May 24 -- Billings to Bismarck

Today we managed to add another state to the number of states we have visited--North Dakota. So far we have covered the Western half and we were surprisingly impressed. Our first stop was at the Teddy Roosevelt National Park. (Yup, that senior pass got us in versus pay the $10 admission fee.) Starting at the Visitor's Center and being told the 'loop" was 36 miles and would take at least 90 minutes, we decided to see the museum, watch the film, visit Teddy's log cabin, and then drive just a little ways into the Park. The first wild life we spotted were the prairie dogs. Then the wild horses. Then the buffalo. Then the mule deer. Then many, many more prairie dogs and buffalo. (Can you find the prairie dog in the fifth picture?) When two of the buffalo bulls starting butting heads right next to our car, we decided it was time to move on. The Park is several thousand acres and includes Teddy's original ranch that he purchased in 1883. It covers lots of the North Dakota Badlands and had some great vistas. 36 miles and 2 hours later, we were leaving the Park. Around every turn was a new experience and we just kept going. Leaving the Badlands we encountered emerald green rolling hills void of trees, but with lots of rocks doting the landscape. It looked like pictures we have seen of Ireland, but they didn't have the rock fences. The skies were blue and the temps in the 50's and 60's. It was a great day for traveling. We are spending the night in Bismarck with its art deco style capitol building and emphasis on Lewis and Clark. At the Missouri River water front they have a park dedicated to Lewis and Clark. It has a replica of the barge the explorers would have used on the River.

May 21 -- Helena and Butte

Today there will be four posts on the blog and we will be all caught up on the blog. We didn’t get much closer to home today, BUT we had a good day sightseeing. We drove from Missoula to Helena and our first stop in Helena was at the Honda dealer to have a headlamp changed,. We then went to the State Capitol and took a self guided tour. The inside is very ornate with bright red, green and earth tone colors. A statue of Maureen and Mike Mansfield took main stage. In addition, there was a statue of a woman who was the only Congressman to vote no to World War II. It cost her re-election, but she remained true to her nonviolent beliefs. She protested against the Vietnam War in Washington in the 70’s. I imagine she would be there now protesting the Iraq war if she were alive. We had a delightful lunch at Bert and Ernies Saloon in downtown Helena and then walked the downtown area. We ended our Helena tour at a beautiful Cathedral designed similar to the National Cathedral. It was really gorgeous. It is the Catholic Cathedral of St. Helene and is modeled after a church in Vienna, Austria.

We then drove to The Grant Khors Ranch which is a working ranch in Deer Lodge that is own by the National Park Service and it is a National Historical Site. Unfortunately, it was raining and we got a little wet, but we had a new experience.

Our goal was to drive to Butte for the night and we made it. We are now at 5,000+ feet and it is snowing!!!!! They are expecting 6 inches of snow. To get to our next destination, we have to go through a pass at 6000+ feet. So, we might get to spend another night in Butte and have lots of rest.

May 20 -- Missoula

Today we transversed some of the prettiest scenery in the US. We drove on I-90 through Coeur d’Alene to Missoula. Fantastic views of pine covered mountains and mountain lakes and streams. At the apex of Lookout Pass (elevation 4680’), we crossed the border into Montana and into Mountain Daylight Time. We descended for over 70 miles into Missoula stopping at the St. Regis Casino for lunch. After checking into our hotel in Missoula and resting for a bit, we headed out to see the town and the University of Montana--home of the Grizzlies. Being Sunday evening, things were pretty quiet. We had dinner in a restaurant that was built over the raging Rattlesnake Creek. Our table was in front of a window in the middle of the creek so we had a perfect view. They had a paper on the table showing you pictures of some of the wildlife we might see. The only thing we actually saw was a blue heron, but we were satisfied. Unfortunately, the hotel was having problems with their server, so we couldn’t update the blog until tonight.