On the Road Again

Kiah's Travel Journal - Day 3 - Montana

The previous night we had set up the tent, blown up air mattresses, crawled into sleeping bags, and was sleeping by 11pm. My last words were, “If I’m cold or this mattress deflates during the night, I’m not going to be a happy camper!” Wasted words, because I slept like a rock and woke up at 8 the next morning. Mom and the girls got moving right away, but I hit the imaginary snooze button about 10 times and slugged around not wanting to wake up until 8:40. After enough pestering and Amy threatening to deflate the mattress, I finally got up and said, “This was the best camping experience that I’ve had in years!”

Since camping had been a last minute decision we weren’t prepared foodwise and only had fruit leathers and bananas for breakfast. Theyt took the edge off our hunger, but that was about it. Lani and I really wanted to hike a small hill nearby, so we pushed our hungry bellies to the back of our minds and took Mom and Amy with us up the hill. Too bad hills always looks smaller and easier to climb, when you’re a quarter mile away than when you initially climb it. Our flatlander lungs gasped for air and our legs and rears burned, but we made it triumphantly to the top!

We walked back down to our campsite. Our tent and sleeping bags were still damp so we drove 3 breathtaking miles up to the Visitors Center. Surrounded by mountains and hills, we could see endless mountains in the distance. Large white-capped mountains could be seen further back and Amy kept saying, “Kiah! Look at the mountains over there!”

At the visitors center we intended to get a few postcards and be on our way…..but the woman asked if we wanted to take the cavern tour. Mom didn’t want to because it was a 2 hour tour and cost $35. I really wanted to do the tour, so I talked her into staying a little longer then we’d planned.

As we started our ¾ mile hike UP to the cavern, Mom said, “Good grief Kiah, last night you didn’t want to camp at all and now I can’t get you to leave!” That folks is irony!


Lewis and Clark Caverns ended up totally being worth the money! The tour was physically challenging, but so amazingly cool and interesting! Our guide was very knowledgeable, friendly, and had a passion for her job


After we exited the cavern we had to walk another ¾ mile back to the visitors center, where I bought a neat Montana coffee mug, postcards, and more fruit leathers. Then we headed back down the mountain to our campsite to pack up our tent and got back on the road.


We meant to leave at 10 am to make the 5 hour drive to Thompson Falls, MT, but actually didn’t leave until 1:30 pm. As we left the park mom brought up the rather ironic and funny point that she’s the one that loves camping, but she couldn’t get to sleep the night before and had lain awake hearing all kinds of noises. Whereas me, who doesn’t like camping, slept like a baby and had been the primary advocate of staying longer.

Our stomachs growled in complaint at the absence of food so far that day. It was Amy’s turn to pick and she chose KFC. We ordered an eight piece chicken dinner and royally pigged out, wolfing down food because we were so hungry.

Halfway through our meal Mom said, “Look at us devouring our food. We’re not even really enjoying or noticing the scenery.”

Amy says, “Nah uh, I’ve noticed the scenery! People weren’t sitting there when we got here and now there are!” We all busted out laughing because Mom had meant the scenery outside and not the scenery inside!

Mom also got a huge glass of Root Beer. So between fried food and Root Beer we pulled out of the parking lot very full and kicking ourselves for being dumb enough to eat at KFC when we were hungry.

After lunch we got back on the road, I had another headache and was still super tired so I kicked back and took a nap, while Amy and Lani watched some episodes of Here Come the Brides in the backseat. Three hours later I woke up when mom stopped to get gas in Missoula. I was a little miffed that there was a Starbucks 5 miles back, but mom hadn’t thought to wake me up.

We kept heading west. Two hours from Thompson Falls Mom asked to hear some of my favorite artists and songs. This surprised the heck out of me because traditionally Mom always asks us to turn our music down or off. So for a few hours I cultured her in some of my favorites. To my surprise she liked or could tolerate most of it, which prompted me to say, “Wow, Mom, you’ve gotten a lot cooler then you used to be!” She laughed, and then I brought up the other valid point that I’ve also gotten a lot cooler in the past few years as well. It was a really neat bonding moment.

The most awesome thing to share musically with Mom was my love of One Republic (a band, in case you don’t know who they are) and to find out that Mom actually likes them as well. We listened to the whole CD twice!

Just before Thompson Falls, Sacky directed us to Riverview Rd. which is where we thought Mom’s aunt lived ….but it wasn’t! We looked for the house number 91, and the only 91 we saw was on the side of a garage. Mom calls her uncle to ask if he sees a gray Impala sitting in front of his house. The only problem is she’s not sitting in visibility of any of the houses on the street and she’s asking if he can see us!

We were on the wrong street and needed to go further past Thompson Falls. Uncle Kim said if we met him at the “Town Pump” we could follow him to their house. As we drove into Thompson Falls we all speculated what he meant by the “town pump”? Gas pump? Water pump? Air pump? So creeping through town, every 10 feet mom suspiciously asked, “Does that look like a pump?” “Is that a pump!” Finally we said, “No Mom, that’s not a water pump. Just keep driving!” At last, to everyone's relief, we found the “Town Pump” which ended up being a rather large gas station.

We followed Uncle Kim eight miles outside of town to their house where Mom’s Aunt, and cousins were waiting for us to eat. Aunt Marion put on a quite the yummy dinner! It was a little weird being in the midst of people that I am related to but had never really met. We were glad Mom got to see and reconnect with her family. The area they live in is beautiful.

After supper me, Amy, and Lani went outside to play with dogs and jump on their trampoline. After everyone left, the girls and I ventured down to the river behind their house to satisfy the infamous Vik craving and love for water. I was really tempted to push the girls in, jump in myself, and go swimming. But maturity and common sense prevailed as I realized that it was late, the river was high, and it would probably be rude to come into their house soaking wet. So we resisted the urge to swim and back up to the house. Three days down, one more day of cross-country driving to go.

Quotes from the Day!

Lani – (when got lost in Thompson Falls) “Mom, do they make boy GPS’s?”

We died laughing and Lani was actually embarrassed which made it even funnier!

Click here to read Day 1 and here to read Day 2