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Driving through Shelby, Toole
County, Montana USA, the two RV Gypsies met very little traffic, then
suddenly they came to a very oversized load which came to a complete
stop so that the two RV Gypsies' RV could very slowly squeeze past.
Luckily they met where there was just enough shoulder for the RV to
fit through, but that white post on the side of the road (which indicated
a ditch) made it a tight squeeze. |
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Cut Bank is a small town on
US Highway 2, the quickest route between I-15 and Glacier National Park.
If the park has glaciers, it stands to reason that this region is colder
than most of the rest of the U.S. -- hence Cut Bank's claim to be the
"Coldest Spot in the Nation" (ignoring Alaska, of course).
Cut Bank gives substance to its boast with a giant penguin statue,
27 feet tall, 10,000 pounds of concrete over a metal frame. The sculpture,
by Ron Gustafson, was built in 1989. And it has a hidden feature --
when working -- it talks! (This is the second time that the two RV Gypsies
have passed by this penguin, but have never stopped to hear if it actually
talks).
Other towns claim dominion in the subzero battle, including International
Falls, Minnesota, the so-called "Icebox of the Nation"-
(another place the two RV Gypsies have visited in the past). Weather
data shows that the town of Stanley, Idaho, is often the coldest place
in the lower 48. But these rivals apparently never warmed up enough
to go outside and build a statue.
Also shown below is a very unique tricycle that Karen Duquette quickly
photographed as Lee Duquette drove the RV. |
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Below: Approaching Del Bonita,
Montana - Port of Entry into Alberta, Canada |
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Del Bonita, MT - Port of Entry
- 4071 Chalk Butte, 41 miles north of the city of Cut Bank on Highway
213. Del Bonita is a Permit Port, which means that importations of cargo
must be approved in advance by the Area Port of Great Falls. Contact
the Supervisory Entry Officer at (406) 453-7631 Option 1 Extension 301
for more information. Operational Hours: Port hours year round: Winter-
September 16th to May 31st hours are 9 am to 6 p.m. Summer - June 1st
to September 15th hours are 8 am to 9pm. (All times, and phone numbers
posted on this website are always subject to change and NOT under the
control of the Two RV Gypsies).
As usual, the two RV Gypsies did NOT encounter any problems entering
Canada in their RV. |
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Alberta is
a western province of Canada and is Canada's fourth-most populous province
and the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces. Alberta and
its neighbor Saskatchewan were districts of the Northwest Territories
until they were established as provinces on September 1, 1905.
Alberta is bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west
and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north,
and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta is one of three
Canadian provinces and territories to border only a single U.S. state
and one of only two landlocked provinces. It has a predominantly humid
continental climate, with stark contrasts over a year but seasonal temperature
average swings are smaller than to areas further east, due to winters
being warmed by occasional chinook winds bringing sudden warming.
Alberta's capital, Edmonton, is near the geographic centre of the
province and is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's crude
oil, oil sands (Athabasca oil sands) and other northern resource industries.
About 290 km (180 miles) south of the capital is Calgary, the largest
city in Alberta. Calgary and Edmonton centre Alberta's two census metropolitan
areas, both of which have populations exceeding one million. Tourist
destinations in the province include Banff, Canmore, Drumheller, Jasper
and Sylvan Lake.
The two RV Gypsies made stops in Calgary and Edmonton on this trip.
(See the link at the bottom of this page). They have been to Banff and
Jasper twice in the past; both places that they love. |
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Below: More peaceful rolling
hills with little or no traffic. |
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The two RV Gypsies passed
through several little towns including Cardston on their way to Calgary,
and although they did not stop, Karen Duquette often takes pictures
as they pass through towns. |
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