We are in Big Sky Country, that's for sure. The highway vistas of gold plains stretch as
far as the eye can see.
Tonight is our night to stay at a hotel and be
pampered. We are spending the night in
Bozeman, MT but on this Sunday night one of our favorite hotels, the Hampton
Inn and Suites, has a huge tour bus out front and we are disappointed to find
out it is full.
I get on Trip Advisor and the #1 rated hotel in Bozeman is
the Comfort Suites just a block away.
The minute we walk into the lobby we can see and feel why. It is sparkling clean, decorated in what I
would describe as modern-contemporary.
Very attractive. Cookies and coffee
are waiting for guests.
Our room is
lovely and spacious and the bed is bouncy comfortable. There is a note on the
bed that informs us they have provided two types of pillows on the beds: the harder are in the back and the softer are
in the front. We are impressed with
their attention to detail and the extra measures to ensure guests are
comfortable and taken care of.
We put on our swimsuits and head for the pool and spa. The pool and spa are also sparkling clean and
both have chair lifts for handicapped guests.
Ah, we are happy campers for sure.
We take the suggestion of hotel staff and have dinner at the
Montana Ale Works in historic Bozeman.
We share a rib eye steak, after all we are in cattle country. We agree it is one of the best we have ever
eaten, cooked to perfection.
Next day we mail a package to granddaughter Delaney and head
down Highway 90 towards Billings, MT
Monday, 9/14/14 - Bozeman to Billings, MT
This is the land of dry golden grasses dotted with dusty
clumps of blue-green sage. Stacked round
hay bales and black angus cattle zip past us.
Tuesday 9/15/14 - Billings to Bighorn Canyon National
Recreation Area, MT
We decide to take a side trip down Highway 313 and
investigate something called the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in
Montana. But first we stop at the PowWow
Pawn Shop in Hardin, MT, to see if there is anything we just have to have. There isn't.
The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is located in the southwest corner of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. As we travel down Highway 313 we pass acres and acres of sugar beets. A crop duster flies overhead.
We enter this national park and stop at the ranger's
station. The friendly ranger tells us it
is free to enter if we have a Golden Age Passport. WE DO!!!
Just so you know, if you are 62+ years of age, this wonderful little
passport gets you into most national parks FREE or at a good discounted price.
He also informs us that we get to camp for FREE as well. What a deal.
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| Yellowtail Dam |
We pick a spot by the Bighorn Lake and listen to the
Canadian Geese choose their spot for the night.
Wednesday, 9/17/14 - Bighorn National Recreation Area to Little Bighorn Battlefield
We arrive at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
around 11:30, just in time to catch the video presentation of the history
behind this famous battlefield. It's a
stirring and emotionally powerful story.
Fred and I try to hide the tears that well up. Native Americans struggling to maintain their
culture and way of life, to feed and protect their families
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| Little Bighorn River |
 |
| Last Stand Hill |
By 1876 most of them were on reservations but
there were still many who refused that life.
These were groups of Lakotas, Cheyennes, and Arapaho. Basically it was the 7th Cavalry led by
George Armstrong Custer who was given the task to ensure these groups return to
the reservations. It all came together
on a river called the Little Bighorn.
 |
| Native American monument |
This national monument (yes, we got in FREE with our passport) is larger than we expected. There are no tours available on this day, but there is a walking tour you can take with your cell phone by just entering the phone numbers listed on the marker signs at each guide stop. It works easily and is quite interesting. The road winds along for several miles along the Little Bighorn River.
We spend the night at the Wayside RV Park in Broadus, MT. It's nice and the fella running it is real
friendly. Plus he has a greeting
committee of two adorable Corgies.
Next: Little Bighorn
to Deadwood, SD
1 comment:
I am enjoying your trip very much.
Your photography is spectacular!!
Leo
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