Montana!!
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 @ daveNY37
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Ever had to sleep in your car? It’s actually not that bad. I wouldn’t want to do it every night though, can’t really stretch out. However, under a starry sky on a beautiful night in August it’s not to bad. After leaving Yellowstone, Steve and I just couldn’t find a place to crash. So we just drove off to see how far we could make it. We made it to I-90 before the battle with sleep really began. After that, we took the first rest stop that came up, found an out-of-the-way parking spot, and that wound-up being our accommodation for the night.
I have no problem getting up early when I’m on the road. If only I could summon that power when I’m back home… We were up early the next morning. Today’s plan was pretty loose. We were going to try and make it to Idaho by the end of the day, but other than that anything was fair game. Before we hit the road, we poured over our map. I noticed a marker for a ghost town, and it wasn’t too far away. Looking back, I’m surprised this place even made it on the map in the first place. Getting there was a trip in and of itself.
After heading west on 90 for a little while, we got off exit 138 which was closest to the little square on the map, marking the ghost town of Garnet. A little sign entitled, “Ghost Town,” with an arrow pointing back east, greeted us as we came off the exit ramp. This road seemed to head off into nowhere, but we were going for it. The surrounding area was gorgeous. Large hills dotted the landscape, with valleys of various sizes in between. To the north, the area appeared to become more and more forested. We went down the road for a ways, and it ran parallel to 90. Then another little sign came up on our left saying, “Ghost Town.” This one pointed due north. We stopped at this little intersection and took a peek down the road. Off in the distance it seemed as if the road transitioned from paved to gravel or dirt. Hmm, where exactly were we going here? Without a second thought we took the sign’s advice and headed due north.
Now, I’ve been in what I thought were some pretty remote places. This place took the cake though. The road did transition from paved to dirt, and maybe 1 and ¼ lanes. It also began ascending into a very hilly area. The further on we went, the more this felt like one of the most isolated places in the US I’ve been to. We kept going higher, and at one point there was barely room for another car to pass without risking a pretty big fall to our left. It was a gorgeous drive. At one point two bear cubs darted out into the road in front of us. They frolicked around for a few minutes, as it to give us a good show. Then off they went into the woods. I wonder where Mama was…
After what seemed like forever we passed a house to our right. It was set back into the trees a bit, constructed mostly with logs, and had smoke coming out of the chimney. What in the world do people do for a living out here? Just like that the house was gone. We went up a little higher, and eventually came to one of the coolest, most tranquil places I’ve ever been too. Winding up around a bend, a beautiful view presented itself. Three large hills came together as if they were squished into place. Except for the road, there was absolutely nothing representing man in sight. I loved it! I had darted up the hill ahead of Steve for a better view. Calling back to him to catch up, the hills sent me back about 3 or 4 great echoes. Being the goofball I am, I decided to have some fun with that. If there really was anyone nearby, I’m pretty sure I drove them bonkers.
After enjoying that area for a while, we set out again for the ghost town. I was just beginning to think that we were off on a wild goose chase when the town came into view. The history-nerd in me went nuts. We proceeded to explore an old mining town from the late 1800′s, much of which was still in pretty decent condition. It was definitely worth the drive. But then again, the drive itself was well…worth the drive.
The rest of the day proved to be just as good as what we had experienced so far, and it endeared me to Montana even more. We had another great drive with gorgeous views on our way from Garnet to the National Bison Range. Here we drove around for a couple hours through a small preserve set aside for a good number of bison. There were other animals in there as well, including these very cool mountain goats/rams. On the way back to 90 we stopped at this little restaurant which was well packed with locals and truck drivers. I can only speak for myself here, but I proceeded to have one of the yummiest meals ever. It was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. I can remember exactly what I had, but not the name of the joint. I’ll bet anybody that I could find it again though.
From there Steve and I slowly made our way to Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. By that point we were exhausted. Montana had been an absolute blast. I’d highly recommend it to anyone, at least the western half of the state. We didn’t even get to Glacier National Park. Throw that into the mix and Montana makes for one awesome state to explore.
Up next: Washington is not what I expected…
Comments (1)
Loved the ghost town-