. We’ve washed the car; checked our messages; bought water, sunscreen, and books, and now I just need to get organized for tomorrow.