Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site near Deer Lodge, Montana
I got waylaid in my processing with a few projects around the house, but I’m back in the photo processing groove again and re-living our visit to Montana. 🙂
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site near Deer Lodge, Montana
On our drive from Billings to Missoula we stopped by Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, near the town of Deer Lodge. That’s not as remote as it sounds, as Deer Lodge lies within sight of I-90, not too far from Helena.
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site near Deer Lodge, MontanaGrant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site near Deer Lodge, Montana
Grant-Kohrs Ranch has an interesting history, dating to the 1860s when the open-range cattle industry had its heyday. Many of the herds were built through trade with westward-bound emigrants, who gladly swapped two or more trail-worn cows for a single well-fed one.
Ranger talks about living and cooking on the range
From the NPS website:
“By 1885, cattle raising was the biggest industry on the High Plains, and foreign investors and eastern speculators rushed to get in on the bonanza. As ranches multiplied and the northern herds grew, there came a predictable consequence: overgrazing. This and the fierce winter of 1886-87 caused enormous losses, estimated at one-third to one-half of all the cattle on the northern plains. Many cattlemen never recovered.
If the snows of ’86-87 foreshadowed the end of open range ranching, the homesteaders, with their barbed wire and fenced-in 160 acre claims, finished it off.
The open-range cattle industry lasted only three decades. Few of its pioneering men and women made their fortunes or are remembered today. But from their beginnings has evolved the more scientific ranching of today, with its own risks and uncertainties. That is the legacy of the Grants and the Kohrs, whose pioneer ranch, complete with original furnishings, is a reminder of an important chapter in the history of the West.”
Old wagonBlacksmith shop with a sample of t he G-K brandBranding IronsBlacksmith ShopBlacksmith Shop
Walking around the ranch, I felt like I was experiencing the plains of Montana much like the early settlers saw it. Miles and miles of open range, perforated now by barbed-wire fences but the long range views remain.
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site near Deer Lodge, Montana
This was another one of those places we visited where we were able to steer well clear of crowds. The few people we saw there seemed to have been mostly attracted by the proximity to the interstate and the availability of restrooms. 😉 For us it was another piece of western history to add to our knowledge of this country.
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site near Deer Lodge, Montana
Absentee ballots ready to return to the post office for mailing
Kathy & I requested absentee ballots as soon as they were available, mailed them last week, they have arrived at the Board of Elections and are ready to be counted. Easy, peasy. No worrying about long lines, nasty weather or shenanigans at the polls. And as it turns out, we are in fact going to be out of town on Election Day. We’ve either used early voting or absentee voting for a number of years, and truthfully think it is a much better process than voting in person at a polling place. But for a lot of people I guess it’s the way it’s always been. Sort of like getting the newspaper every day. But whatever…done is done, a vote is a vote!
No political messages here. But I will say this: perhaps this year more than ever, be sure and really pay attention to your choices for Congress and the Senate and, where applicable, your governor and state representatives.
I read a quote recently in Of Bears and Ballots by Heather Lende that caused me to look into the source to gain the original context. With apologies for the length, I think it is worth sharing:
“In the last half of the twentieth century, thankfully, our society began to engage in a serious process of trying to atone for the sin of slavery, and in doing so much emphasis was placed on promoting civil rights. An unintended consequence of this important movement was a heightened focus on individuals and individual exercise of the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution. The civil rights movement came out of community, but the legal expression focused on individuals’ capacity to exercise their freedoms. Some fearful Americans—largely white men who professed a conservative version of Christianity—felt threatened, as if there were not enough rights to go around. They sought to create their own “movement.” This reaction in part fueled the rise of the tea party movement. . . .
But a democracy cannot survive if various groups and individuals only pull away in different directions. Such separation will not guarantee that all are allowed the opportunity for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” All people must be recognized for their inherent dignity and gifts regardless of the color of their skin, their religious beliefs, or their place of origin. And all these gifts need to be shared in order to build up the whole.
So I have begun to wonder if the new task of the first half of the twenty-first century should be a commitment to civil obligations as a balance to the focus on civil rights.
Civil obligations call each of us to participate out of a concern and commitment for the whole. Civil obligations call us to vote, to inform ourselves about the issues of the day, to engage in serious conversation about our nation’s future and learn to listen to various perspectives. To live our civil obligations means that everyone needs to be involved and that there needs to be room for everyone to exercise this involvement. This is the other side of civil rights. We all need our civil rights so that we can all exercise our civil obligations.
