Newbie_2_MB

We've been up in the wilds of Montana for the past few days, checking out potential areas for retirement. The GL has certainly been used off-road on this trip! We've been down many miles of dirt/gravel roads and I'm amazed at how well it rides on a washboard road surface.

We've seen 1 ML in this state and a few MB sedans, but no other GL's. We've put on about 1,800 miles and the GL has run great. It's a mess (the car wash guys are going to hate me) but still turns heads at a stop light. Although having California plates on a Mercedes in Montana isn't the most desirable thing...if/when we do move up here (10 - 15 years) I'll probably go back to Ford just so I blend in and not stand out like a sore thumb!

Can Drive 55

Beautiful place. The last time I was there, near Flathead Lake, just south of Kalispell, the nighttime sky was so bright from only star light that I could read a newspaper outside. They call it Big Sky Country for a reason.

Stumblefoot

Nahhhhhh... just change the plate to Montana and you'll fit in just fine. Dont' go downscale on us!

Glad to see you're having a great time in big sky country.

Newbie_2_MB

There is only 1 MB dealer in all of Montana & it's in Missoula where we're headed tomorrow. There is a Ford dealership in literally every corner and I'm not sure if I want this expensive of a vehicle in these winters. Of course, I could just park the GL during the winter and drive something else....hhhmmm....there's an idea!

oknish

Great to hear from you, Jen, and glad you guys are having fun. I guess having only 1 dealer is a bit of change from LA

Have fun and be safe.

WordSmith

Drive the GL and enjoy it! Nice cars are few and far between in Montana. The only scary part is only having one MB dealer in the state. If they don't know their stuff, you have nowhere else to go.

Nevada Jack

Enjoy the rest of the trip Jen...nice to get away and wander in new places. The GL makes it all that more pleasurable...:-)

Stumblefoot

Well... there you have it then... buy you a little retirement pad up on Flathead Lake and enjoy the beautiful 1 hour drive south to Missoula when you need service.

Enjoy your time in Missoula and if you get a chance, head south out of town into the Bitteroot Valley. You'll see what Lewis & Clark saw 200 years ago when they crossed Lemhi Pass, which today serves as the state line between Montana and Idaho.

Can't wait to hear all about the trip when we get together in Vegas!

Nevada Jack

Hey Stumble...you sound like the Montana Chamber of Commerce... do you moonlight with them...:-)))

cjh.

Glad your enjoying the road trip, it sure is fun to drive the GL over long distances. No need to worry about driving the GL in the winter, I drove through 8 inches of snow this winter and could barely tell it was there.

Stumblefoot

Nahhhhhh... Just love that neck of the woods of our country.

Don't get me started on Glacier National Park, or I'll never get back to talking GL's again.

oknish

You've got me convinced. Just looked up Flathead lake and am thinking will visit there next year.

Newbie_2_MB

That's where we're headed tomorrow & we're looking forward to it.

We visited the dealership & spoke with the owner...very nice guy. No 550's, they have 1 coming & it's already sold. They had 1 450 and 2 320's. The dealer said he LOVES the 320's. He gave us a great recommendation for a steak house and spent about 30 minutes talking to us about the area.

Stumblefoot

Maybe that'll be next summer's GL Meet/Greet Event after Vegas. Just imagine the looks we'd get on the "Going-to-the-Sun" road. Be sure to look that one up and just imagine us in a convoy with NJ and his new camera. Holy Smokes!

jhcicco

Western Montana is beautiful. Eastern Montana is the pits. Montana is the only western state that the settlers settled in the western part first because they didn't think anyone could live in the eastern part. It wasn't until cattle came to Montana did they start settling in the eastern part.

Anyone know what a 'jocky box' is? It's a Montana term that I didn't know when I married my wife who is from Miles City Montana. My in-laws thought that I was a hick because I didn't know what it was.

jpeardm

Back in the day I had one set up in the trunk of my 55 Chev for nights at the drive in theater. Nothin' like a cold one with the GF on a hot August night.

jhcicco

jpeardm, wrong answer; one that I had when my father-in-law told me to go outside and get XYZ from the jockey box. I'll wait to see if anyone else guesses before giving the correct Montana answer.

Newbie_2_MB

OK, I cheated & Googled it...is it a beer dispensing device?

I didn't know what a pasty was (the food item, guys!) and had one yesterday for lunch.

Nevada Jack

We here in the Southwest still call it a "glove compartment" but you Montana folks don't put your gloves there...you fill it with "crap, crap and more crap..."

Ain't Google a wonderful thing...:-)

jhcicco

NJ, You are correct.

I had no clue what it was and looked in the toolshed, milk box (yes they had one), mail box, trunk of the car, garage and anything else that looked like a box. I froze my butt off, because it was at Christmas time and the outside temperature was 10.