Day 4 - Helena, Montana

I forgot to check the mileage before getting out of the truck here in Helena, but we drove for about 11 hours and the mileage is somewhere around 1800. We're more than a third of the way home!

We finished the drive through Utah (which got pretty again after being desolate and depressing for part of the time), through the corner of Idaho, and now are in Montana. We expect to be in Canada tomorrow. There's either irony or symbolism in the twist that we'll be leaving America on its birthday, but I'm too tired to figure that out right now...

For those who've been wondering how we packed the three pets, here you go. Tate shares about 2/3 of the bed of the CR-V with Sprite and Buttercream, and our clothes are in the hardcases next to them.

Aaaaaand this is my view - the back of the U-Haul. Only the scenery around it changes. James took a shift driving this morning so now he knows what it's like to have the U-Haul logo burned into your eyeballs. Just for grins, when I got the wheel later in the day, I got in front of Jim so I could see open road, but after so long behind him, it felt weird so I got back behind him fairly quickly.
Speaking of scenery, we passed through some really lovely terrain. Green mountains and valleys, flocks of sheep and llamas, Our Lady of the Rockies, and the Great Salt Lake. We tried to take pictures of what we could see of the Great Salt Lake, but they didn't really turn out.

So, here we are, in another Holiday Inn. But this time in Montana, about three hours from the Canada border. We're on the 7th floor, but there was an elevator for Tate so I don't think it's quite sunk in for her how far up she is. This was her first time on an elevator. And speaking of first times, at twelve years of age she's finally discovered that there is a big porcelain dog bowl in the bathroom. [sigh]

Another fun option Tate's discovered about our room is the tiny dog-sized balcony overlooking part of the arts festival going on in Helena today. I sent Tate out there to take her picture with the mountains behind her, but she plopped herself down and didn't want to move. James and I tried to get her to sit up, or even look back at the camera, but there were too many things to see on the street outside and too many good smells coming from the restaurant below.
So, I guess that's about it for today. I'm tired, and there is another long day of driving ahead of us tomorrow, as well as going through Customs at the border. Wish us luck and I hope they don't want us to unpack everything we've got crammed into that trailer.....