The mandate to exercise our civil obligations means that we can’t be bystanders who scoff at the process of politics while taking no responsibility. We all need to be involved. Civil obligations mean that we must hold our elected officials accountable for their actions, and we must advocate for those who are struggling to exercise their obligations. The 100 percent needs the efforts of all of us to create a true community.
It is an unpatriotic lie that we as a nation are based in individualism. The Constitution underscores the fact that we are rooted and raised in a communal society and that we each have a responsibility to build up the whole. The Preamble to the Constitution could not be any clearer: “We the People” are called to “form a more perfect Union.” ”
Reference:
Simone Campbell with David Gibson, A Nun on the Bus: How All of Us Can Create Hope, Change, and Community (HarperOne: 2014), 180-182.
Yellowtail Dam in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort Smith
Even though Kathy & I had considered Wyoming and Montana to be “visited” in terms of our 50 state quest, we knew that we had short-changed both states on our previous visit. Since we needed to traverse both of those states on our way to the west coast, we decided to rectify that shortfall with a few more stops. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation fit that bill, as it straddles the border between both states.
Yellowtail Dam in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort SmithYellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort Smith
The southern end of the park lies in northern Wyoming, and was the subject of my previous post. There are more places that we didn’t get to due to time constraints, and we spent the better part of a day on the northern end of the park, in southern Montana.
The upper side of Yellowtail Dam and reservoir.The upper side of Yellowtail Dam and reservoir.The upper side of Yellowtail Dam and reservoir.The upper side of Yellowtail Dam and reservoir.
Yellowtail Dam is another one of those places that you can’t really appreciate until you have seen it. I’ve not been to Hoover Dam or Glen Canyon Dam, but this is certainly the biggest dam I’ve ever seen! An exchange I had on Instagram with Paul Maxim describes the relative size of some of the “famous” dams in the US:
Yellowtail is 525 ft. tall and 1480 ft. wide. Glen Canyon is 710 ft. tall and 1560 ft. wide. So Glen Canyon is bigger (185 ft. taller). But the only dam in the U. S. bigger than Glen Canyon is Hoover Dam, which is 726 ft. tall. All of them, of course, are big. We’ve got nothing in the east that comes close!
The park is surrounded by Crow Indian land, and there are several references to Crow history throughout the park, including the remains of a medicine wheel that we didn’t get to.
Exhibit describing the role of the medicine wheel in Crow Indian culture and history.Exhibit describing the role of the medicine wheel in Crow Indian culture and history.Exhibit describing the role of the medicine wheel in Crow Indian culture and history.
It is rugged and scenic territory, and with all the red rock and lack of trees, far different from what we see in the east, or even in other parts of Wyoming and Montana. Another example of how unique but also how uniquely beautiful the different parts of our country can be.
Yellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort SmithYellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort SmithYellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort SmithYellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort Smith
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
One of the things that maps don’t always tell us is what the terrain is like on a given road or in a given town. We’ve been surprised by this numerous times when we get to a place and it is either hillier than we expected or not hilly at all. One such place came up on our drive through Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming.
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central WyomingScenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central WyomingScenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
We had spent the night in Rapid City, SD and wanted to get to Billings, MT via Lowell, WY in order to see the southern section of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation area, which stretches from Fort Smith in southern Montana, where the Yellowtail Dam is located, to Lowell, WY, the southern end of the reservoir. That route took us on 60-ish miles of Alt-US 14 – known as the Bighorn Scenic Byway – through Bighorn National Forest, from near Sheridan, WY to Lowell. And I have to say that it was one of the most stunning drives of any I have ever taken, including Trail Ridge Road in RMNP. The terrain was rugged and beautiful, the road was wide and smooth, and the views were amazing. In hindsight, that might have been a bigger highlight than Lowell, but at the time, who knew?
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central WyomingScenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central WyomingScenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
How rugged is the country in Bighorn National Forest? The road is closed in the winter, as the elevation reaches 9,033 feet at Granite Pass. That’s getting up there, as the highest point on our side of the Mississippi is a “mere” 6,684 feet (Mount Mitchell in NC). By comparison, the elevation difference between the valley near Dayton, WY to Granite Pass is nearly that whole amount – almost 6,000 feet!
