21 to 25 July 2021

Having crossed Minnesota and North Dakota from east to west, next up was the Big Sky Country of Montana.

Our first stop was Little Bighorn Battlefield Monument, the infamous site of Custer’s Last Stand or Crazy Horse’s greatest victory in the Great Sioux War of 1876.  The battlefield monuments are well done and made for an interesting stop along the way.

On our way to Glacier National Park we visited several of Montana’s largest towns and one of its smallest.

Billings is the state’s largest city at only 110,000 residents, smaller than High Point, North Carolina.  The city has grown due to the shale oil boom and has an industrial vibe.  Our favorite activity in Billings was hiking along the Rimrocks which provided a nice view of the city below. We also enjoyed Pictograph Cave State Park.

Bozeman, on the other hand, was half the size and twice the energy.  We stayed in the vibrant historic downtown district where there is plenty of excitement.  Montana State University is a short walk from Main Street and less than 2 hours from Yellowstone’s North Entrance, Bozeman’s energy is the intersection of students and tourists 7 days a week.

From Montana’s most exciting town to its most quiet, we went off the beaten path to the own of Bannack , population 0.  The ghost town in Bannack State Park is about 25 miles west of Dillon near the Idaho border.  Bannack was founded during the 1860’s gold rush and remained an active community throughout the early 1900’s.  The town is well preserved.  It was a great place to visit because they allow you to enter most buildings and walk freely around town.  If you like history, or even old western movies, this is the place for you.