And that’s why they call it Montana!

Warning: this post contains a LOT of scenic photos and very few people.  

I have been slack-jawed all day looking out the window at the scenery.  The United States is breathtaking.  I feel almost swallowed up by the land which is so incredibly vast and seemingly immeasurable.  It’s humbling.

Today was the day I had been waiting for… our arrival in Montana. Rob and I got an early start – the kids were neither awake when we parked last night nor this morning when we took off for the last seven hours to Livingston, Montana.  With two steaming cups of coffee in our Hydroflask mugs (Thanks, Gander!) and Steve Miller on the radio, we set out through South Dakota.  We passed Rapid City and Sturgis where preparations are already underway for Bike Week 2021.  Rob and his buddy rode through last year’s event.  He nostalgically recounted the camaraderie, the vendors, the spirit of the bikers that define the annual event.  Some of the businesses around Sturgis make ALL of their money FOR THE YEAR during the two weeks of bike week.  That is insane!   Certainly, the number of bikers has been steadily increasing as we move westward.  The landscape in South Dakota changes rapidly.  From lush green hills to drier, flatter expanses, it goes on and on and on.  Little hamlets and villages of just a few hundred people line the sides of the highway and there are enormous cattle ranches with farmhouses set far back into the hills.  On our way back home, we will probably take a more southern route and ride through the Badlands and Black Hills area.  You could easily spend a month out here and never see it all.

Passing through several Native American reservations, we were reminded of the poverty that  affects so many of the people, but also the incredible culture of the tribes that continue to inhabit this land.  We passed through Sioux and Cheyenne reservations in South Dakota, briefly passed to Wyoming and entered Montana and drove onto the Crow Reservation in Montana.  As we continue to travel, we will look for more opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of the people who have lived here for thousands of years.   

The Little Bighorn National Battlefield Monument, right outside Billings, MT, is situated on the Crow Reservation.  On a whim, we decided to take Kevin (and the toad) and drive through the battlefield – because, why not?  When are we ever going to be passing this way again?  Naturally, the children were thrilled to see a 240-year old battlefield (actually they were pretty agreeable and we didn’t make them get out of the car because we couldn’t park Kevin anywhere, and also, it was HOT.  Frankly, I’m surprised we were allowed to take our show through this somber memorial – I mean, we look ridiculous.)  Along the curvy, hilly road that cuts through the fields, you can see white and red markers indicating where U.S. and Native Americans fell during the battle.  The site commemorates those lost on both sides of the battle. The Last Stand area, where Custer and the 7th Cavalry were finally defeated by the Native Americans (several tribes united for this battle) led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, has the most white grave markers, but you can see stones scattered throughout the expansive battlefield.  Driving through the battlefield was like a four-mile game of chicken.  Theoretically, it is two-way road, but if two giant RVs try to pass one another going in the opposite directions, someone has to pull over before someone loses a mirror.  My upper arms and shoulders are sore from the death-grip I had on the steering wheel.  

By the time we were an hour outside Livingston, it had become clear how Monanta got its name.  Livingston is situated in a valley between the Absoroka and Crazy Mountain Ranges (part of the northern Rocky Mountains), right on the Yellowstone River.  When you get out of your vehicle and just stand out in the open surrounded by mountains, some with snow-capped peaks, all you feel is small and speechless.  How have I stayed away from here for so long?  Montana is also called Big Sky country because of all the open spaces and the lack of tall buildings that obstruct the skyline.  Nothing but mountains and sky.

Hallelujah!  Around 5:00 PM on Wednesday, we reached our first major destination: the KOA Paradise Valley/Holliday.  Turns out we lost a hubcap somewhere along the way. Whoops!

‘The campground is packed with motorcyclists, tent campers, trailers and RVs.  Also, the view from our camper is SPECTACULAR!  We’ve barely parked and the kids have already spilled out of the camper and are headed to explore our home for the next four days.  Time to kick back, see Rob’s sister, brother-in-law, and nephew and think about tomorrow’s adventures!

Thanks for coming on the road with us!  Tomorrow… more photos of people now that we have all showered and feel like human beings again!

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”

~John Muir