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
I hadn’t paid much attention to this area before, but now that we’ve been there I am anxious to get back. There are a lot of interesting things to see and do in the area. Perhaps a few days in Sheridan on our way to or from Yellowstone or Grand Teton, when we decide it’s time to visit that part of the country again.
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
Kathy & I have been a little surprised by the questions and comments we’ve gotten from people since we returned from our western road trip. Questions like, “did you have any trouble finding places to stay?” “Where did you eat?” “Are there a lot of people on the road?” And comments that begin with phrases such as “One of these days…” and “When this is all over…” and “If it’s ever safe to travel again…” Yeesh. Of course we’ve gotten our share of “Good For You’s” and “That’s Great.” and we really appreciate that.
US 183 in north central Nebraska
When we tell people that we were in Oregon, we sometimes get a shocked look and some kind of question about “how bad was it?” The News would have you conjure up images of us driving down some rural highway with flaming trees falling across the road as we passed. Yes, there were fires nearby. “Nearby” as in 40-50 miles and in another valley and over a ridge or two. Yes, there was sometimes a lot of smoke and at times it got stinky. The fires have been devastating for a lot of people, but for those of us just passing through it was just an inconvenience. Mostly it was like driving in the fog. Yes, in some towns the restaurants and wineries with outdoor seating had decided to close. Who wants to eat or taste wine in the smoke? But there was plenty to see and do and we just had to adjust a bit. There is nothing like a road trip to teach you to be flexible!
US 183 in north central Nebraska
My message is that the world is still out there. It’s a big country, and you don’t have to sit at home and watch The News telling you how bad things are. Everything – or just about everything – is open. We stayed away from the “famous” places like Yellowstone and Glacier, mostly because this trip was not about seeing those places. This trip was specifically intended to take us off the beaten path. We’ll get to those famous places at another time.
Passing Zone
Restaurants on the road are operating just like they are at home. We carried a cooler with breakfast and lunch, to give us the flexibility to not have to go in search of food in the middle of nowhere. Hotels have scaled back their services a bit but they welcomed us everywhere. Gas is readily available everywhere and we had very little trouble finding a restroom when we needed one.
US 183 in north central Nebraska
Not everybody has the travel bug but we do. And if you do, this is really not a bad time to travel by car. Trains, buses, planes and cruise ships? Not yet. But car? No big deal. It’s fall color time – get out there! Figure out how you can travel in a way that makes you comfortable and go. Try an overnight, a weekend or a week. But go! Someday is today, and times a-wastin’!
Kathy & I like to seek out train stations during our travels, especially ones that appear to be historically significant or that have some amount of architectural uniqueness. That’s what took us to Fairbury, Nebraska on our recent trip.
Rock Island Railroad Depot in Fairbury, Nebraska
When I photograph these train stations, they are usually locked up tight, so I mostly walk around the outside, documenting interesting features and taking overviews of the building and surroundings. Since most of these stations are in fairly busy towns I get my usual curious looks from passersby, but for the most part no one pays any attention to me.
Rock Island Railroad Depot in Fairbury, NebraskaRock Island Railroad Depot in Fairbury, NebraskaOld Diebold Safe
The station in Fairbury houses a museum, but I knew when we were on our way there that – even if the museum wasn’t observing a Covid-related closure – that we would arrive well after their normal business hours. But as we pulled up, a good 30 minutes after closing time, a woman was coming out of the building on the opposite end of where I parked. I got out and started my usual walking around. The woman drove down to the end of the building where I had parked. I said hello and told her – as if she hadn’t made the assumption – that I was just a train station buff out to take a few photos. Then she said, “would you like to see the inside?” Uhhh, sure (it didn’t take me that long to say yes)!
TimetableRock Island Railroad Depot in Fairbury, Nebraska
As it turns out they were having some kind of meeting there that evening, and she had been there to make sure things were set up. With evidently nothing else to do she talked to me and Kathy for about 30 minutes while I wandered through and took a few pictures. She told us that a local train club was in the process of building a model train layout in one of the upstairs rooms and apologized for that room being locked, but otherwise I had the run of the place.
Self-ExplanatoryTelegraph EquipmentOld radios and typewritersOld radio equipment
Not wanting to overstay our welcome and knowing that we still had several hours of driving left, we politely said our thanks and goodbyes, and headed off for the rest of our adventure. It was a special and unexpected treat to be able to get inside this old station, if only for a few minutes!
