Xmas in Mexico - Final Thoughts

A few thoughts after coming back from Mexico.

Safety – I found all the three places we visited to be quite safe. I still would not walk by myself anywhere at night, but as a family, it was safe to walk in the early night. I am not sure about after 9 pm as we were not out that late any day. I think in Playa del Carmen on 5^th Ave, one can be out late also. Other places were all safe in the day time without any issues. 

Money – If one is not staying at one of the all-inclusive places, then I would budget minimum 100 pesos per day per person. That would include only the food.  Any shopping would be separate. Food is not exactly cheap, but we found that paying in pesos was cheaper than paying in dollars. And a lot of restaurants would charge more with credit card, so better take cash.

Shopping – I wish I had known that I would find everything in Cancun's Mercado 28 so I could have skipped all the shopping everywhere else, especially Playa del Carmen was the most expensive of all places. Valladolid was really good for general shopping, clothes, shoes etc. But I would not have shopped at Chichen Itza either. It seems that you would not find these things elsewhere, but we found everything in Cancun and better prices.

Food – This was a little bit issue for us because we are vegetarian. But we did not really have problems anywhere. We were happy with pizza also. But even street food could be made vegetarian. So all good. I would say some of the food was really tasty, the sauces were very good and guacamole was just great! There were chips and sauce everywhere. Street food was actually quite tasty.

Transportation – It was not that difficult to get around in this part of Mexico. The Ado buses connect cities and are comfortable. Within the city there are plenty of taxis and one can bargain but can get good price. We were able to reserve taxis online also to and from airport. All transportation was on time and safe and clean.

Time – I always feel that I need one more day in these places I visit. I would have liked to spend one more day in Playa del Carmen and gone to visit Cozumel and Tulum. Xcaret was definitely a good visit but it was a controlled environment. I would have liked to see more of nature.  I would have also liked to stay one more day in Valladolid and maybe visit some cenotes – although that is debatable, because almost all cenotes charge 40 or more pesos per person to visit. So it probably would become and expensive day. But I do miss not going to even one.

Xmas in Mexico - Day 8 - Last Day

Today was a rainy day. No rush to get up early but still have to have breakfast in case they close up. It was simple breakfast, bread and butter with coffee. Kids had milk, which was not tasty. We sat until it kind of stopped raining.

We had only one place to go today – Mercado 28.  It took us a bit to get there. 

I think we kind of entered a side door because later I saw that the market was marked so well from another street. Oh well. The market is really big! And the prices here are the best. We found everything that we were buying everywhere else. There were so many more choices and of course bargaining. So we did any last minute shopping there.

We have to check out around 1 pm since our taxi will come and take us to the airport. The taxi was on time and the drive was about 20 mins. We got there in good time to check in and sit and finish our bread and snacks. Security took out the achaar and jam. No worries. In any case. That was it for Cancun. Nice trip!

At the Cancun airport

Xmas in Mexico - Day 7

Today we have to go to Cancun. We have the morning. Bhaiya, Sarvesh and I decided to go see the Mercado, Viki and Bhabhi were too tired. Bhaiya was looking at Google maps and walked us about 1 km to the wrong direction. I advised him to take a taxi to the market. (20 Pesos). The market was not that great. There was a lot of meat stuff, some vegetables and some bags and clothes shops open. We did not buy anything and left shortly as we had a bus to catch at 11 am.

We walked back, as it was not really that far from the hotel. Checked out of the hotel and walked to the bus station. This one is smaller and more crowded. And yet again, the bus was on time and comfortable. A movie was playing again. It was about 2 hrs to Cancun. The drive was quite boring – not much to see outside. Cancun is a big city but only a couple big roads. The bus station is in the center and is a hug building. We walked to our hotel from there. It was a little convoluted but not far. On the way we passed a nice garden and some nice restaurants.

The hotel check in was ok. There was no power at that time since they were fixing some electrical thing. We left shortly for lunch to one the nice dhabha we saw on the way. We got some burritos. All good. little too cheesy, but tasty. The hot sauces were good.

From there we walked to the main street to figure out how to get to the hotel strip. When we asked a bus about it, they told us to take the big red or green bus for 7 pesos per person we could go as far as we wanted. We took it to about half the way. There was a huge grocery store there and a big office for the Xcaret park information.  We were right on the beach. It was really crowded and I was not in the mood for taking off my shoes and walking on the sand. 

We moved on from there and apparently what Bhabhi was saying is that we can walk into any hotel, like Vegas hotels. We did go into one, but I did not feel comfortable. 

After going into one hotel, I did not feel comfortable walking into any other hotel. Besides, it would be a long walk to get to the hotels. We walked back to the big supermarket where we had gotten dropped off. We had a coke! Of course. Cannot miss that opportunity.

