Montana Mountaineer: Thanksgiving spirit on the road..

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Now this is, in my opinion, is probably the most creative holiday's ever invented. Not because the 4000 plus calorie meals, the classic NFL games hosted by Detriot and Dallas, or the Bond-a-thon movie marathons on thanksgiving day. For me and many of us, today marks a special point in our countdown to ski season in the flathead. While much of our family fills their minds with fantasies of pumpkin pie and stuffing, we dream in anticipation of being able to sit ourselves back in the comfort of stepping off chair 1, and exploring areas seemingly forgotten by the summer heat. Many of us hope that spending the weekend with family, will distract us from the unusually low snow levels at the base of Big Mountain right now. I know, I know, it's depressing. The bits of comfort I can offer right now are these:

1) Remember opening day last year? We couldn't even ski down the front until mid december, when we styarted getting hammered with snow.
2) Snowmaking! The slopeside crews have their arsenal of snowguns to ensure a solid base, even if the weather doesn't.
3) Give thanks for what we have already. Today is the day for that, just keep that in your mind when you are all round the table.

Now enough philosiphy for now. I ate breakfast the other day in Ovando. Damn they make good food.

For those who don't know, Ovando sits on your way between Helena and Kalispell. It's right between Miners Hill junction, and Stillwater Junction. Small red building. I wouldn't think twice about eating there if I had not heard from my brother. From the outside, you are suprised it has a lawn. On the opposite side of the parking lot, there are a number of trailers and Rv's, mainly from hunters on long trips. Walking in, you are greeted by the owners dog, who is friendly as can be. Your choice of tables comes with it's own personal trophy buck: Antelope, Mule, Whitetail, Elk, or moose. Off in the corner, You can find multiple gaming machines coupled with a billards table as old as the place itself. Looking towards the opposite side, a multitude of gambling machines are placed with the bar area. The smell emmiting from the kitchen is mixed with the odor of whatever occured last night. We all guessed a backroads country band. The food was delicious, the coffee more than enjoyable, and the bacon was cooked to perfection. I guess that what happens when you order the largest item on the menu. While eating, I noticed a man in flannel, sitting a one of the gambling machines, thouroughly obbessed with taking home some extra cash. Sitting next to the table is the dog, waiting for the scraps that eventually were his before sauntering off to sleep. Will our stomachs filled with a slurry of coffee, eggs and bacon, we pile into the car and continue our way towards helena, and our thanksgiving gathering. Truely this will not be my last time here, and that's not because of the food, because of how amazing one roadside stop can be.

Inside of Trixies