We traveled from Canyon Ferry Lake to Helena to resupply and then continued on to Deer Lodge, Montana. Deer Lodge is the second oldest city in Montana, Helena is the oldest. Both cities have their roots in mining.
We decided to stop in Deer Lodge because a severe winter storm was heading directly toward our area. The temperature was dropping fast and predicted to drop into the low thirties (Fahrenheit) by the morning and significant snow fall in certain areas, this is mid June!
After the storm the next day we visited a prison museum a toy museum, and a auto museum. Highly recommend these places to anyone coming through Deer Lodge.
Lolo, Montana was a surprise too. Let’s take a look at the road through Deer Lodge and Lolo, Montana.
The views around Deer Lodge and our RV park – Indian Creek.More views at Indian Creek RV park.Pics from the road.Pics from the road.These signs were everywhere!From the road.Pics from the road.The Barber road to Deer Lodge…The entrance to the RV park in Deer Lodge .Pouring down rain and wind so powerful it shook our tiny house!Views around our campsite.Our campsite at Indian Creek.Views from Indian Creek RV park.Mountain View from the park.Luna and Peeta had to use their rain coats before going out in the rain and cold. The pups were not happy about it either.Views from the campground Views from Deer Lodge.Views from Deer Lodge.More views.Before leaving Deer Lodge we stopped to check out the oldest state prison in Montana, over one hundred years old. We also stopped for ice cream.Me and MaryAnn standing next to a memorial to the completion of the railroad here in Montana.Me and MaryAnn at the old Montana State Prison museum.Tai & Jane The entrance to the prison museum.The prison closed in 1979 after operating for 108 years and then converted into a museum.We also visited an auto museum in Deer Lodge. Above is a 1938 Custom Ford Coup There were over one hundred and fifty cars in this museum dating back to the oldest models ever made. Above is a 1912 Flanders Model 20 Runabout.Car after car of all types, models and make.Jane standing next to a car that participated in the 1915 Yellowstone Speed Run.A 1931 Ford Model AAfter the storm low clouds hung over the mountains.Animal bridge crossing on the road to Lolo.More clouds hanging over the mountains.Mountain views The road around Deer Lodge and Lolo.From the road.Beautiful mountains everywhere.Signs on the road.From the road.Pics from the road at 70 miles per hour.Montana is a very beautiful state.Rolling hills.The road goes through the mountains.More pics from the road.We saw a herd of bison along the side of the road to Lolo.Mountain Views continued in Lolo area.Pics from the road.We had decided to camp in the national forest near Lolo.We arrived to late in the day, the campground was full.We found another public land campground about 10 miles away, it had a couple open spaces, but we didn’t like the campground so we didn’t stay.We continued down the road passed Lolo.It doesn’t get dark in Montana this time of year until around 10 pm.We finally found an overnight stop at a RV campground called Square Dance Center Campground.Our campsite. Didn’t see anyone square dancing. We did meet someone from Florida who had just left Glacier National Park the day before and he told us about a road into the park that didn’t require a very difficult to get ticket/pass into the park. This was something Glacier just started doing to reduce the number of visitors.
Sometimes traveling without reservations and camping in national forest isn’t always easy, but at the end of the day we have always had a place to park our tiny house. On the road less traveled we never know what adventure is waiting around the next curve in the road.
From LoLo the road took us north to the Flathead National Forest 40 minutes south of Glacier National Park…
(The picture above is of the Pecos River in southwest Texas.) My name is Terry C Barber, I am a disabled veteran, retired military and retired pastor. MaryAnn’s a retired special education teacher. Our Next Chapter, the open road – we call it “the Barber Road.” You're invited to join us as we explore North America in our Leisure Travel Van with two Shitzu pups.
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