Montana to Idaho and Back To Henry's Lake State Park

We are beginning to wonder if we have over-stayed our welcome up here in God's Country.  We think maybe the God's are trying to tell us something!  Just look at that snow on the mountain viewed from our RV park in Ennis, MT.  We have had a couple of warmer days that have melted the snow but we might get more this weekend.  Burrrr.

We really enjoyed our short stay in Ennis.  Ennis RV Village was one of my all-time favorites and the town is very special.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from that stop.

Are we lucky or what?  Right there is town we spotted a Distillery open to the public with free samples.  I expected Bourbon but no, it was Moonshine!  When we lived in Mexico there was a company that flavored Tequila with everything.  This was very similar.  They had all different flavors of Moonshine.  We sampled a couple and then decided to have one of the cocktails that they prepare.  (too bad the cute copper mug wasn't included! They sell for $35 so I didn't take it home with me!)  We had fun visiting with other customers and with the serving lady who also guided fishing tours.

Hot Springs right there in the middle of no where!  Can you see the steam?

The Madison River

Ennis has statues of cool fish all around town.

They also have wild animals in town!

After a few days in Ennis we packed up and moved about 60 miles south back to Henry's Lake State Park.  This really is one of our most favorite places ever!  And this time we knew where we wanted to be located and were able to reserve it.

Just look how alone we are?  And I don't mind not having trees because I get the great big view.  The lake is right behind us and the views are incredible!

This is Henry's Lake viewed from right behind where we sit.

This is honest to God the way it looked when the sun set during the rain.  I did nothing to this picture!

We took a drive-about yesterday and just wandered around the area.

Bridge over the Madison River

I think this may have been a wonderful little settlement in it's day.  The house on the left has a sweet little stream running right behind it.

And just look what we found!

We will be staying here through the Labor Day weekend and then head to Idaho Falls for a shopping fix.  Hopefully we will have a bit of good weather over the weekend.  I want to get in more hiking as the trails here are so nice.

I know, too many pictures but what can I say?  I like taking them!

Montana!

We have been having way too much fun here in Montana and I have been lazy with updating the blog.  We are currently in Fort Benton which is in central Montana and pretty darned close to Canada.  In my next life I want to be born in Montana!  I love it here.  Actually, getting to spend part of my summer here is almost perfect.  When we left Henry's Lake in Idaho we went to Livingston and spent a week there visiting with Kirby's cousin, Melani.  She has lived there for over 10 years...a California escapee!  While in Livingston Kirby got outfitted for some trout fishing and we have been searching for that big boy ever since!

We have seen some beautiful country on our travels and Montana is probably one of the very best!  From Livingston we went a whole 75 miles north to White Sulfur Springs which sits just south of Lewis and Clark National Forest.  It is a tiny town that is quiet, quiet, quiet!  The RV park was our favorite this year.  We walked to town and back many times, drove all over dirt roads searching for that perfect fish, picniced and played tourist at a home that has been converted to a museum.

I loved the simplicity of this old abandoned farmhouse.  I found it interesting that the white paint was still so white.  I have to wonder what brand of paint they used to last so long! There was no vinyl siding when this house was built.

Kirby found us this canyon to check out.  It was all rock and gorgeous. 

We were just driving down the dirt road minding our business when I spotted these two deer sitting under a tree.  Kirby slammed on the brakes and backed up.  I started taking pictures and walking closer to them very slowly.  They let me get quite close before the bolted off.  I felt so fortunate to get so close to them.  Their antlers were gorgeous!

This was one of our many picnics.  Convenient tree stump to use wouldn't you say?

Why do I take pictures of cows?  I have always done it and I am not too sure why.  Maybe because they are there.  This young one didn't know yet that you DON'T sleep in the middle of the road!

One day there were lots and lots of butterflies and they each had a thistle.

Driving a big truck and pulling a 38 foot trailer can be a bit of a challenge.  We had no idea this was waiting just up the road for us.  The picture is no where near as awful as the real thing was.  Lumpy, bumpy and very narrow.  I was so proud of Kirby!

This is the house museum that we visited - Bair Family Museum in Martinsdale, MT.  There really is no more Martinsdale - only a handful of people still living in the old houses but it used to be a nice little town full of people  that the sheep rancher, Charles Bair, employed.  The house was furnished by his two daughters throughout their lives with travels to Europe to purchase antiques.  It was pretty gaudy with all the big picture frames and gold gilt on everything but I fell in love with the kitchen.  It was remodeled in the 1960's and stayed the same thereafter.  Isn't the color incredible.  That would wake you up pretty fast each morning!

