9/29/2015
The Hotel Murray had charm oozing out of every room. I climbed into the bed after watching the band in their pub. The mattress cradled my body and I passed out in an instant. In the middle of the night however, the nerves in my legs nudged me awake. It was a strange pain, not like a cramp. Somehow my muscle moved into the wrong place. After rotating my leg around in the air I heard a loud pop. The pain fled and I was free to return to slumber.
The next morning I had the chance to thank Kathleen on my way out. She had been a friendly host. I couldn’t stop raving about her place. It was hard to believe such a stylish and charming place could exist in a small town. I wished I could stay longer but I knew I was still trying to beat the winter to Seattle.
The road was a slow climb and I could feel a chill in my bones. I took the frontage road until it stopped. Crystal and I went on different routes to Bozeman right after meeting up at the Grizzly Bear sanctuary. I found out the place cared for five Grizzlies, one of which was a famous actor. Once I started my climb into the hills the road before my feet turned to dirt and rock. This road led me to a bridge that was no longer intact. I had to jump a fence on private property to cross this busted bridge and I didn’t want to backtrack. After getting a little dirty I found the road that led me to the main street in Bozeman. My legs stopped at the Western Heritage Hotel. I relaxed my feet for a minute before Crystal and I headed out for dinner.
We were headed to Applebee’s once again. The restaurant’s management everywhere had been good to us on a large portion of this trip. The staff at the Bozeman location chatted with me about our adventures. Everyone did their best to put a smile on our face and food in our stomachs. I had my usual three cheese pasta but this time it came with spinach and mushrooms. The spinach was lightly cooked and the mushrooms were hearty. Of course the best part of the meal was desert. I had the rich chocolate lava cake with a scoop of ice cream. The meal left me satiated and ready for bed. I didn’t even have the energy to tap away on the keyboard.
The key to this trip was to take our days one at a time. Each day survived was cause for celebration. After a restful evening, Crystal started the morning with phone calls for lodging. We were given word early that we would stay in another western themed motel in the town of Whitehall. It was called the Broken Spur Motel. Getting there would cost my legs thirty-two miles.
I ran through downtown and met with Crystal near the edge of Bozeman. We discovered an out of the way Mexican restaurant called La Fiesta. It certainly was a fiesta when we entered. The hidden spot was very popular. The food had to be good. My lunch special enchilada plate was ample and very cheesy. It provided me all the energy I needed for the day. I would need the fuel for the next thirty-one miles. As soon as I reached the frontage road, the shoulder became very narrow. Side roads were generally quiet especially when located next to a freeway. This one seemed busier than the freeway. I got blown around every time a large truck passed. I hopped on and off the road to avoid being squashed like a bug. The day was spent running on the slanted sides with dry grass. I was surprised to see several other runners taking to the small roads in the middle of nowhere as well. On the plus side, the weather had warmed and my joints felt well oiled.
Eventually I found a biking and running path. Spray painted markers for a race signified distance. For me it signified that I was close to the Broken Spur Motel. The path took me on a more scenic route. I passed several ponds where the fish jumped out of the water to eat flying insects. I could see how easy it was for the fish to feed because I also got a taste of a few crunchy bugs.
After rounding a golf course, a straight road took me directly to our motel. The place was located close to many tourist attractions. The lodgings were western themed of course and the bath was hot. The neighbors were quiet and the owner Rick looked like Santa Clause. Come to think of it, he did give us the gift of surviving one more day.
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