We moved to Three Forks Market RV Park. It is a really nice campground behind the local grocery market. I was hesitant at first, but we ended up really enjoying the place. They are sticklers for the rules. One being that your dog is not allowed to use the bathroom on any surface of the campground (grass, gravel, dirt, nada). So Ed got really good at carrying Scooby from the door to the area across the street where pottying was allowed. LOL We were in the 3rd site from the left of this ariel photo.
I had a raven that came and visited on the first day. I gave him peanuts from Texas Roadhouse, then he told his friends and they visited every day! I was worried that I would get busted for feeding them, but I managed to keep it under wraps.
The first day we were in town, we walked to the downtown area. It is a cute little town and the hanging baskets are unbelievable! I also couldn’t get over how HUGE the dandelion puffs are!!!
I also found a quilted heart! Too cute!
We went to Missouri Headwaters State Park and hiked the Fort Rock Trail. It was really an enjoyable hike.
On Tuesday, we went to Lewis & Clark Caverns to do a tour and have breakfast. Unfortunately, when we got there, the kitchen was closed and we discovered that our tour was actually booked for Wednesday, not Tuesday. So we pivoted and drove to Deer Lodge to go to the prison museum there. On the way, the truck decided to start acting up and we tried to find a dealership that could do a service call. As luck would have it, the dealership in Butte couldn’t do it, Missoula was completely booked…finally, we got an appointment in Livingston on Thursday! Sigh
The prison museum was interesting…but spooky and strange, also!
There is a cool store in Deer Lodge, just across from the prison museum that is full of art, crafts and handmade items that are all made by current inmates. The proceeds go into the individual prisoners account so that they can buy items from the prison commissary or shop. I thought it was really a cool concept and some of those folks are really talented! There was a vast array of things.
On Wednesday, we went on our tour of the Lewis and Clark Caverns. We also had breakfast, as the kitchen was open! I am not a huge fan of caverns, but Ed really enjoys them, so I try to be a champ and go when we come across one he wants to visit. I suffer from claustrophobia and it has worsened with time. I try not to think about the fact that we are underground and that it is possible for these places to collapse or flood without any real warning, but I am rarely successful at keeping those thoughts at bay. This cavern started off with a bang! The photo below is the entry to the caverns. There is a big iron door at the beginning of the tunnel and another at the end, our guide explained that in order to get into this area, only one door can be opened at a time. Therefore, they have to plan the tours in such a way that one tour is not trying to get out of the cavern as one tour is coming in. I don’t know about you, but this was not a warm, inviting start for me!
After the caverns, we took Scooby to get a bath and a nail trim at a local groomer’s called Momma Bear’s. Oh my goodness, she took the cutest photo of Scooby! I will treasure this photo for eternity! He is such a cutie pie!
On Thursday we drove to Livingston to have the truck evaluated. Both rear stabilizers need to be replaced, however, they don’t have the parts in stock and will not be able to order them to arrive before we leave Montana. The technician assures me that we can drive and more importantly tow safely. We do have ABS still working. I’m frustrated, but happy to know that we can continue on safely.
The campground is located just across the street from the rodeo grounds and there is a field just beyond the rodeo grounds. We have seen several sky divers over the past couple of days and I finally snapped some photos.
Our last few days here have been packing, getting supplies to carry us through our visit to Yellowstone and planning for our time there. We are looking forward to staying inside the park this time. We shall see how it goes!