Gallatin National Forest, Montana

The day called for rain but we headed out anyway for a little road trip to explore Gallatin National Forest.  We left Idaho, entered Montana and then back to Idaho.  We even made a stop in West Yellowstone for lunch and a brew at the Slippery Otter Pub and a stop at the grocery and local hardware store for some light bulbs.  But the best was the views of course.  This is a gorgeous national forest.  So come along with us to explore!

We really didn't know what to expect when we started out.  The skies were cloudy and it was cool so we decided to bring Jake, our yellow dog, with us.

Kirby always reads the boards while I take pictures.  Then he has to tell me what he has read.  This is Earthquake Lake.  It was formed in 1959 when an earthquake happened and the result was a blocked canyon, much destruction and many lives lost.  It was interesting to think that something like this happened so recently.  It was like looking at the always changing earth in slow motion.

In this picture you can see how the mountain just slipped into the canyon below.

The earthquake happened so recently that the dead trees still stand along the shores of the newly formed lake.

This is an incredible view of the Madison River as it exits Earthquake Lake.

Thanks for coming along with us!

One Incredible Day!

Days like this don't come around that often!  And so often, you just can't plan them.  This day began with a little bit of a plan. We originally were not going to stay in Jackson Hole so long but when I looked at the calendar I realized that my sister and her husband were going to celebrate 54 years of marriage on the 26th so of course we had to stay to help them celebrate.  And of course, we celebrated even more than they did!

We started the day early with a Lion's Club breakfast at the Jackson County Fair.  Kirby and I have not eaten "white things" in over a year but darn, we fell off the wagon and had pancakes!  We ate our breakfast outdoors in the cool morning air waiting for the Horse Show to begin.  Two of their granddaughters were to be in the ring competing.  Rachel, who is 17, and Megan who is 12 both competed in Horsemanship.  I was so excited to watch them.  This city girl has never been involved with horses and I don't know much about them.

This is Rachel who took a 2nd in her class.

 

 

 

This is Megan and she took Best In Class.

Congratulations to you both!  You made me so proud and gave me a wonderful, wonderful day!

Now doesn't that sound like just the best day?  It was, but it wasn't over.  My nephew Flip and his wife, Kelley (the girls parents of course) invited us on a float trip on the the Snake River.  I opted for the "Green" water trip verses the "White" water.  I have had that White Water excitement and just wanted to enjoy the day, the river and my family.  My sister and her husband decided to pass and so we would see them again later in the day.

 First thing that happened was a "Shoe Overboard" exercise.  We dropped Megan on the shore and she managed to retrieve it, we got her back in the boat and set off again.

 It was a perfect afternoon.  Not too hot, not too cold and no wind.  Flip was the perfect handler/captain/skipper - whatever the person with the oars is called.  He certainly knew his business and there were no frightening moments!

Once they told us that we could beach the boat and walk up the hill to a store for cold drinks we just had to do it because, as Kirby said, we had never done that before!  The walk was short, the store had all kinds of choices and we all got something cold and I ATE ICE CREAM!  Oh, my but it was good!

The river ride took 2 or 3 hours - I don't remember because time was standing still.  It was just the BEST!

We went home and got out the game of Apples to Apples and sat on the back porch and played a game or two and next thing we knew it was time for dinner.  Just down the road was a place called The Bird.  It was packed since it was a Saturday night during Fair Week but we had a great time anyway celebrating Joan and Red's 54th!! Management gave us each a Popsicle to celebrate with.  I liked that much better than cake!

Million Dollar and Silver Dollar Bars

We set out yesterday with my sister and her husband to play tourist in Jackson.  Last year Kirby and I celebrated our anniversary at the Cowboy Bar so we went back there and also to the Silver Dollar Bar at the Wort Hotel.  (Click HERE to see last year's posting).  This year we didn't sit on the saddles - it is just too hard for this old body of mine!

 The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is a work of art.  It is pretty dark inside so it is hard to get a picture of all the wood that has been there for so many years.  It was fun sitting with my family who has lived here for almost fifty years and hear about all the changes through the years.  Things like "there used to be a dance floor where that bar is".  And also that the cute tables are new-ish.

We walked around town and went to some of the shops and then visited the Silver Dollar Bar.  Recently we were in Buffalo, Wy and visited the Occidental Hotel.  This was similar.  Beautiful!!

The Silver Dollar Bar

The lobby of the Wort Hotel

Both have silver dollars imbedded in the bars.

Snake River Brewing

Surprise!!  We found another brewery!  Actually, we found this brew last year when we visited Jackson and have looked all over the country for it and had to wait until we returned to Wyoming to find it.  Pako's IPA is our favorite and I have to quit drinking it or I am going to get a beer belly.  Do you think one every few days is too much??  It really is so good!  So yesterday we took my Bud Lite brother-in-law and my none beer drinking sister to the brewery where they have a great restaurant and had a brew and lunch.  My nephew joined us  and at least he likes good brews!