Hi everyone. Mike and I have been traveling again. This past Sunday, we drove into Missoula to see the town and to do some grocery shopping. Later on Sunday, we went back into Missoula and had Chinese food. We knew that our travels for the next week or so would not be in areas where we could eat out.
Monday the 19th, we got on the road and drove to Ennis, MT. It was about 200 miles to the south and on our way to Yellowstone. Mike picked Ennis because he has been here twice on hunting trips. He wanted to show me this area.
Our trip down took us through Butte, MT. I was surprised that this is such a small town. I was expecting something much larger. MT is a huge state, but does not have a huge population. I guess the weather has something to do with the number of people who live here. It is also some pretty rugged country which makes getting water and electric to people a challenge.
We got off the interstate and took US 287 to Ennis. This drive took us alongside of some very steep and rocky mountains. The road was really nestled up against the mountainside and the rocks looked like they could break off and tumble down on us at any time. On the other side, the road dropped off to the river and then mountains on the other side of the river. Around one bend, we saw a HUGE cave up on the mountain on our side of the river. At first, we thought it was a tunnel. As we got closer, we realized it really is a giant cave. We had no information about it until a little further down the road there was a marker saying this is the Lewis and Clark Cavern. We didn't stop, but I assume it is a natural cavern that was discovered by Lewis and Clark as they made their way west.
Not far beyond the cave, I had a "hand over my heart" OH MY GOSH moment. We came up over a rise and out before us was a huge valley bordered on both side by snow capped mountains. The valley is green and dotted with ranches with horses or cattle. I can't describe the sight, so I won't. Instead, I'll post pictures.
Our RV park was another wonderful surprise. This RV park is the best ever. It is not because of the amenities, which are pretty standard in the nicer RV parks. It is the view. We are sitting in the middle of the valley and have a panoramic view of the valley and mountains all around. I can look out any window and see beauty. Last night, I opened up my blinds so that I could see the scenery as soon as I opened my eyes. However, a bright full moon caused me to shut the blinds around 3am. I woke up with a bright light in my eyes. It turned out that the full moon's light was directed directly at my pillow.
I forgot to tell you about our side trip. After we got the RV set up, Mike took me to see the area where he went hunting. Our drive took us south of Ennis about 10 miles and then back up into the mountains. The views at several different places were breathtaking. We drove back into an area where there is an old homestead with a stream that is threatening to take the home. The barn is still standing and appears to be in pretty good shape. The land here is still used for cattle as the cow patties made evident. The stream was running full force. There is still a lot of snow up on the mountains and the hot weather for the past week has it melting quickly. There were a couple of places on our drive back into the mountains where we had to go through show that is still several feet high on part of the road.
After the drive, we were both pooped. We came back and set up a couple of chair and opened a bottle of wine and set outside and enjoyed the scenery until it was dark. Today, we are just resting. There is a quilt store in town and I'm going to pay it a visit later today. Tomorrow, we leave for Yellowstone. I hope the rain that we are expecting won't interfere with our plans.
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