MONTANAThe trip across Montana was just that, a trip across the State. Something like 400 miles of farmland broken up by strip towns of various sizes. I had forgotten one of the joys of trips in a car - road construction. Every state, every day, minutes to lots of minutes are consumed in an attempt to get around or through this construction.We stopped at the Town of Havre because the billboards (yes, there are lots of billboards) advertised a whole town constructed underground. Upon arrival we discovered that the "town" we a reconstruction of places that one would expect to find in a town, enhanced with manikins. We took a pass. CALGARYThe trip to Canada was also a long one. Carol got nervous with us carrying the shotgun so we stopped at a Post Office and mailed the gun to ourselves in California. When the border guard asked us if we had any firearms we were able to say no.The Canadian landscape, for some reason, looked greener and cleaner. It was cooler, no higher than 80 or so. Our lunch in a small town, Claresholm, was very good. In five hours or so, the speed limit is 75 and no one seems to go that slowly. downtown buildings, offices and stores are linked by walkways so that you can go for blocks in both directions without ever going outside. Like Minnesota, the bridges are a method for the people who live in the city to live in and apartment or park their car and walk to their offices or to shops.
apartment or park their car and walk to their offices or to shops.
 I was confused that the city did not have a downtown avenue that was devoted to shopping. Instead, shopping is all under roof. One mall consists of 229 and another 200. Both these are connected! We had a great afternoon shopping and sightseeing this phenomenon. To frost this cake, the roof of one of the mall is a huge greenhouse that is loaded with plants, streams, ponds, and walkways.
We have decided to stay in the city an extra day and sightsee before we head for Lake Louise. MORE CALGARY After the driver had an eleven hour sleep we got up and switched hotels to the one Carol wanted but was booked because of the Calgary Stampede (Rodeo). It is a really nice place across the river from the city center. It is in a place called Kenningston - an area gentrifying, but funky now. I really didn't care where we stayed as long as I didn't have to drive any distance to get to it.
Getting to the place we went in the wrong direction but ended up with a great  view of the city. The city is small enough to get around easily (we walked end to end (or close to it) of the downtown both days we were there. It is confusing though as the city fathers didn't have enough names for streets and avenues so the streets are numbered 1 to 70 (both NW, NE, SW, and SE) and the avenues 1-146 (again NE, NW, SE, and SW).
 We ate lunch in heir Chinatown, small by NY, SF, Washington, and Chicago standards but of a respectable size. The restaurant was large and mobbed with Chinese, locals, and tourists. We then went on to a coop art center (like the Torpedo Factory). Pretty poor quality stuff. We walked back to the hotel and strolled through Kenningston. We will collapse before dinner.
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