DAY 11
Week 2
MISSOULA (Montana, USA) to SOMERS BAY (Montana, USA)
Saturday July 1st, 2006
TODAYS MILEAGE – 113 miles or 182 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 1757 miles or 2828 kilometres
I am a Walmart survivor!! 
I made it through my first night camped in a Walmart car park and I glad to say it wasn't the scary scenario that a few of you had painted. That's not to say I didn't run into a few scary creatures during the night though. I learnt a few thing with my stay. Don't park to close to the lawn as they turn the sprinklers on periodically through the night, to stop people pitching a tent and camping out on the lawns. More importantly, people in the luxo-liner RV's are up themselves for the most part.
I left Missoula (Montana) after servicing the RV and it's generator. As it is hot outside and the RV's pulling a lot of weight, I found that the engine oil was breaking down. Hopefully the 15W-40 goes a little better.
There are no photos today due to road construction and no place to pull over and take a photo because I decided to travel back to Somers Bay via Highway 35 on the East side of Flathead Lake. It was hard keeping my eyes on the road.
Close your eyes and imagine for a moment miles of emerald green water framed by rugged mountains covered in thunder squalls with the sun pushing through any breaks it can find in the clouds. All this and more conspired to scare the living suitcase out of the other driver on the single lane road.
After a couple of hours at the side of the road in Lakeside (Montana), Gump, Zan, Zoe, Orion and the woofer Oden trundle on by towing their 18 foot Hobby Cat sail boat. From their it was 10 minutes into Zan's folks place and what a view. We arrive to find Zan's mother Sharilee has taken a tumble on the steps of the deck and has just got home from the emergency room with the diagnosis of a broken tailbone. We had some dinner, squared away the kids and completed all the associated domesticated wilderbeast chores that come with travelling with a tribe.
Sitting on the back deck sipping brandy, nibbling on Toblerone chocolate with Pete and Gump watching the sun slowly putting itself away for the evening was truly spectacular. Can it get any better than that???