Another busy day was on schedule for us, so we checked out of the Glacier Park Lodge this morning* and said farewell to our elegant home of the last two nights.

Front of the lodge, we were in a room on the third floor with a view of the mountains out the back.

Lobby. Pretty swanky. Yes, that is a taxidermied mountain goat.

We drove to the Two Medicine entrance of the park, and made our way toward Two Medicine Lake, where we had another boat cruise scheduled.  Today we got to ride aboard the Sinopah, a boat built in 1926 and listed on the National Registry of Historic Vessels.

Ahoy!

Boat captain Linnea suggested that moose sometimes liked to hang out in the ponds to the south of the lake, so after our cruise was over, Emily and I hiked back along the trail to investigate.  Unfortunately the moose must have been elsewhere at the time, but we did get to see this impressive beaver dam on one of the ponds:

Dam photograph.

We had one more short hike planned, so we walked back to the car and drove with Mom to the Running Eagle Falls Nature Trail.

The namesake Running Eagle falls, named after Running Eagle, a female (you go girl!) Blackfeet Indian warrior.

The view in the other direction with the falls behind us. Tough to say goodbye to views like this.

Even though we were leaving Glacier, our adventures were not over yet!  Our next destination was Helena, where Emily could cross another capitol off the list, and we could all spend sometime with my wonderful friend and Helena resident/expert, Jen.

Since the Gophers were kicking off their football season with a game this evening, we'd made plans to meet at a sports bar showing the game.  And it just so happens that Jen's preferred sports bar is the recently refurbished Windbag Saloon.  Which just so happens to be the former home of Big Dorothy's Saloon and Brothel.  Yesssssssssss.  

Jen had taken me to the Windbag when Sarah and I visited a few years ago.  The refurbishment has tragically** removed some of the authentic bordello feel of the old establishment, but the food and drinks were delicious, and this version has TVs on the wall, so overall I must admit it is a good upgrade.

It's not even a selfie, and yet somehow this is truly an unflattering picture of everyone involved, including Big Dorothy, who's mug shot is on the wall behind us.

After dinner Jen took us for a walk along Last Chance Gulch, and led us to Montana's well-known Big Dipper Ice Cream, which was indeed packed, and very tasty. 

We said goodnight and, amidst some confusion as to where the car keys were, made plan to meet again in the morning.  We got to the hotel just in time to watch the end of the Gopher game, which they won, Ski-U-Mah!

*Not before enjoying the breakfast buffet, of course.
**Perhaps more tragic than the redecorating, we found out that the Big Dorothy company is no longer producing their cherished wine, the- and I am not making this up- "Big Dorothy's Whorehouse Red".