World’s largest penguin in a mighty cold spot

by Jamie Rhein on

The world’s largest penguin is in Cut Bank, Montana. I passed by this penguin summer before last when we were heading to East Glacier. It was one of those occasions where our thoughts were on our destination without much time to spend on the areas we were zipping by in our quest for a relaxing time. I do remember a flash of the penguin and thinking, “I wonder what’s up with that?”

I had hoped we would have time to return to Cut Bank, but we were heading to visit friends in East Glacier at the edge of Glacier National Park and then onto Missoula without time to spare. When I was looking for information about the world’s largest snow globe, I came across the blog Penguins! devoted to–obviously, penguins. This particular penguin is 27 feet tall, weighs 5 tons and is in front of the Gateway Glacier Inn and Plaza. You can’t miss it.

Cut Bank has more than the world’s largest penguin going for it. It’s also one of the coldest places in the U.S. That’s why the penguin was constructed. To celebrate the honor. With cold places comes snow.

Of interest this time of year are snowmobiling trails, although you may have to contact the snowmobile club to find out about using them.

More importantly, this is a significant part of the Lewis and Clark trail. The explorers and their crew camped near here in 1806 and had a bit of a run in with the Blackfeet Indians who lived in the area. Today there’s a marker at Camp Disappointment, Lewis and Clark’s northernmost camp site, and another where the altercation happened.

Another place I wish we had time to stop was the Granite County Historical Society museum. I’m fond of historical society museums and this one looks like it’s a good one.

Wildlife causing car accidents is on the rise and it’s not cheap

by Jamie Rhein on

When the black bear crossed the road in front of my car when I was on my way to Washington, D.C. this summer, I was astounded. He made his ambling dash across the six-lane highway near Cumberland, Maryland. I may have still been in West Virgina, but I do know I saw a bear.

Animals crossing roads is happening more and more frequently which is increasing the likelihood of hitting one. One reason is because of an increase of people driving on rural roads. As people move out of cities into suburbs or further out than that, they are on these roads more.

My dad who lives on a mountain in upstate New York about 10 miles out of New Paltz has met two deer at least. His were more grazes, but there still was an impressive amount of damage. Every time I visit, when I’m driving, particularly at night, I pay close attention to any glint of eyes I may see that could warn me. The statistics of animals meeting up with cars or vice versa highlights why you might see so many carcasses on the side of the road in some places.

In Montana there has been such a problem lately that the state is looking for ways to use methods that have cut down on car and animal collisions in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Building overpasses and underpasses for animals to cross the highway safely has helped cut down accidents by at least 80 %.

The problem with cars and animals meeting, is not just the fact the animals get killed, but people don’t so so well either. In the past year, 200 folks have died in car meets animal crashes. Then there is the cost of fixing a car which can range from $8,000 to $30,000. The most recent statistics cite 300,000 accidents a year. In Pennsylvania, the state with the highest incidences, there about 97,000 per year. Most involve deer.

A naturalist at Blacklick Woods, one of Columbus’s metroparks told me two weeks ago that black bear are on the move from West Virginia and are ending up in Ohio. Ohio already has a high deer population. The moral of this story is, when you see an animal crossing sign, wherever you are, pay attention. The sign isn’t kidding. [via New York Times]

The photo by saiynte7777 and posted on Flickr was taken when he was on his way to Alaska. The bear originally was just on the side of the road and the car was stopped.

Pair a themed hotel with all skill level slopes for a unique ski weekend

by Jamie Rhein on

I’ve mentioned this place before, but with the holidays coming up and the possibility that you’re looking for an interesting place to stay in conjunction with a ski weekend, The Broadway Hotel in Philipsburg, Montana is not just a place to hang your hat for the night, but it’s a lesson in creativity. This is where the owners have a knack with whipping up themes. Each room is totally different from the others. If you’re feeling elegant and frilly, opt for The Britannia Suite, an ode to Great Britain. If you are feeling like a lumber jack and you’re okay, bed down in The Cross Cut room, decorated with a cross cut saw. There are several twin, double bed or queen size options.

