I can’t believe how lucky I am. I got to spend quality time in two of my favorite places—Montana and the Black Hills of South Dakota—this trip. Even though Paul and I have explored both places before, this time we saw sights we’d never seen before.

We left the Seattle area to scoot across the state…almost to Spokane. By luck, we found a great little campground in Ritzville. It wasn’t very “ritzy,” but Paul couldn’t believe our neighbors on two sides: a golf course and a cemetery. It was very quiet.😉 And on our morning walk, we spotted these two interesting people.

Next, we shot through the panhandle of Idaho half-expecting snow. Happily, we missed the storm that left 4-6” in the passes. All we saw were beautiful snowcapped mountains in the middle of May.

What a difference a day makes! When we pulled into our destination at Deer Lodge, Montana, our camp hosts told us they’d had frozen pipes and a thick blanket of snow the day before, which fortunately melted before we arrived. Was it chilly? You bet, but the setting was idyllic right beside a rushing river with wildlife, including a large beaver and her pup.

We’ve found the best travel practice for us is to factor in a 2-day layover for every two days of travel. This doesn’t always work out (yes, Wyoming, I’m looking at you), but we loved our R&R stay here and we visited some very tourist-worthy sites, like the old Montana State Prison.

Yikes! It’s hard to imagine what prison life must have been like back then. And the two failed escape attempts included hanging on site, using a contraption invented by one of the wardens. That nasty piece of work failed to break the prisoner’s neck, which meant a slow strangulation! The nominal ticket price included admission to an adjoining car museum—which seemed an odd but interesting juxtaposition—and several other smaller museums.

The next morning we said goodbye to this wonderful rest stop beside the river and struck out for Hardin, in eastern Montana. The state’s infamous “big sky” looked ominous at times, but the wide vista of green reaching to the foot of snow-white mountains was truly breathtaking.

In one of those interesting coincidences of travel, we discovered our proximity to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Since our visit happened on Memorial Day morning, we couldn’t help but be moved by the rows of white headstones adorned with flags. Every bit of this tragic historic event was handled with taste and acknowledgement that the US Calvary wasn’t the only side with grievous losses.

Highway 212 took us at an angle through the corner of Wyoming (not far from Devil’s Tower) to the upper corner of the Black Hills. We’d booked another 2-night stay in Blackhawk—just north of Rapid City.

Paul and I bought an unfinished log home in a new development in August of 1978. The home had a lot of potential and seemed like a perfect fit for an experienced carpenter. Unfortunately, that winter was the worst in a hundred years—and living there was a lot like living in…well, an unfinished log cabin. LOL.

There were nights when we kept our 14-month-old daughter in bed with us because the wind drove the snow in between the un-chinked logs. Cold, isolation, pregnancy and frozen water pipes equaled misery. The next spring, after giving birth to our son, we set our sights on a warmer climate…and that’s how we wound up in California.

But, guess what? Things change in 40+years. LOL. We were a little shocked at how much…and how long it took to find our old home. But we did. And the new owner was only too happy to show us around. You actually can go home again.😉

We also visited The Chapel in the Hills. The chapel is a replica of a famous “stave” church in Norway. It’s an interesting work of architecture and is maintained through donations from visitors from around the world. It was a sentimental spot for me because it’s where my late sister was married.

The next morning we set off for our final destination: Lake Poinsett and a family reunion. Meet you there next week?

Where does the time go? I can’t believe my little girl’s first baby girl turns 17 today. She’s still our sweet, kind, and loving daughter, sister, cousin, niece and granddaughter. We are so lucky to have been close enough to watch her grow up.

Happy birthday, sweet, wonderful girl! We love you to the stars and back.

Deb

June 20 – Lake time reading, family laughter, & the wrong road home