Another Visit to Montana

 Leaving Buffalo, we headed up I-25 to join I-90 and head west to spend a few days in Livingston, a historic Montana town of 7000 on the Yellowstone River. 

It's another one of those towns that we've driven past many times and always wanted to visit.  We stayed at Osen's RV Park, a nicely maintained park on the outskirts of town.  You can see our review here.  Livingston is a popular tourist destination for both visiting Yellowstone National Park (about 55 miles south) and fly fishing the Yellowstone River.  While it has a historic past, it's now a mix of Western and California cultures with upscale restaurants and high-end gift shops.  It's become another one of those Montana towns where the locals can no longer afford the price of a house due to the influx of refugees from California.

The downtown area maintains the look of an old western town:

Since we were so close, we decided to take a drive down the valley along highway 89 to Gardiner, the northern entrance to Yellowstone.  Some of the scenery along the way was by itself worth the drive:

Since the traffic was light, we decided to enter the park and go only as far was Mammoth Hot Springs.  Entering the park, we passed the historic stone gate, now bypassed by the new road.  

It wasn't long before we realized our mistake....despite it being a weekday in October, the traffic was bumper to bumper, crawling along at a snail's pace.  Every parking lot was full, every building had a line to enter - and God help you if you needed a to visit a restroom.  And all this in spite of the lack of foreign visitors, which are usually half the crowd.  We finally reached Mammoth Hot Springs, only to turn around and get in line again in a slow crawl to escape the chaos.  

Back in Gardiner, we decided to take the road above the town towards Jardine, once a gold mining area.  We didn't see any wildlife and there wasn't much of the old town to see, but the view from above the town was worth the drive:

Back in Livingston, we left Osen's and headed west again, off the interstate to the small town of Ennis.  We visited here four years ago, and the beauty of the area and history of the old gold rush towns made us want to return.  

Ennis is a trout fisherman's dream - the Madison River, one of
the nation's premier trout streams runs through here and the town is packed with guide services and fly shops.  We 
stayed at the Ennis RV Village, a large, well-managed and maintained park with mountain views in all directions.  The little town of Ennis is another one of those picture-perfect Montana towns:

While Ennis is an interesting little town, the real attraction here for us is visiting the historic gold rush towns of Virginia City and Nevada City.  Just a few miles over the ridge from Ennis, Virginia City tries hard to maintain the look of the 1860s.  A history of the town is worth stopping to read:

Most of the town had closed down for the season, but one of the unique sights here is that some of the original stores are always open and display the contents as they were left when abandoned.

Just up the road is another gold rush town, Nevada City.  Never as large as Virginia City, it's now mostly abandoned but still worth a visit.  Here's the sign describing the town's history:

We wondered who George Ives was - here's a video that talks about his hanging, shows some of the historic buildings that were moved here, and even includes a ghost story.  Click here.  Like Virginia City, the town was closed up for the season but that made it look even more historic:

The gold mining boom here was centered in Alder Gulch, which runs about 14 miles from Nevada City west to the town of Alder.  The center of this activity was Adobe City, a small community in the gulch where the population numbered over 10,000!  

Looking across Alder Gulch today, nothing remains but the rows of rocks formed by the gold dredges.  It's hard to imagine that this narrow gulch once held so many people and so much activity.

Places like this, with so much history that is no longer visible, is one of the reasons we enjoy exploring the back roads.  And there's often a surprise.  On our return to Ennis, we ended up as part of a cattle drive, complete with real cowboys!  In case it ever happens to you, the technique is to slowly ease your way through the herd as the cowboys guide the herd away from you.  

Coming down the hill back into Ennis, we were treated to one last look at this beautiful valley:

We've always enjoyed our time in Montana, and believe that the state tourism motto is the most accurate in the country:  "Montana - The Last Best Place"

We're back on the Oregon Coast for the winter, but check back with us - we're always looking for new adventures!

