DAY 44 - "Gooooo Grizz!!!"

Today was supposed to be an uneventful drive-day, but turned out to be so much more than that.

Madam Nostalgia, I didn’t expect to see you on this trip.

We left Columbia Falls and headed south toward West Yellowstone. Low and behold, the fastest route was around Flathead Lake and through Missoula, Montana.

I spent my freshman and sophomore years of collage as a Grizzly student and member of the track and field team and these guys were good enough to take a break and stroll around campus for a bit.

Ooh, boy howdy, I hadn’t been there since I was 19 and the wave of nostalgia that washed over was intense.

Craig Hall is still standing proud in all of its 1960’s architectural majesty and the campus is just as beautiful as I remember.

We did a big lap and headed back to the car.

Passing the last few academic buildings before the Adams Center and the parking lot, I spotted a familiar face. Could that be my old professor, Michael Murphy?! I know him!

When I attended The University of Montana, they had a Radio/Television program and, though the department head wasn’t too keen on athletes (his words, not mine), I was able to take a few classes without declaring a major.

Michael Murphy taught my first film class: a three-hour paradise every Wednesday night in the dead of Montana winter.

He was a fountain in information and insight to which I had never been exposed. He was passionate and knowledgeable and never made me feel foolish for having an impossible dream.

And there he was again, Michael Murphy! Even if he just pretended to remember me, it was so nice to see him again.

The huge eyerolls from Steven, David, and Nancy for running into someone I know made it even better.

We eventually said goodbye to Missoula and jumped on The 90.

Starved and taking the reigns as lunch-finder, Steven suggested a lunch stop in Drummond called Parker’s.

What an absolute gem of a burger joint in this no-stop-sign town!

The menu didn’t even have a logo on it; just four sticky pages of burger options named after movies and cities and locals alike.

We all went with outrageous selections. I even added a fried egg to my Blues Brothers Burger and received a nod of approval from the waitress. Blending!

She dropped lots of “darlins” and “sweeties” on us and brought out little red plastic baskets with the biggest burgers we could get our pie-holes around, all nestled on a bed of crispy tater-tots.

Each one of our meals was $11.50.

Best lunch find yet!

Despite being in physical pain from our lunch-sins, we forged on to West Yellowstone and the Stage Coach Inn.

Now, for the past few months, I’ve been in contact with our old exchange student from The Netherlands, Klaas Bochove, who came to live with my family in Klamath Falls for a part of his senior year in 1993.

We’ve been in and out of touch via written letters and, eventually, e-mails for the last 31 years.

Recently, Klaas let me know he and his family would be traveling to the states this summer for a Pacific Northwest camper tour and was hoping to meet up. YEAH!!

But I had no idea if it would work out; not having a hard-laid-out itinerary of our own travels is great for spontaneity, but can be frustrating for others when it comes to planning.

Hopeful, Klaas and I touched base every few days and by some miracle of the travel Gods, we all ended up in Yellowstone National Park at the same time.

It was meant to be.

We were to meet in the lobby of the Stage Coach, which was appropriately decked out like a low-budget film version of Kevin Costner’s television Yellowstone home.

When Klaas walked through the door with Deirdre, Linde, and Mats, I recognized him immediately.

Deirdre, Linde, Klaas, moi, Steven, Nancy, Mats, & David

It was like no time had passed at all. Amazing how that can happen.

We moseyed down the street to find a place that could seat eight and ended up at Bear Tooth Barbecue where we reminisced and caught up for a couple hours.

Klaas was just as energetic as I remember and his family was just lovely, the kids so engaging and intelligent, I wish we had more time, but it was wonderful to see my big brother again.

Who knows, maybe the four of us will end up in Holland on another adventure.

What a day.

The mountains and rivers and lakes have all been mind-blowingly beautiful and are engraved in my mind, but I’ll remember the faces most of all.

DAY 45