We then took the bus the Xcaret tower. Our Xcaret band will give us two free rides on the tower. We took our first ride up during the daylight. Nice 15 min ride up and down. It was pretty view. Then it was time to walk around a bit so that we could go about an hour later for the night ride up. There was a nice hotel there with plenty of christmas decoration. We just took pictures from outside and then crossed the road to get to the lagoon side. The lagoon was very clean with clear water. The scenery was just beautiful. We walked back to the tower.  The mosquitoes had decided to come out now!

The night ride up the tower was quite nice. I can take night photos only with my phone. It was a nice ride. Then it was time to take the bus ride back to center. But Bhabhi said there was another park that we could stop at. We were all tired but since that was our last night, we went. The park was full of shops and people. It seemed like there was a night market/fun time going on. There were plenty of shops (thelas) and a number of eating places.  We had our marquesitas there again. We all love that stuff! By now poor Viki has bad throat and is super tired.

We got some quesedillas there – but their quesedillas were actually fried and not made on a pan. It was not that great. But it was nice to see so many people eating out and having fun. I wish we had eaten something else instead of the quesedillas.

Then it was time to walk back, and we came across the prettiest Christmas tree! I have never seen anything so beautiful. We admired it and then walked back. 

I am not happy walking back through these empty roads but luckily we are five of us and there is strength in numbers.

That was it! That was our last night in Cancun.

Xmas in Mexico - Day 6

Christmas day! I got ready and around 7:15 went to check if our driver was there – he was – thank God! But there were no other taxis there, so good I had talked to him yesterday. I told him we would be ready in about 20 minutes which turned out to be 30. We quickly ate our breakfast and were on our way to see one of the wonders of the world.

It took us about 40 minutes to get there.  The drive was pretty boring, nothing scenic. 

The line for the tickets was not very long; and they take credit card so at least we save some money. They charge two different tickets, one for federal and one for state. I think one was cash. We still have to get a guide so we have to pay cash there to save 100 pesos so we can use cash. It was advised that we take the guide and I'm glad we did. Rosalba our guide was for 1 and 1/2 hours. It was really nice inside because we had come so early there were hardly any people there. The pyramid was right in front once we got past the visitor’s center and the little path that has a boundary to the temple (that’s what the pyramid is).

It was great, we got some nice shots of the pyramid. It was a large pyramid but of course not as big as Egypt but good. And yes the pyramid had all stairs on the four sides; very symmetrical. The pyramid was made according to astronomy. One interesting thing about the pyramid was the acoustics. From side of the pyramid if we clap then we can hear the clapping sound come back as the sound of a bird from the pyramid. From other sides it would just be the echo of the clap. Really cool!

We walked around with the guide. She was okay, but I’m sure she gets tired with people just taking pictures and not paying attention to what she was saying. And I understand that there was no crowd there, so it was good to take photos then, but we had the guide only for 1.5 hrs. So a tough decision! It seems to me that the Mayan culture was a little violent. They believed in human sacrifice and would also kill any visitors (which is fine!). Their pyramids are covered with skulls and sacrificial symbols. I wonder why they would rule by fear.

We saw the huge field where the competitors would play hockey with a fire ball. And then also when they would play ball like a basketball but with hips and shoulders but not legs or hands. The rings for the basket were really high! Amazing! The field was as big as a soccer field. There was a place for the spectators and also for the priests. (We has seen the game played out in Xcaret at the night show, and I was not even sure that was real – but I guess it was!).

Our guide at this point told us a few more points to visit and then she left us. We took a little break, I went to the restroom – all the way out to the entrance – bad idea, it was too crowded and I was lucky to get in and out fast. There is a restroom in there but Bhabhi had sacred me into saying that the reviews said it was dirty. (But it was not).

We had some snacks and then walked to see the cenote where the American explorer found many artifacts. Apparently, he bought this whole area for $17 and then cleaned the cenote and eventually found all these artifacts in them, which he took for himself.  Mayans are not too happy about it – but they also did nothing to clean this area up.

The walk to the cenote was lined with vendors. We were stopping and shopping and walking. We then came to the middle at the main pyramid. Had our lunch of bread and then walked the other side to see the observatory. It was a little bit of a walk, but we got there. it was okay, there was a lot of damage to the structure, but one could still see that it was the observatory.  By now I was exhausted. We walked back and I called the taxi driver to take us back. It would take him 40 mins to get there, so we sat around the pyramid enjoying the sight.

Bhabhi wanted to stop at the cenote in the middle, but just the entry would have been some money, even just to take a photo, so there was not point in going. Also the driver did not want to wait while we took photos. So we just drove back. Meanwhile, Bhabhi looked through Google and found another church to visit, so we had the driver leave us there. It turns out the church was closed (it was 25^th – so why??). We walked back from there to our hotel and rested.

Bhaiya found a good restaurant, Yakuna Cucina Mexicana, to eat for that night. It was near the church. We left around 6ish to go to the central square, near the church, and just sit. I saw this thela for a snack – marquesitas so Sarvesh and I got in line to try it out. It took about 30 mins for us to get ours. It was very tasty! They were personalizing it for everyone, that is why it was taking long. But it was worth the wait. As usual we were sharing, so I did not get the full taste but still it was good.

