A Start on Montana
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Day 17: June 22, 2021 A Start on Montana Comment via blog |
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Even though I didn't photograph it until this morning, I spotted this
hoodoo display in Hettinger, ND, last night so can't really claim it as
early morning on-course assurance. The same is true of the display in
Gascoyne, ND, although it's for different reasons. The full route through
Gascoyne is no longer drivable so a slight detour is necessary to reach
the hoodoo. Guess I'll just be self assured today.
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A sampling of the creatures, both domesticated and free spirited, to be
seen at roadside...
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...and the pasture land through which they roam.
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All three of these structures are in downtown Marmouth, ND. The Mystic
Theater was designed specifically for motion pictures in 1914! After
visiting the museum in the next panel, I returned to the
Pastime Club for a cold one.
It's a friendly place. I mentioned eating dinner last night at the
Pastime Bar and Steak House in Hettinger and asked about a connection. No
one knew of any although the consensus was that there might have been one
when both places were built in the early twentieth century.
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At the west edge of Marmouth, ND,
Van Horn's Western & Antique Auto Museum houses a
very impressive collection. Two of its three buildings feature automobiles
while the third features other, mostly horse drawn, vehicles. Other items
are displayed throughout. It's a one man collection whose owner, JD
VanHorn, had gone to nearby Baker, MT. I'm sorry that I missed meeting
him. It really is quite a collection that includes, not just one, but
two Crosleys. Admission to the main building
with the oldest cars is $10. However, for only $10 more you get admission
to the other two buildings, a calendar with JD's picture, a pen, and ice
cream at the parlor in the main building. Who could turn that down?
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Just past Prevna, MT, I turned onto an unpaved stretch of Yellowstone
Trail that would turn out to be longer than any I'd driven previously. I
think there might be a little asphalt in the villages of Ismay and
Mildred, but other than that, the only things resembling pavement that I
saw in roughly 45 miles were cattle guards and a wooden bridge deck. It
was not without its shady spots and directional signs, however. There was
one of each. There is a nice overlook for train spotting and that bridge I
mentioned. The last picture provides a learning opportunity.
I have noted other places where Garmin had happily plotted passage where it was obviously impossible in the real world. This path was in a fuzzier category. There were no fences or other barricades and it looked passable in the right vehicle but it didn't look easy and it didn't look inviting. I contemplated it, scratched my head, and even did some unnecessary backtracking. I finally looked at the map the Ridges had provided and saw the path marked with a dotted -- YT (now not drivable) -- line. Lesson learned but not always remembered. |
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I encountered another heavily patinaed car collection on the outskirts
of Miles City, MT, that made we wonder what's going on with these guys and
their Pontiacs. There's a whole row of them here along with a few Hudsons
and a Chrysler ready for camping.
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I had tried reaching the
Historic Olive Hotel from the road and failed. I gave
it one more try from a Miles City side street and succeeded. The 1899
hotel is not at its prime but my room was just
fine and it sure is historic and convenient. If you think that Cadillac
looks like it belongs there, it does.
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Today, just as it was in the old west, the ability to track one's quarry
by following even the smallest signs is extremely valuable. That sign is
directly across the street from the Olive. I walked the three blocks, had
dinner and a brew at Tilt Würks, returned and walked a block up the street
to the Historic
Montana Bar for a nightcap. James Kenney's name is at the door because
he opened the place in 1908. As I sipped my beer at the bar, I snapped a
picture of something, besides me, that was made
in Ohio and some of the bar's more famous wall mounted residents.
Before leaving, I paid a visit to the men's room with its
original urinal, and when I returned was
surprised to see the bar temporarily empty (the empty glass is mine) so I
snapped a picture of the huge Brunswick back bar.
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