What a beautiful place!

Donna and I slept late this morning, or so it seemed with the change to Mountain Time yesterday.  I guess we were ready for a catchup day, because it was 8:00 before the eyelids popped open.  We had planned to hotfoot it into Glacier NP today and drive the "Going to the Sun" road.  Well, the late start ended those plans, so we went to plan B, which was to drive halfway to Canada (plus a little bit) to a settlement named Polebridge.  It had come recommended to us as having a bakery that could not be beat, so off we went.

The road that the GPS sent us to was not the preferred route (has that ever happened before?). We started out ok....

and we stopped alongside the Flathead River for a toe dip....

and saw an eagle's nest...

then we got into 12 miles of dusty, gravel road, followed by 13 miles of dirt road...

and finally, we arrived at Polebridge, which consisted of the most unique log homes and buildings set in a picturesque valley...

The entire population of "town" is one family, and several extended acquaintances, that gather together at the store.  The girl at the counter in the mercantile told me that she left the bustle of California to enjoy the solitude of Montana, and boy oh boy, did she get her wish.  She bakes all manner of tasty treats to sell to the touristas that come from hundreds of miles on crazy roads to a store that is halfway to Canada on a dead end road.  I should tell you that the Huckleberry Bearclaws are to die for! And the Huckleberry Brownies....oh, never mind...

The mercantile building was built in 1914 of logs and tin with a false front.  There are a number of outbuildings now, a restaurant, and a public toilet...

  

The interior of the mercantile is done up in "early turn of the century" style...

On the way out, we noticed a sign...

The people at the store told us that the border crossing was closed and that the road ended, but there may be a way that only the locals know about.

And then back to Columbia Falls to fuel up, wash the truck, and prep for tomorrow.