Big Sky Country

                                                                    Our trek so far

 

Our latest journeys for this post

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Date:            5/12/13                        Time Zone:  MDT

Location: Miles City MT

Leg of journey: 6

Miles traveled today: 285

Miles traveled since departure: 2231

Percentage of travel completed: 20.2%

U.S. states visited today: ND, MT

Critters observed today: pronghorn antelopes, buffalo, trailer trash

This was a relatively uneventful travel day, all interstate highway. Passed rolling farmland and open range. Miles City is a throwback town, a genuine slice of Americana. They have their own museum, Range Rider Museum. I enjoyed spending time there seeing the cowboy artifacts: guns, chaps, riding accessories. Across the road they were setting up for a major horse race with contestants from all over the state. Throughout the town were cowboys, horses and horse trailers everywhere. The RV park was not much, but was quiet and had good wifi.

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Date:            5/13/13                        Time Zone:  MDT

Location: Great Falls  MT

Leg of journey: 7

Miles traveled today: 347

Miles traveled since departure: 2582

Percentage of travel completed: 23.5%

U.S. states visited today: MT

Critters observed today: pronghorn antelopes, pheasants

A great travel day, nearly all off-interstate. On these back roads you become more intimate with the land and the inhabitants, human and otherwise. You get to see a close-up of the buildings and enterprises, the farmhouses, churches and architecture that make up the lives of those choosing to live here. When rolling slowly through these small towns you get a snapshot of what is important to those living and working here. The number and types of businesses, from drugstores, hardware [or equestrian products] stores [many], churches [surprisingly few], restaurants [everywhere], and casinos [surprisingly many] somewhat define the character of the local economy. I really enjoy these observations.

Great Falls is a small city along the Missouri River with lots of green spaces and small parks along the river and throughout. Several waterfalls exist on the river. This is where Lewis & Clark abandoned their boat that had brought them here from St. Louis, and continued their epic trip by canoe and horseback. We are among the many tourists who come here to learn more about this part of our country’s history. We plan to do just that tomorrow.

We are enjoying a 3-night respite from our travels here at Dick’s RV Park. The RV park is well-run and a good place to take a breather. A lot of other rigs are here on their last stop in the US before heading into Canada and on to Alaska. We are almost halfway to our final outbound destination of Homer Alaska.

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