Eight States & 4000 Miles in 26 Days

We’ve been writing our blog for over 13 years now, and this is the longest we’ve gone without an update.  But we’ve been busy with our time as program hosts at Farragut State Park, with motorhome maintenance, and a trip to Iowa. 
Our decision to drive to Iowa was made in April when we visited the new Winnebago factory service center in Junction City, Oregon.  The two big slide-outs on our motor home have been operated for over ten years, and some of the part were worn and needed to be replaced.  I asked for an estimate to “inspect and repair” as necessary and left the rig for their evaluation.  Later that morning I got a call with the first words being “are you sitting down?”  The estimate was $5250 and four days in the shop.  I immediately called the slide manufacturer in Iowa (HWH), asked the same question, and was told that if everything worn needed to be replaced, around $800-1000.  So we made an appointment for the end of the summer.
Back to our summer…   ..what a wonderful one it was!  Farragut State Park had all of the elements we look for when volunteering; interesting job, great staff, friendly fellow hosts, and an outstanding RV site.  We were welcomed, given free rein to develop our programs, and given the support we needed to conduct evening programs, school hikes, and Junior Ranger programs.  We had fun cutting parts for the “Bear Bag” craft, gathered pine cones for the peanut butter and pine cone bird feeder, and taught the kids about Idaho predators using a variety of furs.  Our evening programs were well attended – over 1000 people a month came to see us as we taught “leave no trace”, campfire safety, and  showing of nature films on our “big screen”. 
We had pot lucks, bonfires, and evening get-togethers.  With over 40 resident volunteers, it was a large but friendly group.  Many had been coming to Farragut for years – one couple for 15!  And the rangers, from the manager on down, were part of our get togethers, supportive, and great to work with.  I usually don’t mention names, but Errin, our “Interp Ranger” is a special person – and we’ll be back to work with her next year!
In August we had a visit from our daughter Kim, her husband Bill, and Bill’s dad Paul.  We enjoyed showing them around northern Idaho, especially some of our favorite restaurants.  Sitting on the deck of the Lake House, a floating restaurant on Lake Pend Oreille, in 70 degree temperatures was just about perfect.  Bill bravely signed up for the “Tree to Tree Adventure”, an obstacle course built high in the huge Ponderosa Pines.    He completed all four courses, the last being the very high “black” course.  We knew that being married to our daughter that he had courage…..but were truly impressed!
We left Farragut after the Labor Day holiday and headed east, spending a night in Missoula where we met old friends Jim, Heidi, and Deb from our volunteer days at the Lee Metcalf NWR.  All too soon it was time to make the long drive across Montana, cut the corner of Wyoming, and enter South Dakota.  We were able to spend a few days here, at a time of year when the Black Hills are the most beautiful.  We’d been here before in the fall and it’s worth reposting a few of the pictures:



Crossing all of South Dakota, we entered Iowa, turned south then east to the HWH plant in Moscow.  We dropped the motor home off early and expected an all-day wait, but were called early in the afternoon to tell us it was ready.  Picking it up, I expected the worst……and was stunned when the bill was $163!  Quite a bit different than the Winnebago quote – a savings of over $5000.  I asked a tech “what was Winnebago going to do that cost that much?”  He said he didn’t know, but obviously they’d need 4 or 5 days to do it.  My joy in the low price was somewhat tempered by anger at Winnebago – we’re glad we decided to let the experts work on our system. 
Then it was off to Forest City, the home of Winnebago, to have our slide-out toppers replaced by a dealer (Lichsinn) known for their good work and integrity.  In previous visits, we’d visited the Clear Lake area where Buddy Holly gave his last performance, and this time we found the site “where the music died’.  The crash site is back in the cornfield, but these iconic glasses mark the path.
Slide toppers installed, we headed back – up to Minnesota then back  the way we’d come.  An so after 26 days, almost 4000 miles, and $1385 in diesel fuel, we’re back in Bandon for a month of medical appointments, seeing friends, and resting.  Then it’s off to Las Vegas for the winter – so check back!

