The Last Big Weekend in Montana (and Idaho)

It was just six weeks ago when I spent my weekend off in Virginia City.  I had booked a room at Just An Experience B&B.  When I left that morning after breakfast I told proprietors Carma & John, that it wasn't "good bye" but rather, "see you later."  Later came soon, as I thought their location was perfect for the start of a long weekend after work on Saturday.

Their home was built in 1864 during the local gold rush, and they've done a beautiful job adding space in the main lodge for guests with two bedrooms on the main floor.  Additionally, they have a couple of cabins available for those who want a different experience or perhaps more space.

I consider myself very lucky to have met and become friends with them.  They are a wealth of local information and history, as well as suggestions for wonderful stops on roads less traveled.  It was great to have their input on my trip since I only really "knew" I wanted to visit the Big Hole National Battlefield and perhaps make my way up to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  The wonderful weekend that I had, as largely thanks to them.

Bannack State Park (Montana)
My first side trip was to visit yet another ghost town from Montana's gold mining era.  (See my blog post from 8/19/22 to read more about Virginia City and Nevada City.)  While not particularly well preserved, the town has a lot to offer in terms of a look back into 19th and early 20th century life in Montana.  Many of the buildings are open to visitors, left largely as they were when the town was abandoned in the 1970's.  The state has purchased many of the buildings including businesses and home, so as to provide an opportunity for visitors to experience what it might have been like some hundred years ago.

A couple of personal observations . . . first was that while many of the walls, ceilings and floors were in serious deterioration, it was very interesting to see the ornate wallpaper and floor coverings especially in the homes.  In the businesses and other public buildings, you could feel and breathe the history . . . imagining being in church, going to school or have a beer at the saloon.

Some of the tourists I cross paths with were disappointed in the sad state of some of these historical relics from America's past.  For me, while I thought it might be nice to see some philanthropic money come in to renovate the Town of Bannack, I was mostly happy to not have to experience it like say Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia where it was Rockefeller money that initially restored that sleepy little town and created what is largely a big tourism machine today.

Bannack is totally walkable in about 90 minutes.  I took my time, and enjoyed nearly two hours there on an early Sunday morning.

Note there is a nominal admission fee.  As a non-resident, it was $8 which is assessed by "vehicle" whether one, four or however many people in your car.  For Montana residents, they do something pretty cool with their vehicle registration. Montana residents who pay the $9 state parks fee with their annual vehicle registration have no daily entrance fees to state parks.  SWEET!

Big Hole National Battlefield (a U.S. NPS site - Montana)

This was initially recommended to me by one of my Timeshare Users Group friends.  I'm so glad she has been following along my summer's journey and reached out to me about this remote National Park Service location.

I have to say, the more I learn about the way America's Native Americans have been treated by our government and military, the more I dislike how our country was expanded and settled.  Starting with in the east and the Trail of Tears, to how those of the great plains and west were bargained with, lied to and betrayed . . . it's embarrassing to know just how unjust we were in our dealings.

The story of the Nez Perce is especially gut wrenching as they were continually pushed from their homelands and forced to try to make due with what "the white man" provided (which wasn't much).  The loss of lives in the ambush of the peaceful tribe while most were still asleep was nothing short of barbaric.  Again, these were peaceful people.  Eventually they moved east and north, first to what is now Yellowstone, and later northward to the Canadian border.  More information about their Flight of 1877 may be found here.

Coeur d'Alene's Old Mission State Park (Cataldo, Idaho)
Another suggestion from Carma at the B&B in Virginia City . . . also a wonderful history lesson from the 1800's.  The oldest standing building in Idaho is the Mission of the Sacred Heart, built in the 1850's 

The story of how the Nez Perce & Flathead tribes sought out and worked with the Jesuits to bring Christianity to their settlement in Idaho, is told in a short (about 25 minutes) video shown in the visitor center.

