Days #647-652 of Our Epic Trip

8-10-2025
H: 78ºF L: 55ºF
Boondocking, Flathead National Forest, West Glacier, Montana

We drove the entirety of the Going-to-the-Sun Road today. You do not need a timed entry reservation from Recreation.gov if you enter from the east at St. Mary Visitor Center in St. Mary, MT.

We started at Goat Lick Overlook where you may see Mountain Goats gathering to get sodium from the minerals in the dirt. We didn’t see any goats (so disappointed!) but we did see a neat train trestle. We learned that the Great Northern Railway built a railroad on the boarder of the park in the 1890s and pushed for this area to be a national park because they saw the opportunity to increase passengers through tourism. The railroad company built lodges and other structures once the area was designated Glacier National Park in 1910.

Driving further we saw Silver Staircase Waterfall which looked manmade but wasn’t. It was trickling when we saw it but flows heavily in the spring.

Next we stopped at Glacier Park Lodge which was built in 1913 by the Great Northern Railway. It was beautiful with full tree trunk pillars in the lobby and gorgeous views from a covered bridge that connected the lodge to the hotel rooms.

Next, we tried taking the boys for a walk off-leash but Peter was very naughty by not staying with us and Marcel ran through mud and got everyone dirty. So it ended up being a short walk. We found some pretty lichen though.

On the Road-to-the-Sun, we enjoyed beautiful views of the mountains, lakes, and glaciers during our drive. We saw evergreens, probably Subalpine Fir, with black pine cones. We enjoyed seeing two Bighorn Sheep close to the road watching the traffic go by.

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8-11-2015
H: 89°F L: 58°F
Bretz RV & Marine, Missoula, Montana

Unfortunately, we experienced some aggression toward our Cybertruck. A woman at the Apgar Visitor Center unplugged our truck and then ran way. I guess it’s not widespread knowledge that Teslas have cameras in various locations and will record any movement while in “Sentry Mode”. No damage was done but actions such as this seem pointless and mean.

We drove south past Flathead Lake which is Montana’s Lake Tahoe. It is so pretty and big! There were a couple islands and the whole area is covered in evergreens.

We also drove past more mountains with glaciers. I wonder if the people who live in these areas ever take the beauty for granted?

We are staying the night at an RV dealership, Bretz RV and Marine, which offers free camping. We were lucky enough to get a site with electric and water plus there is a dump station.

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8-12-2025
H: 94ºF L: 54ºF
Bridger Brewing, Three Forks, Montana

Unfortunately, we had another aggressor try to unplug and break into our Cybertruck last night. We had the woman on video but I accidentally downloaded the wrong camera angle and then deleted the video from the truck’s memory. This is the second incident in less than 24 hours. I’m starting to think Montana folks and some of the visitors to this state have undesirable characteristics.

We traveled southeast today and stopped in Helena, MT to charge the cars. The free chargers were by a really cool building which contained a brewery, bank, and coffee bar. We had a drink there at Headwaters Crafthouse and discussed plans for our Tennessee house. The bank had a cool industrial vibe.

During our drive to the downtown area, we saw a funny sign (we know it was a sign for ‘Information’ but we still found it funny).

We explored the downtown area. It’s a nice, clean town with some mining history. We found a store, The Man Store, with a certain clientele in mind.

We went in the Cathedral of Saint Helena and found it is on par with the grandeur of European churches.

We found Helena, MT to have a very walkable downtown which included a pedestrian only portion. It was artsy and inviting.

We also stopped at Reeder’s Alley. The buildings were built between 1873-1884 as one room tenant housing for mine workers The alley led up a curved hill and included shops such as an import store and pastries shop.

We are staying the night dry camping at a brewery which has free EV chargers. The drive into Three Forks, MT as the setting sun lit up the wheat fields and mountains was breathtaking.

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8-13-2025
H: 80ºF L: 54ºF
Boondocking, Travetine Rd, Gardiner, Montana

On our way to our next destination we stopped in Bozeman, MT. We saw a homeless man holding a cardboard sign that said “Too ugly to prostitute”. I admired the creativity and self deprecation.

We walked around downtown Bozeman and found a store, Wild Wisdom Collective, where we had a great conversation with Theresa, a fellow vegan. She grew up in Wyoming on a ranch and chose to go vegetarian as a teenager and later went vegan. It was a true pleasure talking to her.

We also enjoyed an art gallery with some great art.

We are boondocking in Custer Gallatin National Forest near Gardiner, MT and the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. We saw an elk walking on the sidewalk through downtown Gardiner looking in yards presumably for something tasty to eat. Our campsite offers the most amazing views – we even saw a rainbow after a storm rolled through the area.

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8-14-2025
H: 79ºF L: 50ºF
Boondocking, Travetine Rd, Gardiner, Montana

We stayed home and did laundry while enjoying the views.

We took the boys for a walk down a dirt road on National Forest land. We walked past a travertine mining area and watched the sunset. We enjoyed unique pink, wispy clouds which glowed and then dropped lower over the mountains.

When we got back to the camper, we heard coyotes and elk in the distance. Later while letting Marcel out, I saw the Milky Way and a shooting star. This is a magical place!

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8-15-2025
H: 80°F L: 52°F
Boondocking, Travetine Rd, Gardiner, Montana

We saw elk just outside of Gardiner, MT.

We went into Yellowstone National Park and drove past the Roosevelt Arch. It is made of local columnar basalt and was completed in 1903. It was never intended to be a monument to President Theodore Roosevelt but he just happened to be vacationing nearby in the park and agreed to lay the cornerstone. We liked the two small pedestrian arches on either side of the big arch.

Not far from Gardiner, MT is Mammoth Hot Springs. The area is rather large and full of many hot springs. It seems the hot springs gradually shift locations over time as the hot water rises and takes the path of least resistance, similar to sand dunes shifting location. Given the signs warning of hot water, we were surprised to see birds running through the water as it flowed downhill.

Next, we stopped at the Golden Gate waterfall.

We finally saw a buffalo! Or rather an American Bison. Apparently, early settlers exploring the western United States mistakenly thought the bison, continuously living in the Yellowstone area since prehistoric times, were buffalo commonly found in Asia and Africa. With this knowledge, “Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam” (lyrics from Home on the Range) feels a little different.

We saw the basalt columns known as Sheepeater Cliffs. A pretty river ran by the area.

I was so excited to stop at Obsidian Cliffs. The parking lot for the area had large boulders full of shiny, black obsidian which is a rock formed when lava cools quickly. I was hoping the cliffs would be full of it too but they just looked like regular walls of rock. The meadow next to the cliffs with a small stream flowing through it was very pretty.

Next, we stopped at Frying Pan Spring. I loved the bubbling pool of mud. The water was so hot you could hear it sizzling.

We stopped at an overlook area which gave us a view of the Yellowstone Caldera. The Yellowstone Caldera was shaped by three, distinct, massive volcanic eruptions that occurred over the past 2.1 million years, which caused the ground to collapse and form a giant, caldera complex. These, along with numerous smaller eruptions, created the current 28 x 53 mile wide depression. As we looked out over the miles making up the caldera of volcanoes, this raven was really drawn to Daniel.

The stop at Tower Falls was amazing. The waterfall was pretty but the hoodoos and stripes of basalt columns were most spectacular.

We saw the most beautiful scenery while driving the northern loop in Yellowstone National Park.

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Stats

Expenses:

• Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
• Tesla Model X fuel: $0
• Campsite: $3
• Camping memberships: $32.80
• Food: $278.42

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 471.5 (325.6 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 744 (192.2 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0

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