Talking with Shuttle Passengers at Glacier National Park

I am down to the last two workdays in Glacier. I have met some wonderful people and want to share a couple stories.

Mr. Mike from California

Mr. Mike, a Navy veteran from California, shared some stories from his time while stationed in Japan. (Mr. Mike earned his name from his time driving a school bus.)

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Two of Mr. Mike’s fellow sailors were hunters back home in the US. They met a Japanese man who had a hunting dog & invited the three of them to go pheasant hunting with him. Mr. Mike wasn’t a hunter & didn’t hit anything, but his friends both shot pheasants. They took the birds with them to the local watering hole. The lady who worked there plucked, dressed & cooked the birds. Mr. Mike said it was a delicious meal & the birds were cooked to perfection.

Later, the Japanese man offered his hunting dog to the sailors while he was out of town. They took the dog out & the dog chased pheasants, but the men didn’t know the Japanese commands to tell the dog to heel. Mr. Mike said that the dog ran & ran until pheasants were flying in every direction!

Mr. Mike talked about the job he retired from & his grandchildren. He said that what he values most now is time. Meeting people, having conversations & sharing experiences are what he treasures most. I was so glad to have met him and heard his stories. When he got off of the shuttle, I gave him a hug and thanked him for sharing with me.

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Bruce from Norton

I met Bruce yesterday and it is a reminder of how small this world actually is. Bruce started our conversation by joking & offering to drive the shuttle, so I knew this was going to be a fun interaction.

Bruce told me that he was from Knoxville & asked me where I was from. When I said a small town in Virginia, he asked where. When I said Bluefield, he told me he was originally from Norton. Norton is another small Virginia town about an hour from Bluefield. My grandmother’s sister taught school there until she retired!

AND….we know someone in common. Mr. John Scott was a library patron at the library I managed in Calabash, NC. He was a principal in Norton & Bruce knew exactly who he was!

Bruce & his wife have two restaurants/breweries in Knoxville. They love visiting the national parks & I am so glad that he ended up in my shuttle yesterday!

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I’ve met people from all over the world—Canada, Israel, Ukraine, Japan, Norway & more. I’ve had Mennonite, Muslim & Jewish passengers. I’ve talked with passengers of all ages. The common thread is that they all love to travel, to explore our beautiful country & national parks & they are extremely kind. When they share their stories, they are sharing their lives & experiences with you.

Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful places I have visited. I will remember all of the beautiful sights along my daily drive & especially all the wonderful people I have met. Thanks for sharing your stories with me!