Visitor Center at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska
One of the off-the-beaten-path places we visited on our journey westward was in Nebraska. The Homestead National Monument of America is located near Beatrice (pronounced be-AT-riss)Nebraska.
Palmer-Epard Cabin at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, NebraskaPalmer-Epard Cabin at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska
From the NPS website:
The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting 160 acres of free land to claimants, it allowed nearly any man or woman a “fair chance.”
Millions of Americans including immigrants, women, and formerly enslaved men and women would make the dream of westward expansion a reality for this country. For over a century these settlers would test their grit and endurance in the untamed wilderness and remote frontiers. Homestead National Monument of America, located in Southeast Nebraska, commemorates this Act and the far-reaching effects it had upon the landscape and people.
It is the purpose of our government “to elevate the condition of men, to lift artificial burdens from all shoulders and to give everyone an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life.”
– President Abraham Lincoln, July 4, 1861
Visitor Center at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, NebraskaVisitor Center at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, NebraskaExample of tallgrass prairie at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, NebraskaExample of tallgrass prairie at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, NebraskaPrairie dog spotted at the Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska
Like most of the other places we visited, this park was mostly deserted at the time we were there. A few rangers working in the building and a few fellow tourists walking the grounds outside were about it. But the park contains some excellent information about the Homestead Act and its impact on the settlement of the west.
Palmer-Epard Cabin at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, NebraskaDoor and lock hardware at the Palmer-Epard Cabin at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska
One of the challenges of a long road trip is all of the varying road conditions and how it trashes the car. I’m not one of those guys who obsesses over every water spot, but I do get to a point where I need to find a car wash!
Southern Montana near Fort SmithNational Bison Range near Charlo, MontanaTranscontinental Railroad National Back Country Byway at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, Utah
For some reason, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri seem to have way more bugs than anywhere else we’ve been. After 2 or 3 days of highway speeds, the front of the car looks like the site of an insect massacre.
Along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central WyomingSoot on our car from the smoke around Cannon Beach, Oregon
We spent a lot more time on gravel and dirt roads on this trip, especially in eastern Washington but also in Montana, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. In the Palouse region of Washington, a few of the roads had dirt so fine that was like powder, and it got everywhere. Not to mention the smoke and soot in Oregon! It took its toll on the car, for sure.
I should have waited until after we visited Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
Fortunately or unfortunately the drive home from Tennessee was almost all in the rain, so it did help a bit with the dust. But a couple of hours in the driveway to clean out the inside plus a trip to the car wash was an absolute necessity. It’s all good now, at least until the next trip down a dirt road!
The Subie gets a well-deserved bath after hundreds of smoky, dusty and sooty miles
National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky
The first night’s stop on our northwest road trip was Bowling Green, KY. And thanks to making good time on I-40 and to gaining an hour with the move into the Central time zone, we arrived in time to visit the National Corvette Museum. It’s hard not to love the Corvette, even if you are a long-time Ford fan. The museum is nicely done, with an excellent collection of Corvettes from all years, along with concept cars and a scattering of other makes from the early years.
National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KentuckyNational Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KentuckyNational Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KentuckyNational Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky
One thing I had forgotten about was that in 2014 a portion of the museum floor collapsed into a huge sinkhole, sending 8 priceless cars plunging into the abyss. The sinkhole has been filled in and the floor has been rebuilt. Several of the cars were damaged beyond repair, but they were returned to their original place in the museum as they were recovered. A frightening sight and reminder not to mess with nature! The museum’s website has some information about the sinkhole and the exhibit they created to tell the story. It’s pretty interesting, especially the timelapse of the effort to fill in the hole!
1984 PPG Pace Car. Cars damaged in the sinkhole collapse on February 12, 2014 at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. These cars were deemed to be unrepairable but were returned to their original position on the floor once the building was repaired.Cars damaged in the sinkhole collapse on February 12, 2014 at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. These cars were deemed to be unrepairable but were returned to their original position on the floor once the building was repaired.
An unexpected bonus of our visit was a display of cars and car art by legendary artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth of Rat Fink fame. I remember idolizing his work as a kid along with cars by designer George Barris, and I’m pretty sure that at one time I had built plastic models of a few of these cars. That was a long time ago!
