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The Missouri River a few miles outside Wolf Point, Montana:
In places like this it was easier to imagine the terrain that Lewis and Clark and their party gazed upon in 1805 and 1806.
As we drove west from Wolf Point, gradually gaining elevation, the landscape became drier; irrigation channels and above-ground, pivoted watering systems became commonplace. There were few trees except along the riverbeds and irrigation channels. There were also no more oil derricks or pumps. The car was pummeled by bugs and white butterflies by the thousands. It really needs a car wash.
Reaching Havre, MT, our destination for the day, we finally encountered temperatures above 90 degrees for the first time this trip. Rather than break out the bikes or take a long walk in the hot sun, we sought out an underground tourist attraction called “Havre Beneath the Streets”. In this hour-long guided tour, we learned that Havre was nearly burned to the ground in 1904. In the aftermath, businesses were able to reopen quickly by setting up shop in the former basements of town buildings. Some remained active into the 1930’s. Here’s a sample of what you see on this tour:
Note the skylight above as this general store was actually under a sidewalk. Other recreated rooms were of a dentist’s office, barber shop, bakery, saloon, bordello, butcher’s, Chinese laundry, funeral parlor and several others. It was a bit musty down there but the temperature was comfy.
Tomorrow, we will arrive at one of our primary destinations, Glacier National Park, for a two night stay. Hopefully, the smoke from the recent fire will not detract from the area’s beauty. At any rate, cooler weather is promised by the weather experts.
A note of forewarning to any faithful readers: to the best of our knowledge, there is no Internet access in the Park. As a consequence, updates for Tuesday and Wednesday will be delayed until Thursday when we escape this Internet “black hole”.