Rattlesnakes and Bears Oh My!

It took a while but I finally got my dear hubby infected with the traveling bug. While we haven't been exotic, worldwide travelers we have managed to spend time in some really great places (ahhhhh, Maui!). Unfortunately, some of the great places come with not so great (read: scary) critters. Now this sign really should be posted outside my office when its been a bad day...my back is to my office door but like a snake, I sense body heat...and BAM! I stretch out and strike before you know what hit you. Not really, but you have to admit, it sure made for a good visual! We were on our trip to Glacier National Park. We pulled into one of the rest areas, and I forget where this one was...hey, when the only thing on your mind after drinking coffee all morning is... "I think I can make it, I think I can"... And if you are lucky to have my family (gotta love 'em), they are talking about waterfalls swooshing over, singing...raindrops keep falling on your head, ice cold lemonade...well, you get the picture! Anyhow...back to the sign...you get out of your car and look up as you are rushing by to see that sign. It stops you in your track Really? Rattlesnakes? At least they warn you! But all the way to the BR...I hear rattles...well, that's what it sounds like but hubby tells me that its just the cicadas (ewwwww, another topic for another day though). So if you are out in Wyoming or Montana...just a warning that there are rattlesnakes! Thank goodness, we never ran into any...on our hikes in the mountains or as we were rushing to the loo!

Now, my title is Rattlesnakes and Bears...As you may know, Glacier National Park is known for their Grizzly Bears...yes GRIZZLY! Not the cute cuddly looking black bears we have back in Minnesota. (I said cuddly looking). Well, my daughter loves bears...FROM A DISTANCE! We hiked (not her favorite pasttime, whining the whole way) back to a waterfall and as we were preparing to go a bit further back in the woods to see a big moose that someone else had said was there...I am walking and watching my footing so I don't fall and kill myself when I hear scrambling behind me, insistent whimpering and, well, okay...complete and total panic! I hear "b-b-b-b-bear"...turn around and see her pointing in front of me as she scrambles backward up a rock as fast as she can...And what do I see? A doggone Grizzly headed right to where my husband (who has the car keys, btw!) and son were walking. Note to self: carry the extra set of keys when on vacation, you just never know...

We did get to observe other Grizzlies on this trip but not as close as this one was...and we did it from THE CAR!!!! (Thank goodness for a telephoto lens!!!!

All this talk of vacations are making me want to start planning our next one...if the price of gas keeps going up, the only vacation will be to our back yard! Off to make money....do I have to? Whatever happened to being independently wealthy? Sheesh.