We then walked to the restaurant, which had only this one waiter. The guest coming out of the restaurant was an American and he highly recommended it (he was also a vegetarian).  And yes, the food was good. bhaiya eats very little, so we shared a bit with him. 

We walked back and went to sleep.  It had been a tiring day.

Xmas in Mexico - Day 5

Time to move to the next city Valladolid we have time in the morning so we had some breakfast in this interesting looking Mexican place breakfast is okay small portions and than USA, and taste was okay. The restaurant had amazing décor.  It was a museum by itself.

We then walked around shopping and looking. It as a beautiful day, no rain. We got some money exchanged. We should have gotten more money exchanged here. We saw the city center with the nice park and church right on the beach.

Came back, checked out, and walked about a mile to the Ado bus station. We got some snack while waiting the bus.  The bus departed at 1 p.m. promptly. It was a small minivan, very comfortable. There was a movie playing doing the journey. We were all sleeping! Two and half hours later we were in Valladolid after the bus made one stop near Tulum. Good service.

Valladolid is a small town it was crowded when we came, may because of Christmas shopping; it was Christmas Eve. We walked about two blocks to our hotel, Maria Guadelupe. It’s small one maybe 8 to 10 rooms. Big issue was that they take only cash, no dollars, no credit card. We thought it was all paid for when Bhabhi made the reservation.  We had very little cash so we checked in and went to the bank to get some pesos. There was a long line but we got in line and it was moving fast. Bhaiya and Viki went to see if other banks would also change but they did not, so as I was at the counter, they came back and we exchanged all the money we wanted to. While we were there Bhabhi found out that we can buy tickets at Chichen Itza only with cash (which turned out to be wrong - they also take credit card).

We then walked to the hotel and gave the money.  We came out and saw a cab driver; we asked him to come in the morning to take us to Chichen Itza. He would take peso 50 per person, good deal. He also said there would be many taxis here but that turned out to be wrong – maybe because it was 25^th Dec the next day.

Viki found an ice cream place that he wanted to go to. The gelato was expensive and the taste was all right. There were some unique flavors. We then walked to the cental park and the church. There were a couple guys playing some drums. Gave a nice feeling of being in a different country.  Sat around for a bit. Later we went to Domino's Pizza to get pizza for the night as there was not many vegetarian places around. There were some nice potatoes and cinnamon bites with the pizza.  

Nice day! Walked back and went to sleep as we have to get up early so we are ready by 7:15 am for breakfast.

Xmas in Mexico - Day 4

All got ready by 7 a.m. and had quick breakfast of the bread and pizza. We were out looking for a taxi for Xcaret. We bargained one down to 350 Pesos.  We had to also get a taxi/van that could seat 5 people. There were plenty that could seat four passengers.  In any case, it took him about 20 minutes to get there. Just like Disney, it is kind of off road, one will have walk about 1 mile to get to the enterance of the park from the main highway. 

We exchanged our tickets for bracelets and then it was time to go in. We were right on time at 8:30 am. There are many paths marked on the map and in the park as well. It is very well made, all the location are marked on the map and in the park so there is no confusion. There are several spots where you can scan your bracelet and let the Xcaret park take a photo. You can buy all these photos at the end of the day.  Good money making scheme!

Viki was our guide and he took the white path to the aviary first. The park has an aviary, aquarium, butterfly garden, some aquatic wildlife, some animals, some ancient ruins, a cemetery, a church, a 10-minute boat ride, a one-mile underground and ground river for people to swim adult hour to see, a nice museum, many shows during the day, an orchid garden, a Beach area for activities, a few restaurants, and finally a grand show at night. The park was neat and clean, plenty of restrooms, plenty of water etc. The only thing I thought was amiss was affordable food. Simple nachos and cheese were $6. Lunch buffet was $35 per person. That’s just too much. But the places were full!!

We started at the aviary and made our way to the cemetery and to the butterfly garden and aquarium. There was a lot of walking involved and plenty to see on the way. We had brought our snacks so that worked out well. The tower ride was short and sweet and so was the boat ride. Everything had its own character and so I am glad we did not miss anything. The only thing was that walking everywhere was taking up too much time and of course one has to take a little break once in a while.

It was 5 pm before we realized we needed to swim the underground river or we will be late for the 7:30 pm night show which is not to be missed. We had been seeing the river and people swimming in it all day and it was not something we wanted to miss.  Four of us were ready for the swim except Bhabhi who would have to change into the swim suit when all of us were already wearing ours.  Oh well, she would have to miss this. We could not burden her with all our bags so were used their wonderful system where you take all the belongings, put them in a duffle bag, give you’re the key, scan your bracelet; and they give it to you at the end of the river. Very efficient and very secure.  Sarvesh and I came out at the next exit in the river.  It was a bit much for me since I am not a very good swimmer so I got tired; also there were no ropes to hold on to. The other thing that helps me is if I can keep my feet on the ground, but the river was about 6ft deep so that also was bothering me. Viki wanted to go all the way so Bhaiya decided to go with him.  Sarvesh and I walked to the next exit and waited but they did not come there. After a while we went to the end of the river and waited. They came swimming and happy! What an achievement for them floating and swimming for a mile on the river.