Tribal leaders believed there to be special powers through "the black robes" (priests) and the teachings of the bible, so they went to St. Louis where they met with missionaries who agreed to come and help build the mission.  They worked side by side, learning the native language and contributing to a thriving community.

Today the parish house and mission buildings are open to the public.   Here are few photos that I took during my visit.

Like other state parks, there is an admission fee.  It was $7, which was also for all passengers arriving in the same car.  There was an additional fee for the tribal museum.  With limited time, I took a pass on the museum. 

WYOMING: So Much History (Part 2 of 2)

 

There is so much amazing beauty in Wyoming, not the least of which . . . Grand Teton National Park.  And while Yellowstone National Park spreads through three states, the majority of the park is in Wyoming as well.  (The other two states are Montana and Idaho).

Where you have mountains and rivers, you will also find canyons.  When driving through the Rocky Mountain region, you cannot help but to be impressed with your surroundings. 

And the wildlife . . . truly "home on the range" moments as you wiz by fields of elk, pronghorn (antelope) and deer.  If you're really lucky, you may also stumble upon bears (black or brown/grizzly), moose or big horn sheep.

My drives through Wyoming never disappoint me, so with my three day weekend, and roughly eight hours in each direction (to Rawlins and home from Evanston) I was able to take a more scenic routes not taken before.

Sightseeing highlights from my Wyoming adventure were Legend Rock State Park (petroglyphs), Thermopolis (hot springs), Meeteetse (old western frontier town), Fossil Butte National Monument (ancient fossil lake) and Rawlins itself.  Most of these places have been on my list to visit, but I just never seemed to have the time or be going in the right direction.  I will admit, I didn't know Fossil Butt NM existed until doing a NPS search for Wyoming.  I'm so glad I was able to make all of them this trip.

Legend Rock State Park
Legend Rock is a world-renowned petroglyph site. It has been a sacred site for Native Americans of this region for thousands of years.  Located near Thermopolis, I have known about these petroglyphs for years!  Due to its remote location and required walking, it hasn't been someplace I felt comfortable trying to explore alone in previous years.  When I arrived, I guess I expected a bit more for a state park.  But being a weekday (Friday) after the summer season, I should have realized I might be in for a more remote experience.  Add to it the on and off rain showers since roughly Cody, I wasn't sure what more to plan for.

The walk along the loop viewing pathway, was less than a half-mile. It started at panel 1 of 15, each numbered so you could follow along on their Interpretative Trail map/brochure (available in a waterproof box near the visitor center).  As you walk along the path, going right to left, there is a slight incline which also requires some minor climbing over rocks.  At the end of the trail, you can either turn and go back the way you came . . . or "walk down" several stone steps to the main gravel pathway below.  While I was initially concerned (mostly because it was pouring rain and the rocks and path were slippery), I made it without incident.  Good thing, because I didn't see another human there during my hour walk.

I have so many photos of these beautiful artifacts, so here are just a sampling of these historic works of art.  This panel features some of the oldest petroglyphs at this site . . . believed to be over 11,000 years old.

There are other that are more clearly defined and recognized in terms of the human and animal figures depicted. Check out the panel below.

As much as the cloudy rain was a disappointment, I was really happy that the weather helped to "bring out" the images carved in the rocks.

Fossil Butte National Monument
I'm really glad I found out about this place Saturday night through a GOOGLE search of National Park Service sites in Wyoming.  Fossil Lake was one of three "great lakes" that covered areas of what are now Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.  The fossil beds in this region have been excavated for nearly 200 years.  The layers of rock have preserved thousands of plant and animal life from an estimated 52 million years ago.

While there are no easily accessible trails to view fossil beds here, they have done a remarkable job of providing visitors with exhibits of actual fossils including trees, birds, fish and other animal species.

Again, I took a lot of photos so I'm only sharing a few that I think are most interesting in terms of the life shown through the layers of limestone, volcanic ash and mudstone.

