Tag Travel Experiences

One of the things I love about my travels is that I get to experience living elsewhere.  Staying at an AirBnB or with friends gives me the ability to experience life as if I were living in places other than Boston.  I get to shop at the local grocery stores, experience the coffee shop around the corner, see what night life is like and work remotely in different environments.  It’s like I’m living somewhere else for a small amount of time. These are my ‘other homes’ from my Missoula and back trip.

Des Moines, IA

My Des Moines AirBnB home was in a great location, in a beautiful neighborhood and had some old charm.  The coffee shop was just a few blocks away and downtown was a short drive.  I was able to take a short Uber to the Iowa State Fair and most activities and restaurants were a quick drive. Raven, the cat, loved sitting on my lap and visiting me in my room which was very sweet. The front porch was quaint and a great place to relax or get some work done.

Omaha, NE

My Omaha AirBnB was a comfortable little place in a very cute walkable residential neighborhood which I took advantage of. There were some really nice gardens up and down the street. Both the living room and front porch were very comfortable so I ended many of my evening just sitting in the front and reflecting.

Boise, ID

I think the Boise AirBnB was my favorite ‘home’ on this trip.  I had my own full apartment above the garage which made it look like it was up in the trees. It was in such a beautiful, walking, tree lined neighborhood which made it very peaceful. It was named “Pat’s Treehouse” after one of the owners, however, I called it that because I was able to watch the Pats on the big screen television!

Fargo, ND

My Fargo AirBnB kept the trend of being in a nice residential neighborhood. I was able to walk to a few restaurants as well as the Fargo Brewing Company. It had a beautiful outdoor sitting area which I took advantage of by eating some of my meals there. The weather was so nice, I was able to work outside sometimes as well. I was a little surprised that Fargo in October was that warm.

I have future AirBnBs in Raleigh, NC, Miami, FL and Birmingham, AL already reserved for my upcoming Florida family get-a-way trip.

The Bison Range is a nature reserve on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana. The range was established for the conservation of American bison. It was formerly called the National Bison Range until Congress restored it to federal trust ownership for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT).

In 1908, the federal government established the National Bison Range in the middle of our treaty-reserved home, the Flathead Indian Reservation, on land taken without our consent. The bison herd there descends from a free-ranging Reservation herd started by Tribal members in the 1800’s when plains bison were near extinction.
Through Public Law 116-260, Congress has now restored the Bison Range to federal trust ownership for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) so that our award-winning natural resource managers can take over as stewards of the Range’s buffalo, wildlife and land.
We are working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to transition from federal to Tribal management.

https://bisonrange.org/

It was a chilly day with scattered rain. Between the wildlife and the scenery, I found the drive through the reservation amazing!

Bison on the Range

Hiking in the Bison Range

There was a short hike at the top of the drive. Although it was a bit chilly, the hike with my cousins was very enjoyable and the scenery was amazing. We brought our bear spray with us!

Other wildlife

We were treated to some other wildlife as we drove through the Bison range. There was a herd of elk and off in the distance, a large elk with a huge set of antlers. My cousins had been here a few times prior but never saw as much wildlife as we saw that day. We live in an amazing world.

This was easily one of the most beautiful and scenic road trips I’ve taken on any of my van life travels. The first third of the trip followed along the Payette River and then it headed into the mountains. I made a few stops along the way including an oil change, coffee, some places that were too beautiful to just drive by, White Bird Battle Historical Monument and my first taste of a Huckelberry pie. Unfortunately, the last half of the drive was after dark so I didn’t get to see much at that point.

Driving along the Payette River.

Huckleberry Pie in Lucile, ID

I saw this place and decided to stop. I’d never had huckleberries before and thought this would be a good place to get some. The man working the counter was very friendly and helpful when I asked him about the fruit. He went into the back and cut me a slice of a new, fresh pie! Tastes like blueberry.

White Bird Battlefield Overlook – Nez Perce National Historical Park

On June 17, 1877, Captain David Perry and his troops moved into the canyon to strike the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) who were sheltering in one of their winter villages. The soldiers encountered a peace party of six warriors carrying a white flag riding towards them. A civilian volunteer shot twice at the peace party and the battle began. The U.S. cavalry was defeated with heavy losses and the Nimiipuu began their long journey to find safety and sanctuary. Another sad story about the white man’s mistreatment of Native Americans. You can read more about the battle here

I arrived in Missoula, MT late in the evening!