Cartwright's Go West - Seeley Lake

We've moved our adventure to Seeley Lake, Montana. My family is sharing a large cabin along the Clearwater River adjacent to Seeley Lake. Unfortunately, through the first few days, the weather has been more appropriate for jackets and sweatshirts than bathing suits and lifejackets. Even so, the kids have kept busy looking for craw dads in the river and playing hide in seek in our cabin, which to them must feel  like a castle they've discovered in the midst of an adventure to some foreign land. 

Earlier this week, at cousin Becky's suggestion, we took the kids to an old ghost town buried high in a nearby mountain. Well, somewhat nearby. It ended up being a 40 minute drive, at the end of which Travis and I made the observation that the cousin who suggested the trip opted not to join in it. We began to suspect we'd been sent on a wild ghost town chase with the kids while some of the ladies caught up on a nap back at the castle. I'm still not convinced that wasn't the case. In addition, on top of the long drive, on this day the ghosts were dropping buckets of rain on their old home. With all that said, it was interesting to get a look at a century old mining town hidden away in a place the left you wondering how anyone ever found it to begin with, let alone live there.  

The rain did clear long enough for us to catch a breath-taking scene coming out of the mountains. I wondered how often the ghosts get to stop and take in this view. 

What the boys have been looking most forward to since arriving at Seeley Lake is not ghosts, but tubing on the lake. The temperatures have been too cool, but yesterday we decided to give in to the kids' insistence that NO water is TOO cool to tube on.  Late yesterday afternoon Travis said, "Let's just go and let them get it out of their system."  

When we pulled up to the boat ramp, I think the real reason we were supposed to be there came to light almost immediately.  

I heard someone yell, "what is that?" 

Then I heard Travis shout for Ian. "Ian, it's a river otter buddy."

We all scrambled to the edge of Seeley Lake and watched a real-live river otter swim through the waters. We've joined Ian in his hunt for one of these fellas for two years now. Yesterday we finally got to see one up close and personal. 

Once the excitement over the river otter subsided, the boys and their cousins were more pumped up than ever to get out on the tube. It didn't take long for us to discover they were right - it is never too cool to enjoy a good tube ride. 

Ian's face above says it all. They had a blast. And once again, the mountains surrounding Seeley Lake provided a beautiful show for those who could take their eyes off the tubing.