Our journey began – July 9, 2010. Our first stop was Boise where we visited with our son Kelly, wife Margo, and our grandson, David. After a very hot weekend (temps in the high 90s) we headed east at 6:45 AM July 12, driving 434 miles to Dillon, MT. We stayed at a lovely campground where we enjoyed watching yellow headed and red wing blackbirds that live in the nearby marsh/cat tails feeding nearby. During our drive that day we enjoyed the wide open spaces and lots of hay fields. When the wind blew, the grasses waved – it was gorgeous.
And of interest to our PacNat friends, at the park we ran into Betty Jo and Guy Patterson; former Pacnat members from Bullhead, AZ.
The next morning we drove to Billings, MT. and visited the historic Moss mansion – a three story home that was built in the late 1800s. The family became wealthy and traveled the world searching for furnishings, so the inside was quite spectacular.
Then we drove to Pompey’s Pillar – the one location on the Lewis and Clark trail where Clark etched his name and date on the pillar on his way back to St. Louis. Here we took the boardwalk to the top of the massive stone and saw marmots lounging on the rocks – fun.
Then it was on to Garryowen, MT where we spent a day and a half visiting Little Bighorn Battlefield – site of Custer’s Last Stand. If you didn’t know about the 7th cavalry battles of June 25 & 26, 1876 when you left, you didn’t pay attention.
In an effort to show sympathy for the Indians, additions are being added to the monument like this iron art displayed.
Then it was across the street to the Museum and restaurant where we had yummy Indian tacos and spent time in the extensive museum and gift shop. Before heading back to camp, we visited the Custer Museum – very good film there (an A&E special) about the battles.
One afternoon we also drove the 12 miles west to Hardin, MT where there is a free county museum on acreage with furnished buildings from the area in the early 1900s – doctor’s office, school, church, train station, etc. and many farm machines – quite good.
Next stop, Sundance, WY – a small town that was close to Devil’s Tower Nat’l Monument. It was hot, so we left the RV park at 7:30AM to do our hiking early. The Tower is huge – we walked the trail around it (1.3 mi) enjoying the scenery and stopping to watch crazy rock climbers on the monolith faces. As we arrived back at the Visitor’s Center, we saw the parking lot was full of Corvettes – dozen’s of them – all shined and beautiful; not dusty like our Saturn. Below Devil's Tower near the campground was "Circle wind", a sculpture depicting the first puff from a pipe - again, an Indian symbol. We drove a loop road back to the park, stopping for excellent hamburgers at Cindy Bee’s diner in Aladin– clearly the restaurant where all the locals go.
We completed our drive by visiting Vore Buffalo Jump. Before the Indians used horses to help get meat and hides, tribes would join forces and get the buffalo running to the edge of this sink hole where the animals would fall over the edge. The Indians would then follow them into the hole, kill those still alive, and collect the meat and skins and whatever else they could use. Archeologists from the U of Wyoming are excavating the site and have found bones down more than 30 feet deep.
Tomorrow we head to Rapid City, SD and the Black Hills where we will meet up with our traveling companions.
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