Missoula to Butte Update

When we last left you we had just pulled into Jim and Mary's RV Park in Missoula, MT after several days of rig problems. What a nice little park! Just outside of town, close to the highway but we never heard much noise (granted, it was cool and most of the time we were closed up...LOL!).

We were there over the July 4th holiday, knowing we didn't want to be on the road and having time to kill before the Butte National Folk Festival. While there we hope to meet up with several friends

We took Saturday and checked out both the local Harley dealer and Big Sky Brewing....home of our favorite beer, Moose Drool. Nice tap room and we picked up a pint glass, metal sign and a growler full of beer. As we travel we are now collecting for our eventual home and pole barn: diner style coffee mugs, metal signs of interest, growlers and pint glasses from micro-breweries.

First friends we caught up with were Dave & Renee who we first met in Gillette, WY two years ago. They are also full-time RVers and riders...the last time we saw them was in Yuma, AZ this past winter. Side note: they met Stu before I did and I met them before I met Stu (confused yet? LOL). They were visiting their daughter and her family outside Polson, MT and invited us up for a July 4th cookout.

The day was supposed to be nice but we ended up with rain spitting on us most of the ride. It was cooler than expected but that was okay with us...we bundled up and enjoyed the ride. Gorgeous scenery...never did get a photo. Guess we have to go back...LOL!

It was great catching up with Dave & Renee and meeting the kids & grandkids. They live right on Flathead Lake, what a setting. As we geared up to head home, their son-in-law snapped a few shots. Their granddaughter Kenna loved my Axel F frog, as you can tell by the photo below. We said our goodbyes and headed out to hopefully get home before total dark (about 10pm now) and managed to see at least 14 different fireworks displays on the ride back. Many were private but several were obviously local communities. Happy Birthday America!

The next day we met up with a good riding friend of mine, Paula, and her husband Travis. The last time I met up with them was in 2005 when I was touring the country. They recently moved from FL to MT and are loving it. Good lunch at the Montana Club and enjoyed catching up with them and hearing their thoughts on Montana versus Florida. We'll see them again at the big motorcycle rally in Sturgis, SD in early August.

The evening it rained....really rained but briefly. Stu stepped outside afterwards and we saw the most gorgeous full double rainbow. Hard to capture with the camera, this was the best I could do on short notice. Did I say, GORGEOUS?

We headed out to Butte on Tuesday, about 125 miles to our home site for the next week...2 Bar Lazy H RV Park and Campground, about 5 miles west of Butte. It's family run by a husband and wife who have the most adorable little 2 yr old daughter. Friendly and helpful...we would definitely stay here again.

We did take a run into Butte on Wednesday and checked out their Harley dealership (which had just been sold to the one in Bozeman). We also stopped downtown and visited a local micro-brew, Quarry Brewing. Their slogan is, "We dig beer!". We tried the sampler and found an amber we liked and I bought a pink hat with the logo on it. Stu picked up his second growler for his new collection.

For dinner we took a ride in the opposite direction, into Anaconda where we had a nice dinner at the Classic Cafe. Converted from an old service station, we enjoyed the memorabilia. Had to snap a few shots...LOL!

Stu has planned a ride for Friday...I'll let him blog about that! Saturday and Sunday will be filled with the Music Festival and Monday will be catchup day before heading north to Glacier National Park.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna & Stu