The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
photographed some unusual things in Montana
July 2013

The two RV Gypsies drove from Saskatchewan, Canada to Hungary Horse, Montana. As they were passing Cut Bank, Montana, they spotted a giant penguin that is listed on Roadside America.

Cut Bank is a small town on US Highway 2, en route from I-15 to Glacier National Park. If they have glaciers, it stands to reason that this region is colder than most of the rest of the US. Hence the claim that Cut Bank is the "Coldest Spot in the Nation" (ignoring Alaska, of course).

The giant penguin statue is 27 feet tall, 10,000 pounds of concrete over a metal frame, standing on a rounded base labeled with the "Coldest Spot" claim, and next to a sign for the Glacier Inn.

The sculpture, designed by Ron Gustafson, is made of material that might make it appear to be a classic; 70 or 80 years old. But it was built more recently, in 1989. And it has a hidden feature -- when working -- it talks!

Other towns claim dominion in the subzero battle, including International Falls, Minnesota -- Icebox of the Nation. Weather data shows that the town of Stanley, Idaho is often the coldest place in the lower 48. But they apparently never warm up enough to go outside and erect a statue.

One of hundreds of coffee houses seen in the west and mountains, the coffee house shown below is shaped like a teepee and is in downtown Browning, MT along US Route 2 in the Blackfeet Reservation.

Below: Blackfoot Nation Scrap Metal Warriors: A very unique and interesting display denoting the entrance to the Blackfoot Nation. The two warriors are a great work of figurative art put together with miscellaneous scrap.

There are four flags alongside this monument (seen in the panorama photo above) and each of the flags have a unique topping (seen in photos below)

Below: Marias Pass (elevation 5,213 feet) is a high mountain pass near Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana in the United States.

The pass traverses the Continental Divide in the Lewis Range, along the boundary between the Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Flathead National Forest. The pass forms the southern limit of the Continental Ranges, a major grouping of the Rocky Mountains which extends as far north as McGregor Pass in the Northern Rockies of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Great Bear Wilderness in Lewis and Clark National Forest is south of the pass and Glacier National Park is to the north. During the winter, the pass is the only way to cross the Continental Divide by road in the United States north of Montana's Rogers Pass (to be distinguished from British Columbia's Rogers Pass), because of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

Below: Marias Pass obelisk and statue of John F. Stevens. (The Obelisk was once located between the travel lanes of US 2)

Below: From a moving RV, Karen Duquette tried to photograph the mountains with splotches of snow on them, but somehow the train became the subject of the below photo.

Below: The two RV Gypsies ate at Glacier Village Cafe just outside of the east entrance of Glacier National Park in Montana. The food was terrible. Karen Duquette turned her eggplant sandwich back in and would not order anything else. Lee Duquette ate his food but did not really like it.

Wild River Adventures- white water rafting in rain, thunder, lightning, and HAIL

Kootenai Falls and
a swinging bridge

Oddities outside
Glacier National Park

Mountain Meadow RV Park

Libby "The City of Eagles"