Rawlins, WY
I had couple of hours after breakfast with Patty & Rodney, so I paid a visit to the Carbon County Museum and the Wyoming Frontier Prison.  They are conveniently located within blocks of each other, so it was a nice opportunity to take in some local history.

The Wyoming Frontier Prison might have been "frontier" given it housed its first inmates in 1901 . . . but it remained an active prison until 1981!  The prison had a death row, with hanging being the initial means of execution, until in 1936 a gas chamber method was implemented.  In total, 14 death sentences were carried out here (nine by hanging and five by hydrocyanic acid gas).  There is a small museum open and free to the public.  One-hour guided tours are also provided based on seasonal hours ($10-$12/person).  I highly recommend the walking tour.

I suppose after a prison tour, the historical society's museum may seem tame . . . but it is also worth a mention and visit (and it's free).

Besides . . . who doesn't want to take a selfie with the Sinclair Dinosaur? 

Meeteetse, WY
My timing wasn't great given it was a Friday morning, a couple of weeks after Labor Day . . . but I still enjoyed a short impromptu stop here.  Initially it was more of a "stretch my legs" potty stop, but I was glad I took the opportunity to walk the small frontier town's wooden sidewalks to peer inside some of the many main street shops and museums.

The main Meeteetse Museum was open to the public and had several very interesting exhibits, including a ranger station and the "Wild Sheep of North America."  I'll admit to feeling sad for Big Joe, a 600+ lb grizzy bear that had become a nuisance to local ranchers and was euthanized in 2018.

Ranger's cabin as it would have appeared in the 19th and early 20th century

Big Joe is on display, in his taxidermy state.  He was an amazingly beautiful animal, that just got into trouble on the local ranchers' land.

Peering in through the front window of the old garage

 

 

 

 

 

Thermopolis, WY
This town is perhaps best known for the local hot springs turned tourist/resort stop.  Today, there is a state park that includes the thermal features which are beautiful. More than 8,000 gallons of water a day pour over the terraces which are easily accessible for viewing and photography.  There are several commercial hot springs pools in this area, for day use and overnight visitors.

Here is a video of one of the terraces . . . turn up the volume to hear the hot mineral water flow.

This is also where I stopped for dinner Friday night.  Missing a "Friday Fish Fry" for months . . . I enjoyed the fish dinner at One Eyed Buffalo in town before heading on to Rawlins for the night.

 

The sun setting on another fabulous day!

WYOMING: Like No Place on Earth (part 1 of 2)

I know it to be true, because I have the t-shirt (thank you Patty & Rodney)!  This past week, I took a three-day weekend to visit friends I have in the southern part of Wyoming.  Sandy & Doug Purcell have been friends since the late 1980's, through bowling in NoVA.  Patty & Rodney Schuler are friends made through my love of vintage era bowling alleys, and the small 10 laner they own in Rawlins.   The drive "south" would make for a long day trip, or even an overnight, hence my taking a few days to enjoy the trip and take in some of the sights along the way.

Sandy & Doug moved out here to Wyoming five years ago after he retired from the Air Force.  It's no surprise that living in Northern Virginia is a rat race . . . too many people . . . too many cars . . . and too expensive.  They bought a place in Evanston, pretty much sight unseen from an internet listing.  Talk about taking a risk and just making a decision to DO IT!  It was a great evening of reminiscing about bowling BITD . . . including a memorable trip to the 1990 ABC Tournament in Reno.

Patty & Rodney became friends . . . DEAR FRIENDS . . . when I finally got to make a visit to Memory Lanes the summer of COVID (June 2020).  My sister Pam and I made the long road trip (8+ hours round trip) up from Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.  While I've only seen and spent "in person" time with them twice since 2020, we are like friends known for decades.  Sadly, their bowling center has not reopened since COVID and is still for sale.  Retirement looks good, and I couldn't be happier for them.

