7/17
The campsite in Buffalo was slightly disappointing especially after having camped in the badlands just the other day. Our stay there though was from 9 P.M to 9 A.M so the condition of the campsite was not really a big issue. Today would be a relaxing one, with only two stops; we were defying the norm of the trip. The driving was long though and I have already finished two of the three books I had brought and am beginning to run out of songs I haven’t listened to more than once, still a long ways to go though. The next stop was another one I was excited about and again delved into the history of conflict between the Natives and the European settlers. The National Monument at Little Bighorn consisted of a in depth movie describing the battle and its key players as well as a battle talk led by a ranger. The battlefield was most impressive though, all rolling hills and green fields where men just 100 years before had fought, experienced sheer terror, and died. Markers showed the exact spot where bodies had been recovered from the battle known as Custer’s Last Stand where one of the most promising leaders of the Early American Army suffered a disastrous defeat resulting in him as well as hundreds of his soldiers losing their lives. At the top of the hill you can walk up and see the place where Custer himself fell, right in front of his brother who had fought under him and a couple of yards away from one of his cousins, an innocent civilian. After viewing the Natives memorial and reading quotes from survivors and reading the names of those who died it really makes you pause and think of how lucky you truly are. I am very, very glad we decided to travel to Little Bighorn. After Little Bighorn though, it was a car ride filled with joy, the promise of having comfort at the end of a long trip. Finally we were headed to our first hotel, a greatly welcomed break from the stresses and discomfort of camping and driving. It was also perfect timing for two very sick people in Carol and Paul. The hotel was one to remember, at first the log cabin style gave me pause, but the “Cmon Inn” made me want to Stay on Inn there for the rest of the trip. After gazing with wide eyes at the wooden beams, fountain, waterfall, stuffed Mountain goats, Koi pond, pool and five hot tubs it was an almost harmonious “This is the greatest hotel we have ever stayed at!” from all three of the kids. Before it became dark, Finn, my dad and I hiked an iconic trail in Montana, the “M”. My mom’s favorite as a child growing up in Montana is a sheer, yet short hike to a stone piled, massive M high on a mountain side in Bozeman, Montana. It was a leg workout but offered incredible views and a taste of my mother’s childhood. The rest of the night was spent swimming and relaxing. Dinner was at a beautiful restaurant in Bozeman in which Finn and I had our first tastes of Bison meat, his in a burger, mine in a bacon wrapped meatloaf. We both were very impressed and Finn was very pleased at the health benefits it provided. Sleeping in a comfortable bed was a blessing on its own and I dread the idea of five more days of camping. I believe I will manage though as hotel and campground each offers unique opportunities and different possibilities.
Editor’s Note:
After hiking the M, Silas, Finn, Paul and I visited the Gallatin County Fair in Bozeman. It was comparable to the fairs in the East except a great deal more denim and boots. The highlight of the evening was arriving at the arena just in time for the team pig wrestling event. The event started with the auctioning off of each team, when all the teams were sold, the competition began. It went like this; a team of four entered into a small ring filled with mud, a pig was released into the ring and the object was to capture the pig and place it in a barrel in the middle of the ring as quickly as possible. The team with the fastest time was the winner and the person who had won the bid on that team earlier received 60% of the winnings. Dinner was at the Montana Ale Works, which was outstanding for both food and for beverage.
P.S. I got ahead of myself in the picture department, views of Custer's Last Stand, the hiking of the M and the fair have been previously shown.
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