We got our bags and got changed.  Bhabhi was to meet at as number 35 for dinner but everything was closing at 5:30 and when we were there just 10 minutes before so we rushed there.  She managed to get us two sandwiches with fries.  We sat by the beach and ate.  

We walk back to see the spectacular show. It was on completely the other side of the park.  It was getting so crowded and we also got into the crowd. Ultimately we were standing in line for 40 minutes and eventually we realized we could have gotten a seat easily even if we had come at 7:15 for the 7:30 show because the theater was very large. The theater was open and huge with seating on all four sides. The bottom one third was for people also ordered dinner so had special seats. We were higher up and would have been even if we had come at 7:15pm.  I went to the restroom and then got me a couple Xcaret plastic drinking glasses as mementos.

The show was spectacular! All the dances, music, actions were amazing. They showed the old Mayan cultural ceremonies with the playing of the ball with the fireball with sticks (like hockey); and then the Spaniards came and ruined their culture and then make them all Christians; then there was a lot of slavery. There were a number of dances and displays from different parts of Mexico. All was just grand and colorful. We left about 10 minutes early to beat the crowd so we don’t have to fight for a taxi. It was 500 pesos to get back to hotel - standard price, no bargaining.

We walked over 11 miles today really tired. But still Viki and I went out to get pizza for dinner. Still great pizza.

Xmas in Mexico - Day 3

Next morning had breakfast, it was similar kind as yesterday. We had to check out at 12 p.m. so we went to the beach for about an hour. The water was great. I went to the pool also; the water was cooler than the ocean but still enjoyable.  By 12 we were all checked out, but we're told that we could stay till 4 p.m., so we went for lunch at the usual place but buffet was closed there.  We played air hockey and billiards for a while and then went to the pool.  It turns out that is where the buffet was today.  It was good food again.  I just could not eat much because I was so full from breakfast, but still had some soup salad and little bit pasta.

Slept around the pool till 2:30 p.m. then left to check in to the other hotel, Kimbe. The hotel was on the street next to 5th avenue, which is a big shopping street. The hotel was okay, the price was okay according to the location, but no breakfast.  And I found out later that the bed was lousy. The toilet was also leaking, I think the room needs a little maintenance.

We went to walk around the hotel.  We knew it was going to rain so no use going to Tulum or Cozumel. We walked around on the 10th avenue and then turned around to come to the 5th avenue and then it started raining and it did not stop until into the night.  We all got a little wet but we kept stopping and shopping our way back.  We got some fresh churros for about 40 pesos. Very tasty!! 

Came back and rested a bit and then went to Bhaiya’s room to chitchat and eat snacks.  Watched football and then the kids and Bhabhi went to get pizza.  They came back with three large pizza, really tasty thin crust pizza. I had one slice, three slices were left for the morning.

Tomorrow we have to get up early and go to Xcaret. We had also gotten some bread and jam from a 7 eleven for breakfast tomorrow.

Xmas in Mexico - Day 2

Today we were supposed to go for the timeshare meeting at 9 a.m. They would give us breakfast at another resort and then talk to us for about 30 minutes about getting a timeshare. All in all it would take about 90 minutes, but as they were starting it seems like it would take three hours, so it was not worth visiting another resort and having breakfast there. Waste of time. 

We went for our own breakfast at Allegro.  We had a great spread of eggs, fruits, breads and vegetables. We got changed and went to the beach, played in the water for sometime.  Then at 11:30 I went to the pool for the aqua gym. I was only one there and it was fun. Sarvesh and Satvik came there to play basketball in the pool.

A little later I had some fries and nachos that were being served near the pool and went to the ocean again.  Around 2 p.m. we went for lunch and yes, full again!! Good food. Lots of variety of soup, salad etc. By afternoon it started raining.  Sarvesh and Satvik played some air hockey and billiards. I enjoy watching them. We went to the rooms and there was nothing to do because it was raining outside. Bhaiya came to our room and we watched football

At 7:30pm we went for dinner. Today they were making us lasagna because buffet was all seafood. We started with soup and salad. The lasagna was a disappointment as it was all mushrooms. I felt bad leaving so much food for waste, but what to do? We ate a lot of the other stuff that was there. It was enough.

We then went to the show at 8:30. Again the crew was again having activities with the kids. At 9 p.m. they started the silent party which was that everybody got headphones and we had buttons from which we could choose from three DJs’ music. Of course all music choices were fun dancing songs, one was Spanish only. We all got except for Bhabhi. Bhaiya and Bhabhi left early, the kids and enjoyed till about 10:30 p.m.