From Montana to Iowa

We’ve been having a great time since our last post, and have covered a lot of territory.  On June 8th, our daughter Kim and her husband Bill and dad Paul arrived in the Bitterroot Valley for a stay at an amazing vacation rental,  and then Brenda’s brother Ron and his twin sons Jim and Chris arrived for a five-day stay. We had a great time showing them the sights, fishing at the “cabin’s” pond and stream,  and getting reacquainted. A trip we always make was to Lost Horse Overlook, where at 6000’ you can see for miles into the Bitterroot Wilderness and Idaho.  It was a beautiful clear day,  the views were breathtaking, and memories were made.  Unfortunately, as this is being written, a lightning-caused wildfire has burned much of the area, and we’re heartbroken that this magical place may never be the same. Near the overlook, we began to see blooming Bear Grass, one of our favorite flowers.  From a distance, it looks like a one flower, but close up you can see the individual flowers that form the top (click on the image to enlarge).  They don’t last long so seeing them in full bloom is always a treat!  We visited our old volunteer location at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge to see our friends Bob and Kim, attended a great birthday party for our dear friend Heidi and her husband Jim, and had a final dinner with everyone including our old friend and mentor from the refuge Deb and her husband Bill.  What a great time we had!  But alas, they all had to get back to their working lives while Brenda and I decided to spend some time on Flathead Lake and once again visit Glacier National Park.
We stayed at a great park, Edgewater RV Resort and Motel, right on the shore of the lake.  Flathead Lake, name for the Indian tribe, is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi at 30 miles long and 16 miles wide.  It’s a beautiful lake with snow-covered mountains surrounding the Flathead Valley.  The lake, and the largest town, Kalispell are very popular and the lake shore is crowded with vacation homes, marinas, and parks.  But the big attraction is just up the road at Glacier National Park. 
We visited the park on the opening day of the Going to the Sun Road, and even though the weather was cool and overcast, the park was very crowded.  What makes Glacier difficult to visit during the season is that there is only one road through the park, and it was almost bumper to bumper the day of our visit. We turned around once we were close to the climb to Logan Pass, knowing that the trip up and back would take hours.  But we enjoyed our visit and are always enthralled by the chiseled mountains, even if the peaks were cloud-covered.
A few days later the weather cleared and we decided to make a pilgrimage to a little place far into the woods, and the home of the best Huckleberry Bear Claws ever known to man.  Or woman.  Take the gravel road along the North Fork of the Flathead River for 30 or so miles along the western border of Glacier into an area with no electricity or utilities of any kind…..and there you’ll find the Polebridge Mercantile.  The “Merc” has been in operation since 1914, and became famous as a bakery in 1994.  We stumbled upon it while looking for moose on a road trip in 2006, our first year in Montana.  How they manage to create such incredible baked goods without electricity or plumbing is beyond us, but somehow it works.  On this visit, I struck up a conversation with the clerk, who said he was there for the summer from Florida, and the other clerk was from California.  When I remarked that it was unusual to have people come so far, he said, “oh yeah, but the girls who do most of the baking are from the Czech Republic”.  That triggered the inner Bohemian in me, so I walked back to the kitchen and said “Jak se máš?” (How are you?), which started a lot of surprised laughing from the college-aged Czech ladies.  They were a joy to talk to but couldn’t explain just how they ended up out here in the woods only 20 miles from Canada.  Or why they’re not making any Kolache!  So instead of Kolache we loaded up on Bear Claws and Cinnamon Buns.  Here’s a picture of a coveted Huckleberry Bear Claw shortly before it disappeared:
The trip to Polebridge is worth not only for the bakery, but for the views.  From the tree-covered picnic area outside the store, you can see the mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park across the border. 

All too soon it was time to leave Montana and head east to Ohio to visit friends and relatives.  We decided that this year we’d skip volunteering and take advantage of low diesel prices to travel to Ohio and then wander somewhat aimlessly around for the rest of the summer.  So off we went – do you know that Montana is a huge state?  Three days later we spent a couple of nights in Mobridge, SD, a small town on the Missouri River.  We took a day to look around and found the burial site of Sitting Bull, the famous Lakota Holy Man and Chief who is credited with leading the massacre of Custer and his troops – and later became a performer in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.  The story of his life is interesting and tragic, and so we were disappointed at the condition of the monument; unkempt grounds, deteriorating roads, and trash didn’t seem to be a fitting site, especially since it was on an Indian Reservation.  The story of the monument and reason for neglect can he seen here.
We’ve continued traveling with just overnight stops until arriving in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area.  We needed a place to get off of the road for the 4th of July weekend and we enjoyed the area on a past visit.  So we checked into the large but very well run Lazy Acres RV Park for a few days. 
The last time we visited, the National Czech/Slovak Museum was closed for repairs after a major flood.  Being of Czech descent, I’m always interested in learning more about the country of my grandparents.  The museum is an impressive building with exhibits, theater, meeting rooms, and library (and store, of course).  Surprisingly, one of the major exhibits displayed the works of Andy Warhol, who was Slovenian and was born Andy Warhola.  Other exhibits featured Bohemian glass, traditional clothing, and living under Communism. 
Just across the street from the museum is Czech Village, a collection of shops selling antiques, gifts, and baked goods.  The area was completely flooded in 2008 and hasn’t fully recovered, with empty storefronts and closed restaurants.  We did find a bakery, and while they didn’t have my favorite (poppy seed Kolache), they did have a substitute – a “Bohemian Hamburger”!  (poppy seed “burger” on a sweet bun):

Like the Huckleberry Bear Claw, the “burger” didn’t last long…..
That’s it for now, we’re getting ready to hit the road again!  Check back and see where we are!

