Thursday, July 08, 2004
FRIDAY....AUGUST 4, 1967
We all slept late this morning because aunt Beulah, George, the kids and I went into town to do laundry last night. Mom, dad and uncle Alfred stayed at camp and went to bed early. I fixed a breakfast of bacon and eggs and did some housecleaning on the camper. I feel better with things all organized again. We had planned on leaving this morning but decided to stay the day because grandma Stricklett’s relatives were telling us we needed to go up Big Mountain at Whitefish and go on the ski lift, among other local sites.
It had been real cool and threatened rain but by the time we got to Whitefish it was hot and sunny…..all clear. We drove 5-miles up Big Mountain where we came to the Chalet and ski-lift which is the third largest in the United States. What an experience and fun it was. The Chalet had piped music outside and as we were gliding along in our two seated chairs over the tree tops we could hear the music fading into the background. Soon there was just silence except for an occasional muffle as we passed over a section in the cable. Dad and uncle Alfred were two little specks down at the Chalet and soon were out of sight as we climbed over the first hump and up to the summit. On top we were treated to seeing three mountain ranges, several States, Canada and Whitefish Lake.
As you are being pulled up the clouds slip beneath you and the world becomes silent. I could imagine the scene as though I had died and was ascending into heaven….. there is a very detached feeling as the world moves on without you, down below…..for me it was a surreal experience…
Once on top we were treated to clumps of brilliant wild flowers, a mountain of pine beneath us and a lush valley floor with mountain ranges on all sides. Total climb to the summit was 2,000 feet on the lift….I don’t know how high up we were when we started. The attendant showed us a porcupine that hid under the maintenance building. We got a kick out of that as it was the first live one we had ever been close to. The ride down was very enjoyable as we feasted our eyes on the lake, valley and mountains…it seemed like a giant Ferris Wheel ride. Gradually we could hear the music again…. faintly and then louder as we came down to the Chalet where we could see dad and uncle Alfred waiting for us.
We went back to Whitefish and had some pie and coffee before going to the grocery store to pick up some needed items. We then headed back to the Delhay’s and spent a lazy afternoon visiting. Each person selected his own way of relaxing. George and I took John and Becky to the City Park and dropped them off to swim while George Jr. slept a while. After returning from the park we all sat under the trees in the shade and visited. Later, mom, aunt Beulah and I wrote cards to send back home. Ruth and Geneva came out to visit with us for a while….they have been so good to us; they are good people.
Mr. Delhay told us the reason there were so many flowers and beautiful plantings in Kalispell was because it was surrounded by mountains which kept the bad weather out. Their little valley was like an oasis in the mountains …….the flowers grew well along with the giant pines and other conifer’s. The Delhay’s themselves were owners of the Tee-Pee Lodge and their income was from the tourists. However, the local people were in one accord….come for a while but please don’t stay. They hoped their area would never be commercialized or bastardized as so many other places had been in the U.S. I can’t blame them….hoards of people usually ruin the natural beauty that nature displays. I, for one, felt privileged to see what they have protected so well….may it ever be.
George and I drove back to the park to pick up John and Becky and took quite a few pictures of the beautiful plantings at the park entrance. Hummingbirds were everywhere among the flowers and after we mailed our cards at the Post Office we went back to fix supper. George took mom and aunt Beulah to see the flowers at the park knowing how much they would love to see them. We had an extra good supper that night because of the new grocery supplies…..and our visit to a local bakery.
After supper we went back up town so mom could get a charm for her bracelet and we shopped at their “Crazy Days” sidewalk sale a while. We brought ice-cream back and Ruth had baked a cake so we had a little ‘party’ together. This concluded our Kalispell visit and we leave with warm feelings for the hospitality shown us and the memory of a pretty little valley town, nestled in the mountains. From now on we will be traveling ever Eastward…..towards home……
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
It had been real cool and threatened rain but by the time we got to Whitefish it was hot and sunny…..all clear. We drove 5-miles up Big Mountain where we came to the Chalet and ski-lift which is the third largest in the United States. What an experience and fun it was. The Chalet had piped music outside and as we were gliding along in our two seated chairs over the tree tops we could hear the music fading into the background. Soon there was just silence except for an occasional muffle as we passed over a section in the cable. Dad and uncle Alfred were two little specks down at the Chalet and soon were out of sight as we climbed over the first hump and up to the summit. On top we were treated to seeing three mountain ranges, several States, Canada and Whitefish Lake.
As you are being pulled up the clouds slip beneath you and the world becomes silent. I could imagine the scene as though I had died and was ascending into heaven….. there is a very detached feeling as the world moves on without you, down below…..for me it was a surreal experience…
Once on top we were treated to clumps of brilliant wild flowers, a mountain of pine beneath us and a lush valley floor with mountain ranges on all sides. Total climb to the summit was 2,000 feet on the lift….I don’t know how high up we were when we started. The attendant showed us a porcupine that hid under the maintenance building. We got a kick out of that as it was the first live one we had ever been close to. The ride down was very enjoyable as we feasted our eyes on the lake, valley and mountains…it seemed like a giant Ferris Wheel ride. Gradually we could hear the music again…. faintly and then louder as we came down to the Chalet where we could see dad and uncle Alfred waiting for us.
We went back to Whitefish and had some pie and coffee before going to the grocery store to pick up some needed items. We then headed back to the Delhay’s and spent a lazy afternoon visiting. Each person selected his own way of relaxing. George and I took John and Becky to the City Park and dropped them off to swim while George Jr. slept a while. After returning from the park we all sat under the trees in the shade and visited. Later, mom, aunt Beulah and I wrote cards to send back home. Ruth and Geneva came out to visit with us for a while….they have been so good to us; they are good people.
Mr. Delhay told us the reason there were so many flowers and beautiful plantings in Kalispell was because it was surrounded by mountains which kept the bad weather out. Their little valley was like an oasis in the mountains …….the flowers grew well along with the giant pines and other conifer’s. The Delhay’s themselves were owners of the Tee-Pee Lodge and their income was from the tourists. However, the local people were in one accord….come for a while but please don’t stay. They hoped their area would never be commercialized or bastardized as so many other places had been in the U.S. I can’t blame them….hoards of people usually ruin the natural beauty that nature displays. I, for one, felt privileged to see what they have protected so well….may it ever be.
George and I drove back to the park to pick up John and Becky and took quite a few pictures of the beautiful plantings at the park entrance. Hummingbirds were everywhere among the flowers and after we mailed our cards at the Post Office we went back to fix supper. George took mom and aunt Beulah to see the flowers at the park knowing how much they would love to see them. We had an extra good supper that night because of the new grocery supplies…..and our visit to a local bakery.
After supper we went back up town so mom could get a charm for her bracelet and we shopped at their “Crazy Days” sidewalk sale a while. We brought ice-cream back and Ruth had baked a cake so we had a little ‘party’ together. This concluded our Kalispell visit and we leave with warm feelings for the hospitality shown us and the memory of a pretty little valley town, nestled in the mountains. From now on we will be traveling ever Eastward…..towards home……
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