A friend of mine stayed in the Wrangler Room and vowed the next day to become a cowgirl. No, that’s not true, but the room was terrific. She’s an interior designer, so she’s not easily wowed. She was wowed, particularly by the common room where there’s a fireplace, books to read, board games, videos to use in the rooms and a wonderful upscale Western style decor–plus a glass of wine if you want.

Since I was staying with my family in a storage shed on our small bit of property in Philipsburg, I was more than happy to take drink my friend’s complimentary wine since she didn’t want it. Breakfast is also included in the price. I’m telling you, this place is quite the deal and just one of the reasons to head to Philipsburg. For the skiing, Philipsburg is the closest real town to Discovery Basin Ski area which is located 20 miles away at Georgetown Lake.

Discovery Basin has slopes that range from beginner to extreme skiing and has plans to open on November 22.

Plan for Labor Day: Things to Do

by Jamie Rhein on

“Are you going anywhere for Labor Day?” our friends asked us last night as we sat in our living room after an evening at the movies seeing The Bourne Ultimatum. They were heading out on an extended family camping trip.

“Nope, we’ve been gone so much we thought we’d stay here,” we said. This summer we’ve been from the East Coast (Massachusetts, New York, Washington, D.C.) to the West Coast (Washington State and on over to Montana) to the Midwest (Owensboro, Kentucky) and to Cleveland two times, that Labor Day weekend needs to be spent catching up on the things we haven’t taken care around the house that we promised to do before the end of summer. I call this “shoveling out.”

But, since Labor Day does offer that present of a Monday off, here are some suggestions of Labor Day jaunts and possibilities that I came across. Beaches, parks, museums, restaurants etc. are on the lists.

  • For romantic getaway suggestions check out “Top 10 Things to Do Before Labor Day.”
  • For where to go for Labor Day on a budget, here’s “Top 6 Places to Spend Labor Day on the East Coast on a Budget.”
  • If you live near Seattle, here’s a huge list of things to do in an article from The Seattle Times.
  • And here’s Labor Day Weekend 2007 on About: Travel with Kids. This is a terrific roundup of things to do across the United States. There are links upon links upon links.

Doesn’t summer end though on September 21? Maybe we can slip in at least a day trip for Labor Day. There’s that rodeo going on at Smoke Rise Ranch in Hocking Hills, Ohio. (The photo is of the Working Man sculpture outside the Seattle Art Museum. The fence is gone now since the construction is completed.)

WoodGas Camp Stove: Two Thumbs Up

by Jamie Rhein on

Yesterday, when sitting on the beach at Echo Lake near Philipsburg, Montana, I thought how a WoodGas Camp Stove would come in handy. These days, Montana is in the midst of forest fire worries and woes. Cooking on open fires isn’t allowed from what some folks who were enjoying the lake along with us said. They were camping at nearby Georgetown Lake. The girl in the family, about nine years-old was feeling a cheated since they havent’ been able to have s’mores. I had the urge to say, “What you need is a WoodGas Camp Stove.”

Possibly, the WoodGas Stove wouldn’t be allowed either since it is meant to be used in accordance with campfire rules, but the great thing about it is the fire is mostly contained inside. There is little danger of a fire starting if you don’t overload the inside with twigs–that’s what we burned when we tried it out (see WoodGas Camp Stove: The Experience) –and if you don’t dump out the ash before it cools down completely.

The other things I like about the WoodGas Camp Stove that I found out for myself are:

  • It’s light
  • It’s easy to use
  • It cooks food quickly and well
  • It’s basically indestructible
  • It’s environmentally friendly
  • It’s stable so it won’t tip easily.
  • It doesn’t require fuel except for kindling size pieces of wood (unless you use One Match which I do recommend)
  • You can use it on a table top, on the beach, on your front walkway (that’s what I did), pretty much anywhere except in enclosed spaces. See warning label.
  • It comes with a warranty
  • It would be perfect for cooking s’mores.