Still Exploring Montana

Leaving Sheridan, we crossed into Montana to spend a week in the beautiful Madison Valley and the town of Ennis.  A small town with lots of character, Ennis is the staging point for fly fisherman trying their luck on the Madison River.  The town caters to fly fisherman, with many fly shops and outfitter/guides.  There are some very good restaurants, especially for lunch, and some of the stores have interesting facades. 
Ennis is about 70 miles from West Yellowstone, so on a sunny day we made the trip, past amazing Earthquake Lake,  Lake Hebgen Lake, and finally into West Yellowstone.  I always have mixed feelings when visiting Yellowstone.  It’s a beautiful place with amazing geysers, scenery, and wildlife, but it also seems to be a magnet for the most ill-mannered, inconsiderate, and downright stupid tourists we’re ever seen.  Forget all of the signs that state “do not stop in the roadway” – one Bison grazing in the distance will result in a gridlock as cars come to a screeching halt and people, tablet and cell phone cameras held high in the air, run across the road to get a picture.  And even on this late Spring day in May, the crowds were everywhere.  Want to see Old Faithful? Drive around for half an hour to find a parking space, then get in the long line to trek down to the geyser.  And this is before school is out.  We managed to get off the busy road by taking the Firehole Canyon road where the river is roaring through the canyon.  Back on the main road, we watched these two large Bison.  The one on the left seems to be stoically looking at the one on the right as he rolls around on the green grass.
Outside the park and back near Ennis, driving around the Madison Valley is an experience – in every direction are green meadows and in the distance, snow-covered mountains.  We saw Moose, Bald Eagles, and Pronghorn, like these comfortably bedded down in a field of alfalfa.
One beautiful afternoon we visited Virginia City, a semi-restored mining town in the mountains.  Unlike the city in Nevada with the same name, Montana’s Virginia City has many original stores and shops with the original goods displayed, lending credence to their claims to be one of the largest  American artifact sites. You can step inside and gaze at the groceries, medicines, and clothing of the 1860s.  Just as interesting to us was to examine the construction of these buildings.  The patchwork of boards, shingles, and metal scrap somehow worked well enough to keep these building intact for over 150 years of harsh high-desert weather. 
Looking at Virginia City today, it’s hard to believe that it once had a population of 5000 people in 1200 buildings, and that from the city to a point 14 miles down Alder Gulch there were 10,000 inhabitants. But no wonder, the gold strike here was the richest in the Rocky Mountains, with over 30 million dollars worth. Like most mining towns, Virginia City had it’s share of crime and when law enforcement wasn’t an answer, vigilante groups were formed.
When looking at the base of Alder gulch and the town of Alder on Google Earth, I was perplexed by the strange formations - rows of something…bushes, hay? It turns out that the formations are rows of river rocks left by massive dredges that worked the small river during the early 1900s.
Four huge dredges, similar to the one pictured below were built, powered by high voltage, and operated until the 1930s. While the gold mining stopped, the total of gold taken here in today’s prices would be two and a half billion dollars!
Another interesting ghost town, and probably the most authentic you’ll see, is Bannack, located about 25 miles west of Dillon, Montana.  Gold was discovered here in 1862, just a few years before Virginia City, and the town grew overnight to be Montana’s largest and its territorial capital for a brief period.  Remote and isolated by only one road, when the gold disappeared  the town quickly lost population to Virginia City, which became the next territorial capital. Crime in both towns and the road in between was rampant, and the Montana Vigilantes ended up hanging Bannack’s allegedly corrupt sheriff and two of his deputies.  The population dwindled as the mining decreased and by the 1930s there were few residents. Fortunately, the remoteness of the town helped keep it intact, and in 1954 the Montana Parks department took it over and it became a state park.  They’ve done a masterful job in maintaining the park, even replacing the original “wavy” glass windows when broken by storms.  You can enter and look around most of the buildings, and the interpretive center provides a movie and a good walking guide.  During our visit we watched as scenes from a movie were being filmed, which added to the feeling that we had gone back in time.  Besides the town, Bannack State park has a campground, group camping area, and picnic areas.  We stopped at the town cemetery located just outside of town and walked through the old gravesites.  So many of the headstones marked the deaths of children – it was a harsh life here in the 1860s.
We’re still traveling through Montana, so it won’t be long before another update – c’mon back!