One sunny morning in August, Jamie's grandparents arrived to pick him up for an overnight camping trip. 

Into the car they loaded his sleeping bag and back pack, two pillows, clothes, his water bottle, 

  a flash light, and books. Granddad loaded Jamie's bike on top of the pile along with a bag of toys. 

After all the packing, Jamie said goodbye to Mom and Papa and his dogs Shilo and    

  Mai-le. The campers began the drive to Glacier National Park. 

After a block Grandma turned to Granddad.   

"Turn back! We forgot the sand toys and the life jacket." 

 Jamie waited in the car until Grandma returned, waving his beach bag. 

Once again, they were on their way to Glacier National Park.

"This is not the road my mom takes," Jamie pointed out.  

He was only five years old, but very interested in directions and travel.

"We're trying my route. Something new and different," replied Granddad.  

He winked at Jamie's reflection in the rear view mirror. Jamie turned to look out the window. 

"I really want to get some jello. When can we stop at a gas station to buy jello? " Jamie asked. 

"No need for gas stations or gas," Granddad replied without hesitation. "We need to shop for groceries."   

Granddad was eager to get supplies and to settle into a camp site. 

They made a quick stop at Super One in Columbia Falls to buy all kinds of camping food.  

Jamie picked out   a four-pack of lemon-lime jello. In the cereal aisle, 

 he used Grandma's cell phone to say goodbye once more to Mom.

Then the campers drove straight to Glacier National Park.

At Glacier National Park, Granddad found a peaceful

camping spot in some tall pine trees at a place called Apgar Campgrounds.  

"How about here?   Is here in Loop A okay?"

"Yes!   Let's get out of this car," said Grandma.

Now it was time to unload everything they had just packed up.

"Jamie, there are bears in this park and maybe nearby. 

We need to be careful with our groceries," Granddad explained. 

"Tonight we have to store our food in the bear box."

Jamie helped pitch the tent.   He unfolded two very long poles and  

guided them through the tent sleeves. That was the tricky part.

Then everyone worked together to raise the tent and unroll the sleeping bags.

Jamie did some leaping and jumping around in the tent, which was  

so tall even Granddad could stand up inside.   He picked his spot 

for sleeping and organized his flashlight and story books near his pillow. 

After exploring the campgrounds, everyone wanted to play. 

Granddad unloaded the bikes, and off the campers cycled to the 

children's nature cabin near Apgar Village. 

When they arrived at the nature cabin in the early 

afternoon, there were no other visitors. Two lady rangers 

from Illinois and Oregon were happy for company.  

They showed Jamie the pelts of a white winter weasel and a brown summer weasel.

They invited him to touch the enormous claw of a bear. 

 Jamie was brave and held the bear's claw all right, 

but he turned away quickly to explore the other exhibits.

A large basket of colorful stuffed birds caught his eye. He ran over to peek inside.

"Heh, I know these!" Jamie grinned. 

He gently picked up a cuddly chickadee, a robin, and the mountain bluebird. 

Each one made its own special bird call when it was squeezed. 

Then Jamie was ready to go.

"Thanks for the tour. Are we close to Apgar Village?" Grandma asked the rangers. 

The ladies showed the campers the bike path to the village.

Jamie and his grandparents waved goodbye as they rode off on their bikes.

At Apgar Village, a man with a telescope invited Jamie to look at the sun.   

Jamie climbed the ladder to the scope while the man told him how 

fiery hot the sun is.   Through the scope, it looked like a flat, red circle with flickering flames. 

That day in August, the sun beat down hot on Jamie and his grandparents.

"Look! Ice cream!" Jamie pointed across the road at a patio full of people eating ice cream. 

Granddad led the way.   At the counter, Jamie ordered mint chocolate chip and huckleberry

 and was served two enormous balls of ice cream towering over a little cone.

"Will he be able to finish all that ice cream?" Granddad asked Grandma. 

The grandparents watched attentively as Jamie skillfully 

rotated and balanced the melting scoops until every last bit was gone. 

  Afterward they rode the bike path through the woods to the Apgar Visitor Center. 

Jamie rode the fastest. 

Inside the visitor center, Jamie saw long lines of campers and tourists wearing T shirts 

from places all over the United States. They waited their turn in line so Grandma and  

 Granddad could ask about the Junior Ranger program. The ranger on duty gave Jamie 

a Junior Ranger assignment book for five year old kids.  

"Have fun with it! We want you to enjoy this beautiful park," said the smiling ranger.

They biked back through the forest to their camp site. 

"Heh, let's go ‘sploring," Jamie said as he jumped off his bicycle.

"I really want to see what's over there!" 

Off he flew.   Grandma and Granddad had to walk fast to catch up. 

Jamie was hiking through a thicket of snowberry bushes 

and heading in the direction of Lake McDonald.

"Jamie, wouldn't you rather take this nice path?"   suggested Granddad.

"No, no. I like it right here," Jamie pushed away bushes up to his shoulders. 

"Follow me. We’re ‘sploring!"

Jamie picked up two good-sized sticks from the ground. 

"These are my weapons. We need these when a bear chases us," he said.

"Or let's make noise so we don't surprise the bears,"   advised Grandma. 

"So they won't even be interested in us."

They walked further into the woods. Suddenly a large bird flew right in front

of Jamie.   It landed on a tree trunk.   Two more of the same kind flew about, 

followed by another. They were HUGE woodpeckers.   Jamie froze in his tracks and 

silently watched the birds fly from tree to tree.