Xmas in Mexico - Day 1

Bhaiya and all came around 7 pm on 19th from Columbus. Not much to do but to get ready for tomorrow

It was an early start for us.  We all got ready early to leave for Miami airport by 8 a.m., since we did not know how much time we are needed to get to the airport but 8 pm should be good for the 12 p.m. flight.  We parked at the hotel and got their shuttle to go to the airport.  All went okay and on time. The flight was on time but the landing was delayed by 40 minutes because of weather.

Bhabhi was in contact with the taxi driver who had already texted her, it was their policy to take the customer flight and phone number so that flight arrivals could be monitored. All was smooth sailing once we landed.  We came out and found our taxi and we were on our way to Playa del Carmen. Got there by 5ish; check-in was a little slow at Allegro. It was all inclusive so they gave us wrist bands, different colors for different age group for alcohol sake.  The all inclusive was our first experience so we went for a walk around the campus. It was beautiful, two pools, the beach area was clean and beautiful; the rooms were like cottages and gave the feeling of an aashram.

We went to eat at 6 p.m. at the buffet. It was good food, lots of fruits and vegetables, nothing like daal roti but we got really stuffed on all kinds of foods. There was tons of guacamole – I just loved it!! And then of course lots of variety for dessert. It started raining a bit so we went to our rooms. We got a third bed for Viki so that the kids won't have to share the queen bed.

Around 8:30 p.m. we went to see the Mexican night show at the theater. For about 30 minutes the crew played around with the kids; really fun games and activities; and the kids were really enjoying it. Sometimes I feel bad that we don't drink because it's open bar.  The show started at 9 p.m. there was the mariachi band and a singer all really good and then there was a group of eight dances they have some really nice traditional dances great costume and great entertainment great way to end the day.

Sleep was good. There was some chatter outside but otherwise it was all okay.

Xmas in Mexico - 1

Cancun has been in the planning a while. But when we started looking at it, Cancun just turned out be like a vacation town of expensive hotels on the beach. The all inclusive (room+food+drinks) were all too expensive, starting from $300 per room/night and only going above. The main thing we want to do is go to Chinchen Itza, which is about 2 hrs from Cancun. There is not much sightseeing in Cancun, but and better and cheaper would be to stay elsewhere and enjoy Mexico.

Bhabhi and Bhaiya (Sister in law and brother) decided that we could spend a couple days in Playa del Carmen and a couple days in Valladolid. This was great planning. In Playa del Carmen we decided to stay a couple days in all inclusive and switch and stay a couple days in a cheaper place as we were not really going to be at the hotel during the day. There are a few things around Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel and Xcaret. And then we would go to Valladolid, visit Chin from there and then come back to Cancun for a day and get back to Florida.

After a little bit of here and there and some distribution of work the plan was set. I found the hotels for Playa del Carmen and Bhabhi found for Valladolid and Cancun. She also booked all the transportation from Cancun to Playa, from there to Valladolid, and then to Cancun and back to hotel. Most intercity was Ado buses and for the taxis it was Wetaxi. All the transportation was on time and comfortable. Xcaret tickets were bought by Bhabhi but we forgot to look for tickets for Chinchen Itza. We also relied on wrong information for carrying the amount of cash. For a number of places we went there was no credit card or dollars. I had taken Pesos for $200, when we would have needed for about $500 to be comfortable.

Montana Drive - Day 10 - Bozeman

Last day in Montana. Have nothing else to do but drive to Bozeman to the airport. Breakfast at Quality Inn was nice. Huge room and good spread. Not much to do here in Butte so left for Bozeman.

The day is quite okay. The drive on I-90-E is still pretty. That is one thing I have really like in Montana is that the views everywhere are just beautiful and driving is a pleasure. Traffic is not too much, speed is high but I don't have to drive at 80 mph. Went through mountains and curves. My flight is at 11 am and I got to Bozeman by 9 am. I had to fill up gas and then return the car to Budget. Both things went smoothly.

Check in line at Frontier was long, but I had plenty of time. Then it was just waiting here and then at Denver. It all worked out and I got to Columbus by 9:30 pm just a little late.

Overall my trip went really well, as planned, except for that major hiccup of the first day, everything went smoothly. It was a little bit more expensive of a trip than I had thought it would be, both air fare and car rentals were higher. Hotels were all on average $90, which really all adds up with tax and all. I think I spent the least on eating. There were hardly an entry fee for any of the places, just the national park and rides that I took.

I hope everyone gets to go to Montana at some time. It really is a beautiful state.

Montana Drive - Day 9 - Butte

Last day in Washington and in Montana. Got up early at 6:30 am to leave before 8 am. Went to Incrediburgers for breakfast. They had the best avocado toast!! Despite the $5 I had from the hotel, I still had to pay $5. Expensive place! 

