Here's what I call a perfect afternoon -- a nice lunch (with two glasses of wine) followed by a scenic cruise on Lake Macdonald in Glacier Park.

The lake is deep (472 feet) and the water is incredibly, impossibly blue. It's because of the glacier flour, explained the Park Ranger. Glacier flour? As the glacier moves, it collects rocks and slowly grinds them to a fine powder. When the glacier recedes and begins to melt, these tiny particles are left behind in the lakes that form in the gladier's wake. It's this "glacier flour" that catches and reflects the sunlight and gives the water its wonderful colors.

There are lots of lakes in Glacier National Park, most of them accessible only by foot. Alas, my hiking days are over, and Bao's never even began. Glacier Park also boasts fifty tiny glaciers, all melting. Interestingly, none of the glaciers or lakes or mountains are called Grinnell. Why is this interesting? Because it was George Bird Grinnell who lobbied for the creation of Glacier National Park in 1910. If it hadn't been for Grinnell, none of this would be here. Or if it was here, we wouldn't be able to reach it.

Certainly, the spectacular Going to the Sun Road would never have been built, and this 52-mile tour-de-force of engineering is itself one of the wonders of Glacier National Park. It's not nearly as scary a drive as you're led to believe, so long as you take it slow and easy. The scenery is simply fantastic. Bao slept through it, of course. He slept through most of the boat ride, too. So long as I don't force him to camp, he's a happy camper!