Day 40 - Billings, Montana - Dickenson, North Dakota

Last night was a long night as Penny was not feeling well and we made many trips outside!  This started about 2:30 AM and I finally decided to stay up after the 4:30 AM run.........so we stayed at the RV park until we decided Penny was feeling better, and hit the road about 10:30 AM.  Our goal was Glendive, Montana (200 miles from Billings), but Penny did well on the ride so we continued to Dickenson, North Dakota.  As I told my FB friends, it was a good thing we made the decision to get over the mountains before the snow came in, as the forecast on the Weather Channel shows snow in t Missoula and Butte for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Had we stay an extra day like we thought we might, we probably would have been snowed in, or not have been able to travel over the mountain pass. 

The terrain as we traveled today changed regularly.  One minute we were coming out of the mountains, then onto the prairie then into the National Grasslands and back to the prairie again.  Much of what we saw today was similar to what we saw in West Texas as well as New Mexico and Arizona.  You'll see this when you view the pictures below. Certainly gave us the feeling that we had been here before, when in fact we have never been to North Dakota.  There is a lot of history in this area as well.  In North Dakota, you will see cattle pastures, fields growing corn for renewable ethanol, wheat and barley fields and oil pump jacks!  Almost sounds like home!  Almost!

Some interesting/fun facts that I read in a magazine I picked up at the North Dakota Welcome Center are:

1.  ND is the friendliest state in the U.S - according to a Cambridge University Study. (Really?)

2.  ND ranks fourth in the nation in crude oil production (I did not know this)

3.  The Dakota Dinosaur Museum in Dickinson, holds the world's largest triceratops skull.  It weighs 1500 pounds! (My son Jason would be interested in this!)

4. ND population: 672,591

5.  Explorers Lewis and Clark spent more time in what is now North Dakota than any other place on their journey.

6.  State tree:  Elm.  State Flower: Wild Prairie Rose.  State Bird: Western Meadowlark.  State Drink: Milk.  State Fruit:  Chokecherry.

So there you have it - everything you ever wanted to know about North Dakota!  Or maybe not! LOL

Oh, and before I forget, yesterday we saw two other Casitas on the highway!  In Montana!  That was cool!  We were pleasantly surprised!

Enjoy the pictures!

Scenes along the highway!  Quite a difference from yesterday!

Day 39 - Rocky Mountain High

We left Missoula, Montana this morning under gray skies and no snow!  However, we did see our share of snow as we traveled through the Rocky Mountains at various points along our route to Billings, Montana, our stop for the evening.

The mountains were magical and majestic and we never knew what to expect when we rounded any curve as we zig-zagged through the mountain passes.  At one point, when we crossed over the Continental Divide, we were at an altitude of 6,393 feet! 

We have been traveling Interstate 90 which runs through Montana, and basically is the same route that the explorers Lewis and Clark followed in their quest to find a northwest passage.  The route they took follows the Yellowstone River from Billlings to the Continental Divide. Having now traveled that same path via modern day transportation, I cannot even begin to imagine what that trip was like for them so many years ago in prairie schooners (covered wagons) and what they did when faced with weather elements, indians and wild animals.  Just as amazing is the what it took to build the roads in this area given the mountains, weather and rough terrain!  Many times today we found ourselves in the snowy mountains and then within minutes we were on the prairie. The temperatures today ranged from a low of 38 degrees, to a high of 60 degrees.  Once we got through Bozeman, the sun came out and the ride to Billings was pleasant.  We did not go to Yellowstone on our way to Billings, as we have been there before, and we really wanted to get out of the mountains as more snow was predicted for the area.  There was quite a bit of snow on the mountains in Yellowstone County, so I can imagine there was probably still quite a lot of snow in the park.

We are staying at the KOA Kampground in Billings, Montana.  This particular campground was the first ever KOA Kampground established in 1962, and this year celebrates its' 50th Anniversary!   

Of interest in the area is the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.  On June 25, 1876, General George Custer and the 7th Calvary rode into battle against over 3,000 warriors of the Sioux and Cheyenne Indian tribes.  The defeat was overwhelming.  Jim and I visited here the last time we were through this area and walked the battlefield and visited the Indian Memorial.  It was very interesting to say the least.

Montana is a beautiful state with a lot of history!  Not much more I can say..........

Finally, a special request. If you are so inclined,  I would like for you to please take a few moments to say a prayer for a dear friend of mine who suffered a heart attack yesterday and is in ICU at Citizens Hospital in Victoria, Texas.  Her name is Kay Frels.  She lives in Edna and she is a member of the Crossroads Emmaus and First United Methodist Church, Edna, TX..  She was the Lay Director on a Walk to Emmaus last summer, and I was honored to have served on her team for this walk.  She is a very strong, devout Christian who is simply an amazing Godly woman loved by many.  Thank you..........