Left before 8 am. But I had forgotten that I would lose 1 hour. It was yet again a pleasant drive. I was on I-90-E all the way. I had one detour today on Hwy 93-N to see the Thousand Buddhas. It was about 22 mi north of I-90. It was a beautiful place. How did they think about making this in the middle of nowhere (just like the sculptures in the wild). It was peaceful and beautifully maintained. There were the thousand buddhas, all radiating out of the center Buddha. There were 6 spokes in the circle. All six points had some meaning. We are supposed to walk clockwise (as we always do anyway in temples). At all the six points, there were some buddha statue with a beautiful garden and in one case a beautiful pond. All in all, very nice place. And I got there at perfect time, as I was leaving, so many people came and with kids. All were noisy. Good timing. 

I got back on the highway. I always made sure to have a full tank of gas wherever I could. And here also I did. It was a nice Travel center on the junction of 93 and 90. I was not going to have lunch today as I have to eat at Pekin Noodles in Butte. 

The drive on I-90 E was all scenic. There were mountains all through and 90% of the time there was a river or stream parallel to the highway. There was some construction or other going on, but still got to Butte around 3 pm. 

Berkeley Pit

First stop was going to be the Berkley Pit. I passed it first and had to come back. A small building/gift shop etc. was the entrance. $3 entrance fee to see a pool of water. Really!! Why are Americans making money on every little thing?! Went through a little tunnel to see the pit. It was interesting. I could see the mining from even 1-15, when I was going to Helena, but since the pit is deeper, it is not possible to see the water from anywhere but this particular location. This water has a ton of minerals dissolved in it and is highly acidic pH 2.5. The mine is producing only copper now. Butte is an old mining town, more than 150 years old. It was mining, gold, silver, molybdenum and so much more. When pit mining started, then this pit was created. Slowly water collected in it and dissolved all the minerals, good and bad. It is very toxic at this time. 

Could see the Madonna from almost everywhere in Butte.

Our Lady of the Rockies

Next stop was the Memorial. It was a somber place, dedicated to more than 100 miners who died earlier in 20^th century. I could see the mining operation from there, but not Berkeley Pit.

Next stop was the mining museum. that was last on my list as I don’t care too much for museums. But now I wish I had gone there earlier because I missed the tour of the mines. Oh well. I still had an hour and a half to see the resemblance of a mining town. Some of the buildings were original, but a lot were replicas. The most interesting part was the machinery. I cannot imagine how they would have made all these in 1900s. Just wow! Mining is a really complicated process and the owners are never really bothered about safety for the miners. It took about an hour to see all this.  

It was about 6 pm. Decided to check into my room before going for dinner. Again this hotel does not have an elevator! What are they thinking?!! I am on the 2^nd floor and had to have some take my suitcase up. I was so tired of all the driving. Room is really good though. Checked into my flight for tomorrow. So far so good. 

Dinner was at Pekin noodles, the first Chinese restaurant in Butte. It was interesting, instead of having one big room, they had small rooms/compartments for 4 people. I had chow mein. Not very good. maybe it was, I just don’t care too much for Chinese food, except fried rice. I thought I would try something different. It was not very expensive though. 

Then I found a Walmart to return all the stuff I had bought as backup just in case. That is it! Now time to clean up and pack. I will try to get to Bozeman by 9:00 am. 

Montana Drive - Day 8 - Spokane

Started late this morning, nothing much on the agenda. Went for breakfast at the Incrediburger place next door. Had a bowl of potatoes, eggs with toast. Really tasty bread. Came back and had tea at the hotel and then laid down for a while.

Reflection Pool

Left around 10 am for Manito garden. It was easy to find. It was a pretty start to the garden by the pond. I walked around a bit and thought – is this it? Then I walked towards the Lilac garden, which really wasn’t much, probably because nothing was in bloom. I knew from the Google map that there is a Japanese garden, so I kept walking. I did find it. It was a tiny garden made because Spokane’s sister city is in Japan. There was an American family that was so noisy in there. Japanese gardens are places of peace and quiet. In any case, moved on….time to go to the conservatory. 

Roses!

Before I got to the conservatory, I saw the Rose garden. Oh my God!! That was not even on the Google map. The Rose garden was smelling well, like roses! The flowers were really blooming. All colors! It was not a huge garden but still good size. It was arranged very well and really beautiful. I spent a lot of time there. It was getting a little hot and of course it was sunny, no clouds at all. 

From the rose garden, I saw the next garden, the Perennial garden. It looked even prettier. After I finished the rose garden, I crossed the road for the Perennial garden. I was really missing my water bottle. I had not realized there was so much more in this garden. Google did not do justice or I did not read it carefully. The perennials were just beautiful. The landscaping itself was just beautiful. The colors, the flowers and blooms, it was all just too good. I made my way around the garden slowly. I wanted to soak it all in. Then it was time to go to the Conservatory. 

Perennial Garden

But before I could go in there, I saw the Duncan garden and it just blew me away. It looked like a European garden, arranged in geometric fashion. Just gorgeous. The flowers were super colorful, all dahlias, marigolds, and so many other bright colored flowers. It was just gorgeous. And there was a fountain in the center. I walked all around, it was too hot otherwise I would have stayed longer and absorbed it all. 

