Yes, we recently took to the highways and byways of the West, and we went BIG. 2300 miles and 13 days = an epic road trip. In keeping with the classic American "vacation," we hit some of the hot spots. Yellowstone. Grand Teton National Park. And what would a vacation be without some lesser known attractions, such as the Museum of Clean in Pocatello, Idaho? And we were blessed to visit family along the way. Most people would schedule such a journey in the summer, but we are not "most people" and these are not ordinary times. So, buckle your virtual seatbelt and come along for the ride as I recount our adventure in several installments.
October 13: A Drive Back in Time
When I was young, we did not take many family vacations. But I remember distinctly my father deploring the major highways. In his view, a drive on the nation's byways revealed the true nature of the country and its people. In college, I was also deeply affected by the book Blue Highways, by William Least Heat-Moon. Hailed as a masterpiece of American travel writing, the book is an unforgettable journey along the nation's backroads (which were denoted by the color blue on maps at that time). Both of these memories coursed through my mind's eye as we skirted the eastern edge of Flathead Lake on Highway 83, a two-lane that is squeezed between the Mission Mountain and Swan Mountain ranges. It was a misty morning and I shivered in anticipation as we passed Seeley Lake and began to roll through countryside that was new to us.
It might have been the gloomy skies, or maybe the rain had washed off the dust, but either way the aspens, larches and sycamores shone through like an army of yellow torches. Numerous bald eagles perched majestically in the sycamores, pumping my heart with pride near to a bursting point. Along Highway 12, I observed loaf-shaped haystacks as tall as a house, each one surrounded by a fence. Curious ...
Ever since we got to know our neighbors with the farm, I pay more attention to farm affairs, and I was fascinated that this method is so different than the round bales and rectangular bales we see in our part of Montana. I sent a haystack picture to Dear Neighbor Friend, and in turn she sent me the link to the video below. According to Wikipedia, these haystacks of loose, unbaled hay are intended as fodder for livestock. They are made with a beaverslide, a frame supporting an inclined plane up which a load of hay is pushed to a height of about 30 feet before dropping through a large gap. The device was invented in the early 1900s and was first called the Beaverhead County Slide Stacker after its place of origin, the Big Hole Valley in Beaverhead County, Montana. Once I read about it, I realized I had seen one or more of these structures, but didn't know what it was!
As we planned our trip, it was easy to slot in the big puzzle pieces such as Yellowstone. We could have a little more creativity as we traveled to those places, and I reveled in the chance to research options. One of them? "Drive west on Highway 43. When you come to the fork, go south to Wisdom or north to Opportunity." How cool is that?!? Unfortunately, we could not build that into our itinerary, but when we saw the sign for Opportunity, we just had to take a photo! (By the way, the video of the beaverslide is from Wisdom!)
After passing this exit, we quickly reached Butte, with its massive tailings from gold, silver and copper mining. On the eastern side of the fifth-largest city in Montana, fascinating rock formations dazzle the highway driver. Definitely an area I would like to explore, but alas, no time on this trip! My research yielded an extensive list of possibilities that would have filled a decade of vacations; for our first day of travel we narrowed it down to two ghost towns along Highway 287.
Nine booming gold camps sprawled along remote Alder Gulch in 1863. Nevada City and Virginia City were the largest. Dozens of stores and cabins extended back six blocks, but by 1876, only a few residents remained at Nevada City. The gold dredges later came through, leaving piles of tailings as big as barns, and by 1920, the highway had cut the town in half.
Charles Bovey began collecting buildings in the early 1940s. Acquiring Nevada City from Lester and Mary Stiles, he began to place buildings here in 1959. Nevada City became a haven for endangered structures; today more than 90 buildings from across Montana line the streets. The state of Montana now maintains the historic resources at Nevada City.
On the day of our visit, Nevada City was padlocked for the season, but we could still see quite a bit.
Between 1970 and 2017, 35 movies/TV shows were filmed in Virginia City and Nevada City, including "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman, "Return to Lonesome Dove" with Jon Voight and Reese Witherspoon, and "The Ballad of Lefty Brown" with Bill Pullman and Peter Fonda.
Do you see the two-story outhouse on the left of the collage above? We had quite a laugh trying to discern how that might work! Several cabins were available for overnight stays - the one on the lower right of the above collage had cacti growing on the roof - an unusual sight in Montana!
The railroad never made it to Alder Gulch, but that didn't stop Mr. Bovey from establishing a railroad collection at Nevada City. In fact, the Virginia City Shortline Railroad was built by Mr. Bovey in 1964 to connect Virginia City and Nevada City, a mile and a half away. Today the 20-minute ride is an opportunity to enjoy the scenery and learn about the surrounding area (May - September only).
My favorite structure in Nevada City had to be the house below. No plaques explained its origin or history, and it was outside of the apparent boundaries of the formal ghost town. We stood gazing upon it for some time, both lost in our imaginations of the comings and goings when this beauty was in her prime.
Our next stop, Virginia City, was labeled a ghost town, but many businesses were open and it is apparent people live here year-round. We read many plaques about the historic buildings that remain, in some cases wedged next to a quite modern edifice. The preservation of the antique structures was also the work of Charles Bovey, along with his wife, Sue. In 1952, the couple received honorary degrees from Montana State University of Montana in recognition of their efforts to preserve Montana's pioneer history. Their work was further acknowledged when Virginia City was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Given the pandemic, Spousal Unit and I set out on this trip knowing that there would be limits on patronizing restaurants and bars. It saddens us because we enjoy this aspect of traveling; it is often through such experiences that you get the feel of a place and meet interesting people. We gave ourselves permission to enter an establishment, assess its practices and the number of people, and to walk right back out if necessary. In the case of the Pioneer Bar in Virginia City, we "joined" one other customer. He was seated near the door, and we went to a hightop at the far end - about as "distant" as you could get. A short while later, two other 'locals' came in and connected with the man near the door. We felt comfortable with the setting, and enjoyed one beverage while soaking in the atmosphere.
Gold dust was the common currency when George Higgins built this sturdy "fire-proof stone" business block circa 1866. It has housed a mercantile, a shoe store, a department store and a saloon. The present Pioneer Bar has served as a popular watering hole and gathering place since 1947. The impressive stone facade of this gold rush era landmark has changed little since the 1860s.
The sun was descending toward the horizon, and with 60 miles between us and a pillow for the night, we reluctantly put pioneer history in the rearview mirror. Rolling hills, laced with some of the best trout rivers in Montana, kept us company until we crossed into a little corner of Idaho that would be home base for the next three nights.
We checked into Drift Lodge (with our own private cabin) in Island Park, Idaho. After the requisite "bag drag", we threw off our shoes, opened a beverage and settled in. Day 1 of the journey was in the books.
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