The terrain as we left Missoula, Montana

The mountains and all their beauty!

We stopped at McDonalds for a drink - this is their fountain at the Drive-Thru!

I took this picture for my friend Logan!

More breathtaking vistas!



Lacy - Oblivious to all the beauty that surrounds her!

Heading down to the prairie - lots of buttes

Butte with caves

Refinery in Laurel - just before Billings - Really seemed out of place...

Day 38 - Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

The morning was sunny and beautiful - we started our travels in Washington and went through Idaho and are now at a KOA Kampground in Missoula, Montana. 

Today's ride was interesting to say the least.  A lot of variation of scenery!  The part of Washington we went through today was mostly range land, and Idaho was mountains and beautiful lakes!  Beautiful lakes with beautiful homes on their shores!

Montana on the other hand was mountainous, cold and full of snow!  Fortunately most of the snow was off the highway, but it really made for beautiful scenery.  The locals told us today that a few days ago the temperatures were close to 80 degrees in the area, so most of the snow that was on the mountains and trees is gone.  Today the temperatures ranged from 41 degrees for a low and 53 degrees for a high.  They are anticipating more bad weather in the area next week some time - this is April, almost May right?

We made a stop at a rest area to walk the dogs and ourselves, and to introduce Lacy and Speedy to snow.  They have never seen snow or experienced walking in it.Speedy tolerated it, but I don't think Lacy liked it.  Of course Jim kept trying to get her to sit so he could get a picture - excuse me, but this is a dog that doesn't like to sit in damp grass, what makes you think she is going to sit in cold/wet snow?  Penny was right at home in the snow - she was a puppy when Port Lavaca had the great snowfall in December 2005 (or was it 2004?)  Anyway, Penny had a ball playing in the snow then, and enjoyed it today as well - didn't bother her a bit - she just wasn't to sure about the four wheelers that were being driven in the snow - a popular mode of transportation in these parts!

We traveled through Lookout Pass which is located at the Idaho/Montana border.  The elevation here is 4,710 feet above sea level.  Lookout Pass is the pass through the Coeur d'Alene Mts of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains. We also changed time zones - again! 

We have now traveled approximately 3,500 miles (excluding Hawaiian travel) on our journey.  Tomorrow we will travel to Billings, Montana before the weather gets bad again. It may or may not snow again, but if it does snow,  we are not prepared for it.  Being from Texas we have no snow tires or chains for our truck so we need to get through the bad weather spots as quickly as possible!

Enjoy the pictures!

Leaving Washington State

Entering Idaho

Beautiful Lakes

Starting the mountain climb

First sight of snow

 More snow - getting closer

Lots of snow

Lacy experiencing her first snow!

Popular form of snow transport

Speedy - not too sure about the "white" stuff

Penny - nary a worry about the "white" stuff



Overflowing stream - snow run-off

Day 37 - Columbia Gorge - Ritzville, WA

Today we awoke to a beautiful day and after breakfast we headed to Ritzville, WA which was our goal for the day.  We are no longer on a tight schedule, so we are trying to pace ourselves on our daily travels so as to not wear ourselves out!  And the dogs appreciate the added play time once we reach our destination!

To reach  Ritzville, we drove through the Columbia River Gorge and the scenery was absolutely stunning!  Washington State is a beautiful state and this area is really lush and beautiful!  Unfortunately, I had left my camera in the car and missed a lot of good shots (hard to stop on an interstate with traffic going ninety-to- nothing), so the pictures I did get were later in the day.  The Army Corps of Engineers have done an outstanding job of building dams at strategic points in the river to prevent flooding.  It just amazes me how they are built and how they function!

The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River.  Up to 4,000 feet deep. the canyon stretches for over 80 miles as the river winds westward through the Cascade Mountain Range, forming the boundary between Washington and Oregon.  The Gorge furnishes the only navigable route through the Cascades and the only water connection between the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.

We made one stop at a Country Mercantile store that our friends Joe and Joy had told us about, and picked up a few items that we cannot purchase in Texas.  It was an interesting store with a variety of goods to sell, a deli and fresh produce.  ($1.99 for a five pound bag of aspargus!).  The highlight of the stop however, was a  robin-egg blue 1953 Corvette convertible that was parked outside!  It was a beautiful car and I did get a picture of it to share with our readers!  I know my friends Dale and Betty Cooper would love to have this car! (They are BIG Corvette admirers!)

We arrived in Ritzville (not sure why they call it this, there is nothing Ritzy about the town!) about 5 PM. and after setting up the RV we found out that there was not wi-fi service to the park and that there were too many trees to set up the portable satellite, so that meant we had to spend the night talking with one another, listening to music, reading and relaxing!  It wasn't all that bad, and there were no commercial breaks!  Priceless!

Tomorrow is another day ...........

Scenes from the Columbia River Gorge

Tree Farm

Great place to shop and browse!