Getting lost in MT(and ID, ND, SD, and WY)

[shortbus4x4]

Starting two weeks family vacation today traveling through MT along with dipping our toes in a few other states. Jeep and trailer partially loaded, waiting on wife and daughter to finish and get their stuff outside. Heading east on I90 to Wallace ID and then making a left and heading northeast to Kalispell and Glacier. First stop is St Mary's MT via Going to the Sun road. Will be posting pictures as wifi permits.

 

[DevilDodge]

Anxious to follow along. Hoping to get to this area next year about this time.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Food stop at Thompson Falls MT. Came over Thompson Pass which is the ID/MT border.

The Jeep is having to work this trip.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Lunch and fuel stop in Kalispell. Took Forest Service roads from Thompson Falls to Highway 2 via Bend Guard Station. Looks like they got some rain last night, I found a puddle on the passenger side to blast through. T tops off meant the wife did not find it funny, I was laughing like a hyena.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Old homestead a bit south of Highway 2, along with a MT back road hazard.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Going to the Sun road.......WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pictures can't do it justice, it's something you have to drive to comprehend the sheer scale of the road and the mountains.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Staying at Johnson's in St Mary MT in a cabin.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Getting a very late start this morning. Just got done with breakfast at the only cafe in Babb MT, good food. Picture of leaving the campground and then from St Mary visitor center.

Next stop Browning for Museum of the Plains Indians.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Left Babb MT heading to Browning via 464 and had very heavy traffic.

Stopped and looked at some locals and mountains.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Museum in Browning wasn't open today so kept heading south via backroads through Heart Butte MT. The road ahead of me.

The road behind me.

And my Jeep stuck in the middle, south of Heart Butte.

And I'm loving every minute of it. All plans are out the window as far as the travel itinerary I made which is awesome. Been a long time since I've done something like this.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Got back to pavement on highway 89 just north of Dupuyer. Stopped at the rest stop there for the ladies.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Next stop is the first of 14 and why we're getting lost. The Montana Dinosaur Trail! Fourteen museums spread over quite a bit of the state. My daughter has wanted to do it since Christmas 2014. I started working in the oilfields of ND spring of 2014 and would send pictures of some of the dinosaurs sculptures in front of museums on my way. I also brought home a brochure for it which she took from me and read when she was 8. I came home for Christmas that year and she had it pulled up online with maps spread out on the table. Well she's 17 now and I'm 50 and I realized if we're going to do this it needs to be now.

Pulled into the BIG metropolis of Bynum MT for our first museum.

Went through the museum pretty quick as it's not very big but has some good dinosaurs.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Barely made out of the Montana Dinosaur Center in Bynum.

Guess they'll have to start the count back at zero.

Next stop was The Old Trail Museum in Choteau a few minutes down the road. But wait a minute, it's closed today. Rolled into town and went to THE grocery store in town for some supplies that got left at home. Wife called and found a cabin at the RV park so we are spending the night here. And that is why from here on out we have no plan except to hit up all 14 museums.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Watching the storm roll by and the sun go down last night.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Been a busy day. After dinner in Choteau last night we were treated to a Montana light show.

Got a late start again today, I'm starting to see a trend here. Got breakfast(brunch) and coffees at Copper Creek Coffee in Choteau, excellent food and coffee. After that we hit up stop number 2 on our MT Dinosaur Trail vacation, Old Trail Museum in Choteau. This place is a secret gem of western MT.

Report•••

 

[shortbus4x4]

Somebody had a bad day at work almost 200 years ago. Looks like OSHA should have gotten involved.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Some pictures inside the main museum. We spent 2 hours here, definitely not a quick stop if you're into history.

 

[shortbus4x4]

I didn't get a picture of it but they had a Roman coin from I think the first century AD that had been found on the Old North Trail in a teepee ring. Sure wish it could say how it got there.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Went outside to gas up the old ride but the station was out of gas.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Old shepherds wagon, or overland camper.