June 12, 2015 - Three Forks, MT & Bozeman, MT

Taking a peek out to see what the weather was like and there was a smile on our faces.  Another gorgeous day it will be.  Edith spent early part of the morning editing the blog for June 1.  

Erwin left for Bozeman very early in the morning to do errands: Oil change (50% off coupon) & free car wash (complimentary from the dealer) for the Jeep, then the laundry at The Clothesline on Main Street. While the Jeep was being worked on the mechanic informed Erwin that the battery was weak and suggested to have it replaced.  After getting the quote on a new battery Erwin went to Walmart to compare the price and decided to get a new battery there.

Today is Hunter’s 2nd birthday.  It was two years ago that Edith saw Hunter when he was 15 minutes old.  Cannot believe how fast time flies. For his birthday treat Keri took him to Tot Morning Out where kids under can go and play trampoline, inflatable playhouse, tumbling, etc.  We left the house around 9:45 am, arrived at the cheer place in Bozeman, MT around 10:30 am . Hunter had a ball playing.  It was over at noon, but Hunter did not want to leave.  

"Let's race over the top"

As you can see Hunter is an expert at bouncing and jumping.

Kalista slept the whole time while Hunter
was having fun

Keri, Hunter and Edith had lunch at The Garage. It used to be a garage and gas station and is now a popular restaurant. The waiting time was 15 mins before we could get a table outside.  Soon after we placed our order Erwin showed up and joined with us.  The meals were very good.

This is the menu!

Mom, mind if I take this one?

After lunch Erwin went home while Keri and Edith shopped at Target to buy clothes for keri's kids. "Grandma" has to spoil her kids sometimes, right?  Kalista needed more newborn clothes and we found few for her.  We picked up summer shorts for Conner and Hunter.  Keri spotted a cute purple bathing suit for Nikkol (Purple is her favorite color).  Since this is summer Keri wants to take kids swimming/boating for the summer and Hunter needed a flotation life vest and wading shoes, which we got.

After the supper we played Ticket to Ride game with Keri, Dustin and Sasha, then Mexican Train dominoes.  We always enjoy playing games with the family.  

June 11, 2015 - Three Forks, MT

Both of us did not have a good night’s sleep at all. We tossed and turned many times, cannot figure out why we could not sleep good.  Maybe it was the excitement of being in the same town where Keri and her family are in.  We were able to catch few winks afterwards.

It was a beautiful morning.  There were lots of Western Robins flying around.  On way back from the shower Erwin was informed by one of the campground workers that there were owl nests in the southeast corner of the campground. Edith grabbed her camera and 100-400mm lens. Alas! The owls have fledged and were gone! We did find disgorged owl pellets laying on the ground. 

Empty Owl nest

Western Robin

American White Pelicans in flight

Western Robin

Brown Rabbit

Edith went in the Jeep to Keri’s house, waited for Erwin to drive the LH here. The night before Dustin suggested that we move our LH and park it on the driveway at his house. He thought we could manage to bring it in. Edith was really impressed when Erwin had no trouble backing it up all the way to almost the end of the driveway (without going back/forth).  Since the ground was not level we had to put blocks under the jacks to level the LH.

Keri, Hunter, Kalista and Sasha were already away from the house. Keri had an appointment in Bozeman.  Edith decided to use the quiet time to work on May 31 blog and finally got it posted. Ice Cream was keeping her company.

Ice Cream - the Travers' new kitten (Zella's)

After Keri and the kids got back home Edith and Keri caught a chance to sit down to catch up on the news.  Erwin took Dustin’s flat truck tire to the shop to get it patched and picked up groceries at Three Forks Market.

Keri fixed Hawaiian Haystacks for supper.  It has become one of our favorite meals.

The kids love it!  

After the supper we, along with Dustin, Keri and Conner, played Ticket to Ride board game.  This game is fun, but Edith has always, thus far, been a LOSER.  At one point she was asked if she knew how to play the game.  Well, tonight the LOSER hat was passed on to Keri. Edith came up 2 points ahead of her.  Erwin brought in Tri-ominos game and we played one game, so Dustin and Keri can get an idea of how it is played.

Erwin went to bed early. Actually, when we are at home (in Fla) we are night owls, but when traveling we hit the sack really early.  Edith decided to go outside to see what the night sky was like.  She could see stars and part of the Milky Way and took few pictures.  

It is so nice to be “home” away from "home"!

