Really just spent the day getting stuff ready and waiting till 5 to pick up the rental car.
Good story there though.
Went to Dollar Rental to pick up the Dodge Charger or equivalent and as I expected no Charger. But a free upgrade o a Durango! Cool! More room for me to be comfortable. Damn the MPG full steam ahead! Did all the required paperwork and walked the 1/2 mile to the truck. Walked around it and did not notice anything of note. Got in and started it and a low tire warning light came on and the tank was half full. Drive to the desk and told the girl inside the problems. She came outside with me and we found the nail in the tire. Problem with that is that it was after five at that point and no way to get the tire fixed today. She traded me to a Malibu. After folding myself into the Malibu I went back to the desk and told/asked her to find a way to get the Durango repaired and refilled so I could pick it up in the morning. She made a call and the decision making manager was gone for the day. So she told me she would email said manager and let her know what I wanted.
Next morning at 7.15 I called the manager and appealed to her nice side and she told me she would get it done a soon as she could.
I went ahead and packed the car with my stuff and headed out to a place downtown named Stellas Kitchen to get some breakfast. Asked for coffee and OJ to start things off. The OJ was advertised as fresh squeezed and I thought okay whatever. When my waitress (note how I now own her) brought it out it was really the juice of about 3 oranges just squeezed. Amazing flavor. Might have to get a juicer when I get home.
While eating my 3 egg Denver omelet I got a call from Dollar and was told that the truck was ready and I could pick it up anytime. I was surprised since it was only 8.30 and I was expecting it to be at least 9.30 before I heard from them.
Found the downtown rental place where it was and they had washed it, gassed it up and fixed the nailed tire!
Did the paperwork again, transferred all my stuff to the truck and hit the road for Glacier National Park!
520 miles later and after one very brief but strong rain storm outside of Helena and another milder one at Grand Falls I got to East Glacier Park Village Montana. The first rain storm was so intense that I could not see past my hood at one point. So I slowed to 40mph until it cleared a minute or so later. Like I said, brief but intense. Overall the drive was pleasant with the expansive beauty of the mountains in the distance and the drive through the rolling plains of central Montana.
After only making one 50 mile wrong turn (I was busy taking pictures of the town I was supposed to have turned at) I got to East Glacier Park Village and in it found the Mountain Pine Motel. Cute little place with bare necessities, bed, bathroom, small TV - 3 channels - and internet now and then. $67/night. Not bad! I could only stay there Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Now I need to let you know that my plan is to stay in Glacier National Park area from Tuesday the 14th through Monday the 20th. So room availability was kind of important. But I am ever the optimist and knew that I would be able to stay somewhere and not in the truck. As it worked out I had those three nights at the Mountain Pine Motel, then Friday night at the Sears Motel up the street (again $67/night) then I found a Hostel across the street from the Sears motel for $23.50/night! I wish I had known about it prior to coming as I would have booked my entire stay there. The comforts would have been about the same except I had a community bathroom and no TV. No big deal! Only real complaint was the on-again/off-again internet and the one inch thick pillows. Made side sleeping a bit rough. But 2 nights there cost me less than what one night was elsewhere.
Getting there as late as I did I just found food and then relaxed in the room. Making plans for the mornings travels.
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