“Rat Fink” exhibit – custom cars and art by legendary car designer and artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky“Rat Fink” exhibit – custom cars and art by legendary car designer and artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky“Rat Fink” exhibit – custom cars and art by legendary car designer and artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky“Rat Fink” exhibit – custom cars and art by legendary car designer and artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky
I’ve posted a sampling of photos from our visit here on this page, but for those who want to dig deeper I’ve created an album from our trip on my Adobe Portfolio page and have added a gallery of more photos from the museum. Enjoy!
I would have brought this one home with me but I wanted a red one. 🙂
Former camera store – long closed – in downtown Billings, Montana
We traveled a total of 8030 miles in 24 days, and I took 4,459 photos for 168GB!
We saw rain on the first day and the last day, and very little in between. We had one very windy day in Washington, and we saw lots of smoke – way too much – in Oregon. Otherwise the weather was very pleasant, not too hot, not too cold.
We live in a beautiful country. There is something for everyone, and the scenery changes by the hour. Except perhaps in Kansas, where it changes a bit more slowly.
Cape Girardeau River Tales Mural along the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
It’s interesting how you can tell when you have entered a new state. It’s not an immediate change, but if you took a picture before and another after about an hour, you can tell.
People ain’t staying home! The roadways and motels are all pretty full, especially the interstate highways.
Evening in downtown Ogden, utah
In most places, people were well behaved, doing all the disease prevention stuff and generally staying away from each other. Hotels have used Covid as an excuse to not clean your room or provide breakfast, but as long as we can get coffee that is perfectly OK with us. Chain hotel breakfasts are usually not that good anyway (except sometimes the waffles!).
We have generally been avoiding “chain” restaurants for several years. But a few times, due mostly to convenience and location, we found ourselves at a few chain restaurants – Red Lobster, Outback and Rafferty’s to name a few. They were OK and we didn’t get sick or die! We still avoid “fast food” except to pee.
Mostly with eating out is that you just need to think about where you are. For example, don’t try to order fish in Nebraska or Montana – they know beef and pork. In Washington or Oregon? Chinook salmon in Washington is amazing, plus they have freshwater walleye and trout – no problemo. In Montana? No fish.
Carrying our own food and having most breakfasts and many lunches on the road saved us time and money, and by avoiding all those restaurant meals we each gained less than 3 pounds, a miracle for us.
Near the Perrine Memorial Bridge over the Snake River in Twin Falls, Idaho
We saw lots and lots of RVs and travel trailers of all sizes, shapes, speeds and apparent driver ability. It’s a little scary that people who can’t pull their Buick into a parking place straight are now driving tour bus-sized behemoths.
It’s interesting that in many cases the larger the motor home or trailer, the more crap that was hanging off the back or on top or in a vehicle being towed behind. Boats, 4-wheelers, golf carts, motorcycles, bicycles, etc. I guess people are trying to prove that you can take it with you after all. How about just taking less stuff? Hauling all that crap around is not my idea of getting away from it all. But I guess that’s not the point.
Despite all the RVs on the road, all across the country we saw dozens of sales lots with hundreds of units sitting unsold. Plus many more storage centers with units sitting in storage. Who has that kind of money to just let stuff sit around?
We saw nothing to convince us to buy an RV. Or to get a dog.
Public Library in Cannon Beach, Oregon
As is often the case, the famous places (which we avoided) are packed with people while the less famous places are empty. We were literally the only visitors we saw at Fort Larned National Monument and George Washington Carver National Monument – both in Kansas, which might explain something.
Sign at a restaurant in Valentine, Nebraska
Thank goodness for US Highways. No trucks, virtually no cities, lots of passing lanes and 65-75 mph speed limits. We use them whenever we can.
Happy Day Rock found near Short Bridge covered bridge on High Deck Road over the Foster River near Foster, Oregon
I don’t know what they’re hauling, but there are many more trucks on the road than I ever remember in previous travels, especially on the main interstates between major cities. Between the trucks and the RVs that can’t or won’t maintain the speed limit, driving the highways can be nerve-wracking. But we managed!
Evening in downtown Ogden, utah
An informal poll of people willing to put up political signs gives a decided edge to the incumbent. No conclusions can be made of this data, as the margin of error of this poll is +/- 50%
It’s amazing how much better things seem when you stay away from the news!
National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KentuckyAlong US-20 near Foster, Oregon