Making the most of my 1,200 mile weekend, I did take in a lot of sights "off the beaten path."  Over the years, there have been several places I've wanted to explore but just couldn't seem to make them fit into my annual pilgrimage to Yellowstone National Park.  This year, with the weekend dedicated to visiting people and places in Wyoming, I was able to break up the nearly eight hour drive (each way) with some wonderful places to get some history, stretch my legs and take some photos.

My next blog post will share those experiences, with lots of photos too!  For now, I will leave you with these two photos of my Grandpa McAlister and my Mom's family.  She was born & raised in Sinclair, WY . . . and attended Rawlins High School (class of 1955).  I have always felt drawn to this region of the United States . . . I suppose it is in my DNA.

TO BE CONTINUED

A Summer of Audibles - Camping in Yellowstone National Park

Since the epic flood of June 13th, how people enjoy and recreate in Yellowstone has been dramatically impacted.  Businesses in the entrance communities of Gardiner (where I live at the North Entrance) and Silver Gate (at the NE Entrance) have been hit especially hard financially without direct access into the park for visitors and locals.

So my whining about how it has impacted me is really something I try to avoid.  But no doubt, when you're a photographer seeking opportunities to observe wildlife, the time to be in the park is around daybreak and sunset.  I feel fortunate that starting the July 4th weekend, employees of the park and concessionaires serving the park had access into Yellowstone over the "Old Gardiner Road" . . . a dirt stagecoach road dating back more than 100 years.  That access however, is still very restrictive, with "convoys" allowed to cross over in a one-way direction based on a very limited schedule.

For me, I was initially just happy to have access and with the long hours of daylight, heading over at 5am allowed me some early morning photography as the animals got active.  But as the summer went on and days got shorter, the times were not really conducive for my interests and use.  I decided that it would be better to take the last convoy into the park after work on Saturdays at 5:30p, and then overnight camp Saturday and Sunday (for my "weekend off" on Sunday and Monday) so I would be in the park until dark . . . and then get up before sunrise the next day.

This was a generally good plan in early August, but as the summer went on and the temperatures rose, many of the animals I sought were at higher altitudes and inaccessible without hiking (which isn't something I would consider doing alone, especially with gimpy knees and asthma).

I did enjoy "car camping" (a warm and comfy bedroll in the back of my SUV) over several weekends at Canyon, Grant and Bridge Bay campgrounds inside the park.  I was fortunate to get sites very close to the bathrooms (for the early morning, pre-dawn potty needs) so the inconvenience was really minimal.  It was sort of a frivolous expense for a campsite when I was also paying for an apartment roughly 50 miles away . . . but well worth it if I wanted to have greater time inside the park.

About the campsites in Yellowstone . . . most are managed by concessionaire Xanterra.  They have a pretty efficient registration system online and with my NPS/BLM "Access" Pass, I can get most campsites at half price ($16-20).  (Seniors with a lifetime NPS Pass can also get half-priced campsites.)  For the campgrounds that have shower facilities, you pay a little more because you get two showers per night per person.  The other campgrounds without showers are a little less, but if you save your unused shower cards from other stays, you can still access showers if you book and stay in a campground without showers (like Bridge Bay).

With many of the park concessionaires still having employee issues since COVID, the food options in Yellowstone are pretty limited.  As an employee myself, I do have access to the "EDRs" - Employee Dining Rooms - but even those are rather inconvenient.  I generally took a small picnic size cooler of food items plus a bag of dry goods for my two or three days in the park.  I also supplemented my food needs with trips outside the park to Cody (East Entrance) or W. Yellowstone (West Entrance) for a midday meal.  NOTE:  I found Jackson to be WAY TOO BUSY to find suitable dining options!  The last time I was there, I was told by my favorite breakfast spot "We don't seat singles at our tables when we have a waiting list."  And on that day, the wait was nearly an hour.

In August and September, I car camped six nights total.  It was a nice way to maximize my time in the park at a relatively minimal expense.

Here is a few of the other campsites I had this summer!

And with that, I'll say GOOD NIGHT!