Duncan Gardens

Now finally the conservatory. There were two sections in it, one part was dry desert part, cacti and succulents and the other was tropical, all bromeliads, orchids etc. Very much like Florida! Both sections were small but they were designed really beautifully.

Cacti in the Conservatory

All in all the garden was just a pleasure for the eyes…too good, I had not expected all this. I spend over 2 hrs here. I walked back to my car and went to see St. John’s church. It was okay, nothing spectacular but still nice. Now at 1:30 pm it was time for lunch. Thought about going to Subway, but saw a local burrito place and decided to get a burrito. Came back to the hotel and ate, it was a good burrito. She did not put enough hot sauce. 

The heat had gotten to me, so I decided to stay in for the afternoon. I don’t really have much to do today anyway. Around 6 pm, I want to the Riverfront again to see the toy store and see the Spokane falls. the toy store was closed. I walked all the stairs down to see the falls. it was worth it. I just love waterfalls! And this one is really powerful, they use it to generate electricity. 

Spokane Falls

And that was my day. I am done with Spokane and ready to hit the road tomorrow for Butte. Will need to start early in order to see all that I want to. 

Montana Drive - Day 7 - Spokane

Time is going by so well. I feel lucky that everything has worked out great so far. Just for a few minutes in the morning I was wondering if I had overextended myself by making this Spokane trip. I had breakfast at the Glacier coffee place. Little pricey but good quiche. Good to start with coffee today. 

I went on 89-S for a while and then on 28-W. Soon after a few miles all my doubts about going to Spokane vanished. The drive was just beautiful. I had songs on and beautiful views to look at, and an empty road! What else does one want? I stopped to get gas at one spot. The gas price has been consistent throughout so far – $2.79 for most part. 28-W to Sandpoint was such a scenic drive. First it was the mountains on both sides and then the lakes started appearing, each lake was more beautiful than the other. It was a pleasure to drive, such a treat for the eyes. I stopped at a few places to take pictures. Had to stop at a gas station to use the restroom (there are no restrooms in any of the state highways). Got some coffee also. The goal was to sit near a lake and drink coffee and have some junk food but it turns out Sandpoint was just 2 miles away from where I had to take 95-S. 

First I was thinking of skipping it, but when an exit came for downtown and I took it. Drove into downtown, very nice little town. I saw a Thai place and decided to eat lunch there. parked a block away and walked to the restaurant. I got some basil fried rice. It was perfect, just the kind of hot food I needed. Soup and a vegetable roll was also part of the lunch. I had some left over which I got packed for dinner. 

What was interesting is that I crossed into Idaho on 28-W and was in Idaho for about 40 mins. Sandpoint was in Idaho. 

Did not stay much in the town. It was after 2 pm and I wanted to get to Spokane. Kept on 95-S until I got to I-90. There was a lot of traffic near Handley. It was a shopping street for about 5 miles. All stores possible were here. Gas price was lower here than in Montana. I got on I-90-W and within 5 miles there was a rest area. I stopped there and then moved on. There was a lot of traffic going west. It feels like I am back in civilization. I found my hotel easily and checked in. The hotel has interesting character. The rooms are red and outside the building had wonderful murals of musicians. 

Part of Spokane Falls

I rested for a bit and then suddenly realized that I had moved back one more hour! I have an extra hour of vacation. Around 4pm went to the river front. It was about 4 blocks walk from my hotel. There seems to be a lot of construction going on in the river front. It created a lot of problems for me. The visitor center guy was hopeless in explaining where I could see the falls. I walked around a lot to see the falls and could not figure out if that was it. I kept going here and there across the Spokane river a couple times. I saw two different falls but could not tell if they were it. Ultimately figured out that there was one main one still ahead. I wanted to see the sculptures also so I went for a huge walk first and then decided to take the sky ride to see the falls. 

The sculptures were interesting and dispersed over a mile of loop around the river front and convention center. I made to almost all of them. It was a lot of walking for me today but I enjoyed it. The weather was perfect. I did not sweat a drop. 

Some of the Sculptures

As promised to myself, I took the sky ride to see the falls. It is $7.25. America definitely knows how to make a buck. Close all other routes to a good view of the falls and then have a ride and charge for it!! The view was great and yes, this was the main falls. There are about 3 tiers of falls within 0.25 miles  now I have seen it all! Tomorrow I can come back and walk the route to see the falls from a different angle. 

Spokane Falls

It was a great day. Good drive and good downtown tour…and great lunch!

Montana Drive - Day 6 - Glacier National Park 2

The big day! This is the highlight of my trip – driving the Going to the Sun Road. Of all the things I have read about it, I was a bit nervous, but knowing that there are Red Bus tours and park shuttles gave me some hope that I could drive this mountainous road. I got up and was out of the hotel by 6:45 am. I keep thinking I am smart, but I forget everyone is smart too. I wanted to get into the park before 8 am – well so did everyone else. The drive was as miserable – Hwy 49-N was not bad, although lots of curves and switchbacks and on top of that some ranchers' cows were grazing freely on the road. I was the only one on the road for miles and speed limit was 35 mph, so I could brake easily. First I thought I had seen a black bear, but then it turned out to be cows. Hwy 89 was miserable again with the gravel road. And the horses were still there! 

