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One can’t travel without making new discoveries.  Listed below are some discoveries and observations that I made on my most recent adventure to Yellowstone and Glacier:

- Good thing about Montana #1: A casino is attached to every gas station, which is super convenient because you can also buy hunting supplies while you’re filling up your car.  Talk about one-stop shopping!

- Good thing about Montana #2: Their advertising budget must be entirely comprised of license plate designs.  I counted at least 7.  All of them different, all pretty nice.  (It helps when you are known for “big sky country” rather than, say, potatoes, dairy, or some other non-Atkins-approved edible.)

- You have to wonder about just what goes on in Idaho Falls gas stations when the bathroom includes a vending machine for “delightfully delicious,  tastefully yours” flavored condoms.   Makes me glad they had seat covers.

- Overalls are never a good option for adults, particularly for senior women who have lived  long enough to know better.  Listen, we all like to let loose a little bit when we travel.  And being in the great outdoors, maybe we feel like letting our hair down a bit.  But let’s have some personal pride, huh?  Leave the overall shorts at home.

- And speaking of fashionistas… Ladies, the older you are the more important your undergarments become — even on vacation.  Remember, there’s a reason the store department is sometimes called “foundations” — because without a sure one, the rest of the outfit crumbles.  Even the Bible backs me up on this.

- And lastly, no matter where you go, it’s crucial to read the signs, especially at Yellowstone:

Over 1675.6 miles later (it felt like longer), my husband and I are still talking to each other.  In fact, we still like each other — maybe even love each other.

We just returned from a great trip to Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park.  Although I had been to Yellowstone several times before, we saw things I had never seen before, including Lower Falls, pictured below.

Nice, huh?  Glacier, too, was glorious.   See below.

I have been wanting to visit Glacier for a long while now (noticing a theme?), so I was thrilled to finally see it in person.  Surprisingly, it was actually warmer camping in Glacier than in Yellowstone.  And as you can probably gather from the picture, the water in Glacier is as clear and beautiful as any I’ve seen.

Were it not for the cold temperature, there’s no way I would have been so content on the shore.  All the butterflies flying about were an added bonus.  In other words, wow.