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| Memory Lane Walk via Schools - Home - Hood, MT | |
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| | Memory Lane Walk via Schools - Home - Hood, MT | | | |
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Memory Lane Walk via Schools - Home - Hood, MT
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| Walk / Tour | 4.79 Miles |
314 AEG |
| | Walk / Tour | 4.79 Miles | | | |
| 314 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I know, Angela, really, such a long trip report. Sorry about that, but it's written now. I decided the night before, during our 50th HS Reunion Greet and Meet, that I would take a hike down memory lane, in this case, a Havre 'hood walk (which is technically UP as there are two hills involved to get to my old house). The previous day I also visited with one of our former babysitters who has dementia and other health problems. I then took her daughter and a neighbor girl out to dinner.
The next day I started from where I went to school, St Judes to 7th St, around the 'hood, to Havre High and back around the 'hood the long way returning to Pepin Park. It was such an incredible journey back in time, very emotional as I write this on Jul 27. I ADVISE ANY OF YOU THAT HAVE OLD 'HOODS TO DO A WALK THROUGH NOW, so when you want to do it later in life, you'll remember better where people live and such.
My elementary and junior high school still look pretty much the same, though spiffed up a little. Now let's see how long it really was to walk home from school. I headed down the street where the trees are so much bigger now, providing some nice shade on this rather warm day for Havre. And all of a sudden a squirrel scampers across the sidewalk (don't remember squirrels around here back in the day). I headed toward the hill where I would turn east. A memorable hill as I accidentally dumped my brother off the bike  we were riding when I couldn't control my speed. As I progressed up the hill I could see that the shortcut we used to take was pretty overgrown, so I'm not sure the kids use it anymore. Altho they've had a lot of rain.
I walked down the street and tried to remember all of the people who lived along it. One of the houses was the D'Hooge home. I last saw her and a neighbor down the street in 2005 when our former babysitter/bookkeeper organized a neighborhood gathering. Ironically, I would later run into the D'Hooge daughter that babysat us; she built a house above their old house.
There's lots of other notes I could share as I continued on my journey home. If you're curious about the 'hood you'll just have to watch the video. I walked up the street that we used to get to the bus for high school and sled down in winter. I recalled the time I lost control (yes, I did that more times than I care to share here  ) and slid under a parked pick up truck.
I knew the old house was in rough shape. It is listed for sale from time to time. It is a unique tri-level that had a sliding foundation that seeming was repaired in 2015. I'm still surprised it didn't slide down the hill. The interior is quite something and much of it is exactly like it was in 1960 when we moved in (including this fabulous blue and yellow master bath with yellow tub, toilet and sinks!). I continued up the hill to see the old neighbors' houses, some are pretty much the same and are really showing their age. Like a lot of Havre, much is just not kept up anymore  . There is a whole new neighborhood here too. There used to be one house in this area and now it's all filled in. I walked around and circled back toward the very large ground water tank. I checked out the baseball field and they've done major upgrades to it including a fabulous park. We would have loved that.
I kept walking across the hill trying to follow the route to/from the high school that I walked on occasion (usually if I missed the bus as I ended up late due to a school event). I really wasn't sure how far it was, but as I continued through a beautiful new neighborhood with nice houses I caught a glimpse of the school. With some zigging and zagging I was able to get down and over to do my selfie with the Blue Pony statue. As you know I don't normally do selfies but I made an exception. It was about 1 3/4 miles to Havre High from our old house.
I walked around the school and then headed back hoping to go up the street by the water tank but I turned too soon. Nonetheless, I was still getting some AEG and ended up at the park by the ballfield. I circled around the water tank and then noticed a new road so I checked it out and got to see the skateboard park that was sponsored by Montana native Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam.
And now to check out 8th Street. We mostly hung out and knew people on the west side including my younger brother's best friend. We had great moms in our neighborhood and I remember them fondly. As far as I know, two are still living. I rounded the corner to check out the empty lot that we played in. It is still vacant, owned by the city. On the edge of the lot is where I ran into one of our many babysitters. We visited for a bit, so nice. I walked back down the street to my old house for one last time. Sad to say the bronco and top of the lamppost is missing but the saguaro still stands. I always think it's ironic that we had a saguaro on the lamppost since all of us, except dad, moved to Phoenix in the 80s.
I took close-up movies of the beautiful rock wall (rock came from my Uncle Raymond's quarry in Monarch, MT), much of it being overgrown with greenery. I got down the hill back to 6th St and decided to head east up another hill for some more AEG. I knew a lot of people and former classmates here including one of my mom's best friends. I could have continued east, but back in the day, I headed north down the hill. I can't remember it being that steep. Almost at the bottom of the hill I saw a sign that said Rough Road, which is rather amusing since most of the roads in Havre are rough. The taxpayers just don't want to pay for it and it's been like this since the last time I drove around in 2015.
My intent was to turn on the street where the old Sacred Heart Hospital was and I succeeded. They've turned it into apartments. I'd love to know how they worked with the chapel. The building is much bigger than I remember. It looked pretty nice and it's right next to Pepin Park. I was a candy striper here for a few months in the early 70s and knew pretty quickly that the medical field was not for me  . I walked past my youngest brother's old school, Lincoln McKinley and wondered how many years he went there, as he also went to St Jude's, and whether or not he walked. I texted and he said, "3rd-5th at Lincoln McKinley. 1st, 2nd, 6th St Judes and walked to both." Just as I was narrating my beer story, my Ultra ran out of juice at the corner across from the school so I called it a day.
I went and grabbed lunch and drink from the local grocery store to take back to the motel. I went to a nicely catered dinner at Murphys for the 50th HS Reunion and got to enjoy a wonderful piece of locally produced Baltrusch prime beef. It was so much better than the expensive prime I had the nite before at one of our local ritzy restaurants.
The reunion was interesting but it was hard to recognize people without reading their name tag. I was disappointed that so many locals didn't show up. They say our class was one of the last big classes at Havre High of 276 members, 70 showed up and about 40 are deceased.
Part 1 afternoon drive by of Havre High, next day: St Jude's and Havre Jr Central High via 7th Ave to 6th St to 9th Ave to 7th St [ youtube video ]
Part 2 7th St, 12th Ave to 8th St to 11th Ave [ youtube video ]
Part 3 American Legion Park, 11th Ave to Havre High School. Over on 8th Ave to 11th St to American Legion Park. [ youtube video ]
Part 4 Skate Park on 9th St to 8th St and Hill St and 7th St [ youtube video ]
Part 5 7th St to 6th St east to 12th Ave to 4th St by the old Sacred Heart Hospital (Park View Apartments) [ youtube video ]
Watch says the starting temp 72.8 and 43% humidity (there were showers last evening). 9:09-11:28AM (1:40 and 9762 steps) |
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For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled. |
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