Bob,
I really enjoyed the pictures.
In answer to your question, I dont take still photos just plenty of digital video from which I later extract stills if I want to. I haven't got around to sorting out this years record yet.
UK
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Bob,
I really enjoyed the pictures.
In answer to your question, I dont take still photos just plenty of digital video from which I later extract stills if I want to. I haven't got around to sorting out this years record yet.
UK
August 5th. Two items on the agenda for today, the only question was which order to do them in ? The eventual decision was to head to the nearby waterpark first. We had a lazy morning while the boys plummeted down various slides on and off of inflatables. I dread to think how high they must have climbed if you could put all the stairs they climbed that morning on top of each other. I used to have energy like that - where did it go ?
The second item on the agenda for the day was a drive down to the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument. Its not too far from Billings, just over an hours drive south east. I was not too sure what to expect of this visit and as is so often the case on these holidays, it was not at all like I expected and I enjoyed it much more than I hoped I would.
The first really big surprise for me was that there is a national cemetery on the site with military soldiers and sailors killed in action or veterans and their
spouses that served in the U.S. Military during the Indian Wars, Spanish American War, World War One, World War Two, Korean War, and Vietnam. In my ignorance I did not know of any such places except Arlington.
The next decision was should I walk up to last stand hill or to listen to the
Ranger talk before walking up to last stand hill. I chose to listen to the Ranger - good choice ! The Ranger was a professor of history from somewhere in Texas if memory serves, he worked at the battlefield every summer. He was passionate and knowledgable about his subject and he took me back to the time of the battle by following the fate of a number of participants in the fight from both sides. It was spellbinding and fortunately I have most of it on video to watch again. A magical experience.
Knowing so much detail about what happened and why made the short walk up to last stand hill so much more enoyable. I stood there and could imagine the scene. This is a place I will go back to ( without impatient children !) and spend a few days fully following the ebb and flow of events on the ground. I am beginning to develop a real interest in early American History.
We headed back to Billings with the boys intent on going back to the water park (we had day long tickets) however, when we got there, the weather had turned and the park was closed. What a good decision it had been to do the waterpark in the morning rather then the afternoon.
UK
Been a while coming but here is the next installment.
I've got the dates confused on my earlier posts somehow, this was August 4th and we were off and into the wilds accross the plains to Great Falls. This was a 255 mile journey for which we had bought a picnic lunch in a supermarket in Billings as it looked like we would be nowhere near anywhere at lunch time.
A large part of the journey was on US 89 which is another of the scenic routes in the National Geographic book I've mentioned before (page 246 if you have the book). The journey was largely uneventful. Once on the 89 north it was virtualy devoid of any other traffic and we stopped for lunch just north of White Sulphur Springs in the Lewis and clark National Forest almost to the mile 1000 miles since we left Salt Lake City.
Driving on pausing briefly at the spectacular overlook over Sluice Boxes State Park we arrived in Great Falls in mid afternoon. We were staying in the Holiday Inn with a room overlooking the indoor pool which the boys were soon into.
I headed out to reconoitre for the following day. I wanted to find out where the Lewis and Clark museum was and where the waterpark we had seen advertised was. I easily found both and headed back to the hotel for an evening meal and we decided to buy a pay perview movie in the room as the kids were suffering from TV withdrawal symptoms. We watched The Pacifier and all enjoyed it.
The day was rounded off as always with a few bottles of finest chilled nightcap while I read my book.
I've let this slip and got diverted onto other things. Here goes with finishing off this trip report.
August 5th, a day in Great Falls Montana.
Over the years in my travels to the USA I've become increasingly interested in American history both of the european spread across the continent and the Native American Indians. After my treat of a few days earlier at the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument, today was to be a Lewis and Clark day.
Great Falls is named for the waterfalls in the mighty Missouri river. Lewis and Clark encountered these falls as they paddled upriver searching for a water route to the Pacific. Unfortunately you cannot see the river as they did because dams have been built above most of the falls to divert water to make electricity (in fact Great Falls is also known as 'The Electric City' because of its generating capacity). Anyhow, you can see enough of the falls which are set in a steep sided gorge to realise how they would stop an expedition in canoes in its tracks so to speak. In fact the expedition had to portage the canoes around the five sets of falls taking around a month to do so.
We visited the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at the northern edge of the town and greatly enjoyed it. The exhibits and film show were excellent and down by the side of the river we saw a demonstration of how to erect a Teepee and how to start a fire using flint and tinder. This last one was a big hit with my two boys and we purchased an iron spark maker along with piece of flint to bring home. The centre piece exhibit in the museum is a full sized mock up of one of the canoes the Lewis and Clark expedition had to portage around the falls. When you stand close to this, the enormity of the physical challenge they had is made very real.
UK
We are pleased to get the next installment.Quote:
Originally Posted by UK
UK, did you notice the warning signs in the park at the base of those falls? That sign in question says "If you hear three blasts of the horn evacuate this area immediately" -- presumably that means the dam is about to break. Not a sign to give a great deal of confidence.Quote:
Anyhow, you can see enough of the falls which are set in a steep sided gorge to realise how they would stop an expedition in canoes in its tracks so to speak.
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum...eatFallsMt.jpg
In fact the expedition had to portage the canoes around the five sets of falls taking around a month to do so.
Mark
Mark,Quote:
Originally Posted by Editor
We did not get close enough to see any signs. However, I had a good look from above and you could clearly see how most of the flow of the river is diverted through the turbines of the generating plants downstream of the dams leaving only a trickle going over the dam wall and the falls. I would assume that the three blasts of the horn probably signify that the turbines are about to be stopped and that the full flow of this mighty river is about to cascade over the dam. Must be quite a sight when that happens and quite dangerous if you are below the normally dry dam !
UK
August 6th, Glacier here we come.
Up bright and early we set off for Glacier National Park (which was the whole point of this particular route), just over three hours driving away. Not a particularly inspiring drive over the plains but the Rockies were rising tantalisingly from the horizon to our left as we headed north west.
We hit Browning heart of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation late in the morning. I had planned to stop here and have lunch and visit the Museum of the Plains Indians however, my romantic vision of Browning as a bustling town filled with attractions and proud signs of tribal heritage was dashed somewhat by the reality of a dusty untidy sprawl. We did stop at the Museum which had an excellent collection of artifacts and clothing from the last century (until surprisingly recently) and then pressed on.
Arriving earlier than planned at St Mary the eastern entrance to Glacier we checked in at the resort and to our pleasant surprise, the cabin we had reserved was ready several hours before the official check in time. We bought some snack food at the supermarket and installed ourselves in the cabin for lunch.
The setting was sublime, the cabin we had was just next to the river looking towards the park with the magnificent rocky peaks rising above the glacially carved U shaped valley. After lunch, my boys and I spent the afternoon in the river producing our own miniature dam.
We had a meal and drinks in the Lodge in the evening and retired to the peace and quiet of our TV free cabin - not popular with my lads !