At your next cocktail party (are they still called cocktail parties??) impress your friends with this little known fact. Ask them “what 3 rivers make up the Missouri?” Very few people will know. The answer is; the Gallatin, Jefferson and Madison. These 3 rivers join just outside of Three Forks Montana to form the mighty Missouri River.
My friend Ginny recently visited me here in Montana and on one of our many exciting adventures, we stopped at Missouri Headwaters State Park.
Ginny is as big of a Lewis and Clark – Corps of Discovery geek as I am, so we had a blast reading every single informative sign and stopping at all the exhibits.
As cool as this park is, the true point of this post is to share with you Ginny’s inspiring story.
About 7 years ago, Ginny and her husband were camping in Northern Wisconsin, when a tornado came through and dropped a tree on their tent. Her husband was not injured but Ginny broke her back, her ankle, severed a nerve in her spine among other injuries.
She went through several surgeries and and at the time no one knew if she would ever walk again.
Well, if you know Ginny at all, you know that NOTHING was going to keep her from enjoying an active life. So since the accident, Ginny has been working endlessly to gain as much of her old, active life as possible, and continues to achieve higher levels of strength and mobility, and to find more ways to be active in the outdoor world she loves.
Through her positive attitude, her determination, and her ability to overcome many obstacles, Ginny is able to get around with the support of 2 hiking poles (no stinking canes for our avid outdoors woman!!). She is a ROCK STAR!
So apart from being a great friend, Ginny is my role model, my inspiration and my high bar. On days when I feel pissed off, or cheated, or whiny about something, I think of Ginny; her attitude, her perseverance and all she has overcome and I am grateful for my wonderful life and all I get to experience.
Ginny, thank you for the gift of your inspiration!
What I learned about the Park:
Cool thing in Montana is that with a state license plate on your car, you get into all the state parks free. So there is no good reason not to visit them all year long. This park is a perfect stop on any trip, just off of I-90, take the time to venture back into the past and you will be surprised to experience this place which looks almost the same as when my friends William, Meriwether and Sacajawea were here.
What I learned about myself:
A reminder for me: keep imagining the best life, and keep living it!!
Some thoughts for you:
Be inspired by someone or someplace! Let that inspiration motivate you to live the life you want, and work for the things that matter most to you. And visit your State Parks!
Remember — Get out there!!!
More about this park:
Within the boundaries of this scenic park the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers merge to form the 2,300 mile Missouri River. The Missouri Headwaters area was a geographical focal point important to early Native Americans trappers, traders and settlers. Coveting the regions bountiful resources, the Flathead, Bannock and Shoshoni Indians competed for control of the area as did the trappers and settlers who followed.
The legendary Sacajawea was captured here as a child and eventually returned as a member of the Corps of Discovery. Read more on VisitMT.com
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Grandma Rocks the Park (GRP) 