June 10, 2015 - Clinton, MT to Three Forks, MT

Erwin was up very early and wanted to get things ready before checking out of the campground. Edith was still asleep, but had to be waken up to get ready. It was partly cloudy and in 58˚.

Edith had a slight upset stomach and did not feel like fixing breakfast, so Erwin fixed a pot of coffee and, instead of eating his usual cereal breakfast, ate just one banana..  

It looked like it rained some during the night when we were asleep.  There were puddles everywhere.  

After getting everything put together we left Beavertail Hill State Park Campground at 8:30 am. The sun was trying to come out.  We got back on I-90 E  and were enrouted to Three Forks, MT. In case you were wondering, Edith has not driven the LH yet.  

Our Lil' Home (LH) needed fuel, so we took Exit #153 (Drummond, MT) and stopped at Cenex ($2.85 g).  We love the Gas Buddy app (www.gasbuddy.com). It is so much easier and faster to pull up information on fuel locations and prices.  We do not rely on GPS for it.  While Erwin was fueling the LH Edith saw something interesting across the street.  It is a cattle stockyard and there is a a skull with horns on top of the post.  

Our Lil Home fueling up!

At Cenex if you want to pump more than $100 you need to leave the card with the cashier instead of inserting the card at the pump. 72 gallons for $203. The highest we have ever paid for in one fill-up.  Most gas stations limit either $75 or $100 if you use your credit card at the pump. Erwin asked if he could have a free cup of coffee with this large fuel purchase, the lady said sure and thank you! 

After leaving the gas station we decided not to go back to I-90, took MT-1 (Pintler Veterans Memorial Scenic Highway) to visit Philipsburg, MT.  It would be our 3rd visit  to this town.  We had driven on MT-1 before and it is still very scenic.  Besides that, we love browsing the town of Philipsburg.  

We stopped in Hall, MT, a very rural town to take pictures of skulls on a tree and other stuff.

We arrived Philipsburg at 10:05 am, made a right turn in the town but had to turn atound because the clearance at the railroad overpass was 12'6". Too low for our 12' 6" LH to go under.  We had to turn around and go back into the town. Erwin was driving a bit too fast, was not paying attention to Edith's suggestion to park on the side of the road.  He drove to the almost very end of the town, realized there is not much room to make a U-turn.  The guy living at the apartment came up and told Erwin to continue driving until we see the big blue building where there is room to turn around.  Ahh, so much easier than unhooking the Jeep.  We found a large parking spot, a stone's throw from the town.  By the time we got out of the LH it started to drizzle.  The elevation is 5,000' and lilacs are starting to bloom.

We wanted to buy handmade soaps from Schnibbles, our favorite store, but it was closed. There was a note posted on the door that the lady had to go and do errands.  We had been buying soaps from them in the past.  Few stores down is a store called Bear Creek Pottery and it has handmade soaps and we bought 2 soap bars. We decided not to have lunch in the town and left Philipsburg at 11:30 am.

The town of Philipsburg

 

The store's security guard

Erwin bought some handmade bath soaps

Back Creek Pottery store where we got handmade soaps from

                       

We went back on MT-1 going to Anancoda. MT.  It was such a beautiful drive. along the way.  We pulled over to enjoy the view of the West Goat Peak in distance.

We reached over 6,000'.  The roads at that elevation were twisty and rolling toward Georgetown Lake.

In Anaconda, MT we got back on I-90 East.

Anaconda Smelter Stack
It was built in 1919 and measures at little more than 585' high

Just before exit 216 Erwin spotted an old abandoned building and pulled off there to let Edith take pictures of it.  Across from the building was some kind of a warehouse and Edith spotted cowboy boots with flowers in them.  While there Edith fixed taboulee for lunch.

Now back to I-90 and there was light road construction between Exit 217 and Butte, MT.

Dark rain clouds were brewing all around and there were more over the mountains.

We checked into Camp Three Forks campground. Soon after setting up the LH we went over to the Travers' house for a visit.  It is always good to visit and spend time with the family.

Camping at Camp Three Forks

Since the gate at the campground closes at 11 pm it meant that we cannot stay up all night to play games with Keri and Dustin. After supper we played two rounds of Ticket to Ride game.  

Sunset

Overall, it was a good day and we cannot complain a bit.

Miles driven:
LH - 180 
Jeep - 15

Today's route:
A: Clinton MT
B: Drummond, MT
C: Hall, MT
D: Philipsburg, MT
E: Anaconda, MT
F: Stuart, MT
G: Three Forks, MT