June 22 - 28, 2024
On Saturday, June 22 we drove to Elk Bend, ID to the Elk Bend RV Park. This was full hookups for one night. Our check-out time at the previous campground was 10:00 and it was only around 90 miles to Elk Bend so we got in around noonish. When I went to check in I was informed that since we were earlier than the check-in time of 2:00 he charged us an extra $10. This on top of the $60 we paid for the night. I thought it was a little petty/greedy since there was no one in our site, but it's taught me to check and be aware if there are any penalties if we're early.
I didn't get a picture of the campground but here are some pictures of the drive.
On Sunday we made sure we were out before check-out time and drove up over Lost Trail Pass to Darby, MT. We had made this drive many years ago and it was just as pretty as we remembered. We stopped at the top and made/ate lunch. It smelled so good with all the mountain trees. Lewis and Clark took this route.
In Darby we stayed at Travellers Rest RV Park and Cabins. It was full hookups for $73.17 per night. I had seen the cabins on previous trips to Darby and thought they were cute. I didn't know there was a RV park behind them and never dreamed I'd stay there. I think John got a picture of the campground but I didn't.
Monday I had a 10:00 appointment to get my hair cut in Hamilton. We got the truck washed and then went from there to Missoula, where we first had lunch at Chick-fil-a (you're not supposed to go shopping if you're hungry). Maybe things are more expensive out here, but it was almost $24 for lunch for the two of us. I don't know how families do it these days. Then we went to Costco to see about getting the final valve stem on the truck tires we got from them replaced. The other three had gone bad and we don't need a flat tire or blowout out in the middle of nowhere. We made an appointment for 6:15 the next evening. From there we went to Walmart and got our shopping done, then back to Darby and dinner with one of John's long-time friends Don and his wife Cathy. We moochdocked at their house on the way back from Alaska five years ago and it was good to see them and catch up. We both noticed that the traffic in Missoula was much worse than it was even five years ago. It's a beautiful area and I guess people are figuring that out and moving there.
Tuesday we took Hwy. 93 back down and up to the pass, then Hwy. 43 to I-90 to Deer Lodge. We were going to go over the pass on 38 just south of Hamilton but then I realized that most of it was dirt road. Since the truck was relatively clean we decided on the other route. On Hwy. 43 is the Big Hole National Battlefield. We had been there briefly years ago and decided to stop again so I could get my passport stamp. We spent about 30 minutes there looking at the museum. Here is a panorama of the battlefield. It was a beautiful day and so peaceful. Unfortunately it wasn't always that way.
It was sort of the same scenario as Little Bighorn. The Army wanted to put the Indians on the reservations and would stop at nothing to do so. The Nez Perce had lived in the area that is now Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Canada for thousands of years. Then the Europeans started westward. In 1855 the U.S. government proposed a treaty: The Nez Perce would give up over half of their homeland but keep the right to hunt, fish, and gather on those lands. Five years later gold was discovered on Nez Perce land. This led to the 1863 treaty that decreased their lands by another 90 percent. Five bands refused the second treaty and would later become known as the non-treaty Nez Perce. One of the headmen of these bands, Young Joseph, said, "I have asked the great white chiefs where they get their authority to say to the Indian that he shall stay in one place, while he sees white men going where they please. They cannot tell me." By 1877 the government gave the non-treaty Indians 30 days to move onto the reservation or be put there by force. The group was mostly families, and began the task of gathering all of their belongings, including livestock. They lost much during the journey but before they could reach the reservation fighting broke out. By early August they were passing peacefully through the Bitterroot Valley. Some of them didn't believe the military would pursue them, while others did. The group arrived at what is now the Big Hole Battlefield area on August 7. They didn't know the military was close behind and in fact watching them. They went to bed around 11:00 on August 8, thinking that they were safe. On the morning of August 9 the soldiers attacked, killing men, women and children, and burning the teepees. Some escaped and headed for Canada, but the military was always behind them. They had almost made it and the military caught up with them and there was another battle. Young Joseph surrendered at Bear Paw, and over 400 were sent to Kansas and then Oklahoma. Over half of the band died in the hot, flat country. The group of over 250 led by White Bird did escape to Canada. The people that had lived in peace for centuries was now scattered all over the country and Canada. I've often wondered what would have happened if we had just let them alone and let them live their lives. But then the gold seekers and settlers would have started wars anyway. It's really sad; there were no good solutions.
After a brief stop to eat our lunch we went to Deer Lodge to the Old Montana Prison and Auto Museum.
The history of the prison is quite long, so if you are interested you can go to https://discoveringmontana.com/museums/old-prison/. They also have a video to watch. I'll post a few of the many pictures I took.
Then we went through the Auto Museum. It was an impressive collection and they were all in pristine condition. If you go through the area it's definitely worth a stop, but plan for at least two hours.
I bought a t-shirt.
We left and got back to our appointment at Costco in Missoula for the tire. Our little cooler we use for our lunch bit the dust the day before so we got another one. The one we use on shopping runs didn't always hold all the cold things we bought so we got another foldable one to add to it. The truck was done about 7:00 and it was over an hour drive back to Darby. It was a long two days.
On Wednesday, June 26 we headed for Post Falls, ID. On the way we stopped at a parking area off the interstate for lunch. Another car pulled up and John said, "Hey, that's Riley!". They have a YouTube channel that is one of his favorites. I like to watch it too. It's https://youtube.com/@ambitionstrikes?si=xBkW3292f4XhyLNT. He got out and met them and talked for a couple of minutes. He got back in the truck and I said he should have gotten his picture with them. He sat there for a bit and then asked me to take his picture with them. He said if he didn't he'd regret it.
We're now at the Coeur D'Alene RV Resort in Post Falls, ID. It's full hookup for $68.09 per night. It's a big park with a lot of monthly+ people, but very nice and well kept. It's sandwiched between the interstate and a busy road so pretty noisy during the day, but I haven't had any trouble sleeping.
On Thursday we went to the Buck Knives factory in Post Falls for a tour. We couldn't take any pictures but it was a very interesting tour. It just went to fast; I wanted to watch for a while. I had to make reservations as they only do tours Monday-Thursday at 10:00 and 2:00. It was well worth the time. They also have a small museum on the second floor.
When we stopped at the parking area the day before John noticed that one of the tires on the 5th wheel had a spot on it that was down to the wear mark. Another tire was wearing on one side. We went to Les Schwab (recommended by several people) and decided to get new tires put on (yes, I know we just got some last November but they don't seem to be wearing well) and get them balanced. One of the wheel rims was cracked too, so we got four new wheel rims. Traveling is wonderful but it isn't always fun and games.
Obviously that won't take care of the wear issue on the one tire, so we're headed for Boise tomorrow morning to get the MorRyde independent suspension looked at and have them do whatever they need to do to fix it. It's the closest place where they have the equipment to do the alignment. It will be a quick fix down to get it taken care of and then halfway back up to meet friends at the end of next week.
We're roving on...
"In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth".
Genesis 1:1
