Big Sky Country - 2016
Rapid City, ND to
Devils Tower, WY to
Little Bighorn Battlefield, MT to
Billings, MT
Day 5 - August 22
A great stateline sign, compared to California’s
Lonesome Devils Tower
Devils Tower, getting closer
There is a 1.5 mile loop trail around Devils Tower. We took half of it. The other half was closed.
Closer
A Close Encounter…
Devils Tower
Kathy using her new walking stick. She’s focused!
Kathy and Devils Tower
The Wyoming highway
#48 for Ric - only Kentucky and Arkansas to go!
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. The National Cemetary holds veterans up to the Vietnam War. It is now at capacity.
The battlefield is littered with these markers, for Indian warriors and military soldiers. This is one of the Indian markers
These are the military soldier markers. There are many more of these visible
The hilltop of Custer’s last stand
Day 5 - August 22
Devils Tower, Wyoming and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument & Billings, Montana
Today was mostly a driving day - Rapid City, SD to Billings, MT - 375 miles. We stopped at Devils Tower, an amazing natural monolith that sits in the middle of nowhere. This is where they filmed Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A fascinatingly odd place.
From there to Little Bighorn Battlefield, the scene of Custer’s Last Stand against the Indians. The ever-encroaching white man, with government’s backing, had forced the Indian tribes in this area (Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and others) into reservations. These were nomadic people, used to roaming the land as their needs demanded. Some, such as Sitting Bull, wouldn’t have it, and forced the government’s hand. Custer was sent to “put them in their place.” He wrongly assumed the Indian uprisers were small in number. As Custer was to find out, Sitting Bull was very good at establishing alliances with other Indian tribes; Custer and his army were massacred. As we now know, this was a small battle won by the Indians - the war would be lost.
We made our way to Billings, MT, and went to Uberbrew for a burger (Ric) and Schnitzel (Kathy).
Billings to Missoula, Montana
Day 6 - August 23
Montana highway
Montana Highway. But this could be just about anywhere we’ve been so far…
Montana Highway
St. Patrick Church in Butte, Montana. The church started in 1879. This building was erected in 1884. In 1891, my maternal grandmother was born in Butte, and baptized in this church. At 8 years old, her family moved to Los Angeles
Our Lady of the Rockies, a 90-foot tall Catholic statue of Mary. It sits above Butte, Montana on the Continental Divide
The Clark-Forte River in Missoula, Montana. Across the way is the University of Montana campus
On the deck at the Doubletree Hotel, with the Clark-Forte River in the background. The big “M” on the hill is not Monrovia’s Big “M” (we did and still do have one there, where I grew up) but this one either stands for Missoula, or for Montana. Probably the latter, as it is positioned just above the University of Montana campus
Day 6 - August 23
Butte & Missoula, Montana
Another long driving day - about 350 miles. Wyoming and Montana are wide states! We made only one stop, in Butte, to see the Catholic church where my maternal grandmother was baptized.
We pulled into Missoula about 3 pm, and decided to take a walk along the Clark-Forte River. We met a very nice Missoula native, who recommended the deck of the Doubletree Hotel, overlooking the river. We spent over 2 hours there, including dinner. So peaceful. especially after a couple of days behind the wheel.