Came through the St Mary’s entrance by 7:50 am. The visitor center will open at 8 but restrooms were open, so of course, I had to make a quick stop. The drive from there on was just one beautiful stop after another.  It was still good to come even at 8 am – as there were not that many people there. all the pull outs were open with parking available. And I stopped at all of them! I had to take pics of every mountain, lake, river, stream, waterfall or flower I could see. Some of the spots were just magical! 

The Jackson glacier overlook was nice. The Siyen Bend was beautiful – lovely stream with flowers all along. People were hiking along the shores. 

Then came Lunch Creek and it just took my breath away. I thought I was in some magical land. The stream was flowing from the top of the mountain and it had flowers on both sides of its shores – the white ones. I wanted to spend more time there, but no time would be enough there. it was just too pretty! After this point the ascend started for Logan’s Pass. It wasn’t too bad. 

Logan’s Pass parking lot was full even at 9 am! So I did not waste time there and decided to keep going so at least I see the park in good time and then I can come back using the shuttle. The drive from Logan’s Pass to the tunnel was a little bit of a nail biter. I was on the mountain side (as I had read going East to West is easier as that is mountain side). But the mountain was a little too close and the other drivers were trying to get across the median since they were driving on the edge. I focused on my driving, while also looking at the views. I was still able to make some stops to take pics. There was not much traffic. Also this part of the road was all downhill.  After the tunnel MacDonald stream came into view. Oh what a view! The stream was calm for a while, but then it hit rocks and slope and turned into a happy stream and in a few places waterfalls. I stopped at a few key points to take pictures. Really pretty! By this time the Sun Road was flat with speed limit to 45 mph. 

I got into the MacDonald Lodge and luckily found a parking spot just opposite the shuttle stop. (I realized later how lucky I was – parking was going almost to half a mile). The shuttle would take us to Avalanche Creek, from where we would switch into a smaller van for Logan’s Pass. The first shuttle driver did not let me in – could have! And then I had to wait another 30 mins for the next one. And then I saw an American couple do something I have never seen Americans do – cut line to get ahead. The drive to Avalanche Creek was about 15 mins. I got the shuttle almost immediately for Logan Pass. I am glad to have taken the shuttle, I just sat back and enjoyed the views, took photos. The drive takes over 30 mins – it is all uphill. 

Logan Pass was still full. It was super crowded. There were some really scenic views around. If it hadn’t been 1 pm and bloody hot, and if I had company, I would have done the 3 mile round trip hike to see the hidden lake. But when I saw the photo of it in the gift shop, I thought, seen one mountain lake, just about seen them all. Unless there is a difference in color or mountains. I don’t think I missed much. I bought myself an insulated mug. So far I have bought only one magnet for myself. This mug will get used. 

I took pictures to my fullest and then took the shuttle down to Avalanche Creek. The driver this time was quiet for a bit but then we started chatting. It was me and her in the shuttle. Even though she was driving slowly, I did not realize that we were at the Creek. (Theory of Relativity!!). 

I got the next shuttle to the Lodge and got back on the Sun Road. I still had about 12-15 miles to go. Luckily there was not much in spectacular views from then on. Lake MacDonald was pretty, surrounded by mountains, and very clear. It is about 220 ft deep! I did stop at a couple places to make sure I did not miss anything. Last stop was Apgar Visitor center. I had to use the restroom, fill my water bottle and see what this was about. There was not much inside, so left quickly. 

Exited the park and got to Hungry Horse where there was a wonderful place to eat. Well, they had a bunch of huckleberry products, so I thought of stopping there and getting something for Bhaiya. I decided to have lunch also there (yes at 4 pm). I had a huge salad and huckleberry pie. I did not care much for the pie.  It was kind of like blueberry. I found some jelly for Bhaiya.  The next stop was the Vortex place but it was closed even though it said open on the street. Oh well. 

Now it is time to go the hotel, Sunrise Vista Inn. Again, a nice small hotel with only 5-6 rooms. It is right on the lake! It is very pretty place. The room is big and comfortable. But like the other hotel – Singing Swan – there are no toiletries. So glad I have my own. But they do have coffee maker in the room! So first things first – coffee. It wasn’t really good, but I needed caffeine and something warm. 

The manager, Greg, is very talkative. He gave me some good ideas about tomorrow. He invited me to a place that plays Trivia. But I am so tired I could not learn anything at this time. And then it started raining a bit. I came in and went out later to the lake to just sit there, but then again drops of water from above. now it is just time to rest. I am exhausted. Luckily there is not much to do tomorrow but drive to Spokane.