2026, September 21-27

We started the week traveling to get back together but had another parting when Mike went to Santiago, Chile. 

On Monday, Eliza and Dad made their way back to Missoula from LA. We followed the beach route along the 101 again going southbound and then went back to Little Toyko again so Eliza could actually see what she had missed due to her lost glasses when we were there before. 

"Oh, Look! Blind boxes!" The irony. 

Eliza got another strawberry and cream sandwich, and she fed some to the little sparrows. She also tried to catch one, but it was too quick. 

Yummy ramen.

All too soon, we were back in the air wending our way back to Missoula and our loving Hallie and Fergus. 

We had a lovely sunset on Tuesday. Sometimes you need a lovely sunset after a hard day. 

Sometimes building LEGO sets helps too. Hallie got us a haunted house-themed one perfect for upcoming Halloween decor. 

Alicia and Brooklyn said hi. We miss you so! Hallie is brought to tears every time she sees pictures of those she misses so much. Thanksgiving can't come fast enough!

Mike likes his cloud-taking photo vantage point. 

Fergus likes a warm lap. 

Hallie likes the brilliant fall leaves that are really coming into their own. 

Eliza likes riding ponies. This is Louis. 

Alie sent pictures of the fired pottery figurines. They turned out beautifully! 

Mike spent most of the day Friday traveling across the country, waiting for a long time on layovers, and then flying down to Santiago, Chile, arriving early Saturday morning. 

Santiago has a climate similar to southern California, which Mike finds delightful. It's just now early spring down here. 

Mike is staying at a hotel within a short walk of the tallest building in South America, the Gran Torre Costanera. He went there to visit along with visiting several other local attractions as he acclimated after the long flight.  

Inside the building on the lower levels is a shopping mall which includes a Jumbo Hypermarket. 

Old and new in juxtaposition beneath the clouds. 

Across from the hotel lies another mall with its own fun character. 

Here are the views of the Andes from Mike's hotel window. 

OK, the Andes aren't quite that close, but he still technically has mountain views. 

He took to the streets later in the day, going up to the Cerro San Cristóbal, home to the Chilean National Zoo and a Japanese garden. 

The Japanese garden had trees in bloom, including plum and cherry. 

It also had a torii gate. 

"There's a bamboo forest?!" Hallie found this face Mike made amusing. 

In the evening, Mike's group had dinner at a classic Chilean restaurant named Liguria near the Catholic University (where we'll be paying a visit next week). 

Quotations from Chilean anti-poet, Nicanor Parra.

We walked by street vendors on the way to and back from the subway to the hotel. 

Sunday found our group taking in cultural and generally educationally relevant activities as schools weren't open. We started with a trip to the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, which was founded after the dictatorship of Pinochet in the 1970s and '80s. Considering the state of things in the US currently, it seems clear we're bound to repeat history rather than learn from it.  

Random Fergus pic Hallie sent. "Fergus says, 'Hi, Dad!'" 

Here is our group consisting of scholars, students, and other related individuals from the US and Canada affiliated with the University Council for Educational Administration. Lively bunch! After the museum, we went to Los Dominicos Artisan Village for lunch and some shopping. Again, juxtaposition from morning to afternoon. This time it was a little jarring for Mike. 

He made friends with a cat outside one of the shops. 

After leaving the village, we had free time in the afternoon. Mike chose to use it exploring the area around the La Moneda Palace, the Chilean presidential residence. 

Outside the palace, a big group of people had gathered, complete with Catholic school children and their families. Apparently he'd arrived just in time for the procession of La Virgen del Carmen, Chile's patron saint. 

He later went walking around a pedestrian mall. 

Sunday before lunch Hallie and Eliza headed back to Philipsburg. The girls stopped by Starbucks on their way. The frappucino Jakey made for Eliza looked perfect!

 Eliza and Hallie went to Philipsburg to see their sapphires at the Sapphire Gallery that had been heated and treated. They decided that Hallie would get 3 stones and Eliza would get 2. They told the lady what they were looking at getting and now the jeweler will get to cutting the stones. The girls visited several shops in town (Whimsy Boutique, Kaiser House Mercantile and Wine Cellar, and Granit General Store) that they had not visited last time they were there with Mike. Below are pictures from Kiko's Mexican Restaurant which they quite liked a lot. They also went back to the Candy Palace because how could you not.

The girls stopped by the Granite Ghost town on their way out of Philipsburg. Not a lot to see so not a lot of pictures but it was a beautiful day.

Hallie finished the Haunted Mansion! Mike even aided in the building from Chile. Thanks, Mike! The little easter eggs inside were fun to show Eliza once it was put together.