June 24th- 28th, 2017
Bighorn to Billings
Southeast Montana
June 24th
Big driving day. We made it to Montana! The state Laura used to live in while doing the Conservation Corps. You could tell she was excited to be back. Along the drive, we saw the 500-mile sacred hoop runners.
We found out Broadus, MT has a laundermat
We camped along the Big Horn River. The mosquitos were pretty bad, but between a friendly neighbor camper giving us mosquito incense and Camrin’s Thermacell, we did okay.
June 25th
Since we were so close to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument we figured we had better stop and see it. And wouldn’t you know, of all the days to go, this day happened to be the 141st anniversary of the Battle. I wish we would have known that sooner because there were reenactments and lots of talks going on. Oh well, we still had the opportunity to learn about America’s violent and dark history and the Native tribes who desperately tried to fight for their lands and way of life. We know people who read this have varying views on America’s history, so we won’t try to politize our views much. This place, as small as it is, is where men died and cultures clashed. This place does a great job of recognizing both sides of the fight, and the power of forgiveness.
We didn’t stay long. It was a hot and very busy day. Here are a few pics.
Off to Billings!
Since our campsite was mosquito infested, we decided to head to Billings today. We messaged Laura’s friend and former co-worker, Kat, if we could come a day early and stay at her house. She replied right away with a Yes and we were off to Billings! Billings is the largest city in Montana. The population is somewhere around 100,000. It’s one of the most sprawling and diverse cities in Montana. It’s surrounded by oil refineries and the Rimrocks. The Rimrocks are these huge sandstone cliffs that encircle the city and that offer people great views of the city. Laura lived here for a year in 2010 and knows the city pretty well, so this ended up being a pretty stress-free stop. First, we got our laundry done and called our parents. We then met up with Kat. Laura and Kat were able to catch up over drinks and we got our first proper shower since we left. WE MADE IT 8 DAYS WITH NO SHOWER!! Camrin was pretty happy to be clean.
June 26th
Time to catch up on Twin Peaks!!! It’s Laura favorite show and we haven’t been able to watch it. Don’t judge. It’s the only TV we’ve watched since we left.
It was a pretty lazy day. Worked on the blog. Explored Billings a little bit.
We had dinner with Kat’s mom. Then we went up to “The Rims” for sunset.
June 27th
We woke up and went for a short walk at a nearby park. The mosquitos were awful and as Laura tried to run through a swampy area that was swarming she almost stepped on a Bull snake. Yep, again, Laura almost stepped on a Bull Snake. EW!!
The afternoon we wandered around the downtown area. Laura marveled at how much has changed and hasn’t. We went past one of her favorite bars.
Then we went and had a few libations at Trailhead Spirits Distillery!! All the liquor is made from local ingredients and distilled right there, next to the tasting room. Wow, amazing Gin! Cool Atmosphere!
Then burgers and beer with Kat at Uberbrew!
After dinner, Kat took us to a get together for environmentalists and progressives. We met a guy around our age, Charlie Smillie, who is at age 27, running for Billings City Council. It was so nice to talk to someone who is still hopeful for the future, our environment, and someone who wants to work with everyone. Best of luck to him! Cool atmosphere here, free drinks, and music.
Up next Red Lodge, Montana! Where we encounter mountain weather and MOOSE! Thanks for reading our blog!
