Sometimes, a map fools me on driving time. This was one of those times. We spent most of the day at LBH thinking that we'd have no trouble getting to Devil's Tower. Turns out, it felt like it took FOREVER. I think the more miles we accrue, the harder each mile gets. At this point, I am painfully aware of how many miles we are from home. We've travelled about 20k miles in the last 3 years. I think every mile is cumulative, even if taking 9 month breaks in-between. But listen to me...complaining about traveling too much. Good problem to have! ๐
We stayed on the "big" road and just north of the Big Horn mountains.
We arrived at DT a little late in the day, but were hoping for inexpensive camping in the park. We weren't so lucky. We drove through several times, but ended up at the KOA. I always think of KOA's as a poor value. I know they are great for some people, but we don't use the amenities in most cases. This one came to just over $70 for a night. What are you gonna do? Sometimes you have no choice. DT is out in the sticks, and you really don't have many other options. My recommendation is to get there early for the $10 spots in the park.
The kids were happy despite my wallet being emptier.
And as it turns out, we did use some of the niceties of the KOA. As soon as we were set up, we went over for the nightly showing of "Close Encounters". Cheesy, yes. But a lifetime memory was made watching the movie with DT looming behind the screen.
I don't have the nighttime camera skills of some, but here was our campsite at night.
The next morning, the kids went for a swim (using those amenities) and then we went into the park. They don't allow trailers into the park, so they provide a lot for you to drop it. Turns out, when we got back to the visitors center, there were 6 or so trailers parked. Wish I had known, as unhooking and hooking is always nice to avoid.
We did the hike around the base, which was very nice. However, I don't see that there is much else to do? This is one of those "look at it" and roll on kind of parks. We spent about 3 hours total. When we left, we sat in the lot where the trailer was and had lunch.
I guess what I'm saying with this report is that (for me) I wouldn't go back and wouldn't have missed much to not have gone at all. It added several hours of driving, cost too much to stay, and didn't offer much more than you see on a postcard. Okay, haters can start hating. The kids probably feel differently.
We stayed on the "big" road and just north of the Big Horn mountains.
We arrived at DT a little late in the day, but were hoping for inexpensive camping in the park. We weren't so lucky. We drove through several times, but ended up at the KOA. I always think of KOA's as a poor value. I know they are great for some people, but we don't use the amenities in most cases. This one came to just over $70 for a night. What are you gonna do? Sometimes you have no choice. DT is out in the sticks, and you really don't have many other options. My recommendation is to get there early for the $10 spots in the park.
The kids were happy despite my wallet being emptier.
And as it turns out, we did use some of the niceties of the KOA. As soon as we were set up, we went over for the nightly showing of "Close Encounters". Cheesy, yes. But a lifetime memory was made watching the movie with DT looming behind the screen.
I don't have the nighttime camera skills of some, but here was our campsite at night.
The next morning, the kids went for a swim (using those amenities) and then we went into the park. They don't allow trailers into the park, so they provide a lot for you to drop it. Turns out, when we got back to the visitors center, there were 6 or so trailers parked. Wish I had known, as unhooking and hooking is always nice to avoid.
We did the hike around the base, which was very nice. However, I don't see that there is much else to do? This is one of those "look at it" and roll on kind of parks. We spent about 3 hours total. When we left, we sat in the lot where the trailer was and had lunch.
I guess what I'm saying with this report is that (for me) I wouldn't go back and wouldn't have missed much to not have gone at all. It added several hours of driving, cost too much to stay, and didn't offer much more than you see on a postcard. Okay, haters can start hating. The kids probably feel differently.
I neglected to mention the WIND during our stay at Glacier. It was a major character in our story. There were 2 of the 6 days that we literally could not be outside and we felt the trailer might not be all that safe of a place. All tents around us picked up and left and even the large motorhomes pulled in their slides to give less for the wind to grab hold of. We were disappointed to loose those two days. We would have surely gotten in one or two other major hikes.
We were a bit somber leaving Glacier. Being this far from home, we know the chance that we ever see it again is fairly slim...at least not until retirement. We left via Browning and headed southeast across Montana on a diagonal towards Billings. We were warned by the Chamber of Commerce near Yellowstone that we didn't want to drive through the Blackfeet Reservation. But that was our direction...so. It was a sad sight, as many/most of our reservations are. Our travels have given us a great respect for native americans and an embarrassment of some of the white man's historical and present choices. If you ever drive across Montana, the sense of wide open space is overwhelming, and I couldn't help but wonder why, with so much space, there was a need for reservations.
This first shot shows the majesty of the mountains behind us with the foreground being the small, rundown, getto like reservation. It may be that way for many reasons that I don't know, but it was sad, none the less.
When we weren't but a few miles out of Glacier, there was something in the road that we hit fairly violently. I watch the road like a hawk, but was surprised when I heard the bang. For the next few stops, I watched the tires a little extra close. Although, after the bearing failure in 2014, I had been taking air pressure and hub temperatures at every fuel stop anyway. Extra work, but the prudent thing to do.
All was fine for the entire drive across Montana. When we arrived in Billings, my low pressure warning light came on. We had driven how many hundreds of miles that day (after hitting the object) and it wasn't until we arrived in civilization again that the problem presented itself. We pray as a family over our trips, and feel that not being left in the middle of nowhere was protection from God. Coming down the hill off the interstate, we were 2 miles from a Walmart, we limped over to it and discovered that the road debree had slashed the inside sidewall of a rear truck tire. Seeing the slash, I don't know how that tire drove hundreds of miles.
I was particularly upset about the tire, as we had just purchased a set of expensive Michelins (the new Defender M/S2 in an 'E' load range). We did this specifically for safety on these long summer trips. Now, my matching, new set was compromised.
I want to give a plug for "Discount Tire". Of course, there are none in Montana, so I called my local store in SC for how my warranty might apply. The person on the phone did not hesitate. He said, "You enjoy your vacation and we'll take care of you. Put the tire of your choice on the truck for now. When you return home, we'll reimburse you for that tire and install the correct one." I thought is sounded too good, but this is exactly what ended up happening. Can't say enough about the customer service, at least at my local branch.
These tires did have a marked impact in the stability of my rig, and the trip home was less stabil with a mismatched tire, but it all worked out. ๐
On with the show...
We did much of this trip without having a plan each night. As we closed in on "Little Big Horn", we thought we would stay the night in Hardin, MT. However, the few options were either sketchy, or pricey. We took our chance, as the sun was starting to set, and pushed on. We were lucky, and stumbled into "7th Ranch" campground in GaryOwen.
The price was a little higher than the $20 we like to keep our average to, but it was a bargain for how nice of a place it was. It started from the minute I checked in, they asked if I had kids and then offered a free Huckleberry ice cream sandwich for each. After a LONG day on the road, you would have thought it was Christmas morning for the kids. I'm sure they will remember what huckleberry tastes like for the rest of their lives.
The park was spotless. Every site looked to be brand new and every blade of grass was in place. We had sunflowers and birds and a beautiful sunset over the Montana hills.
At this point, the boys are a well oiled machine when we setup camp. My job is to hook up electricity. My wife immediately goes in and starts getting the A/C on and the slide out. The boys do the rest! We setup in under 5 minutes for sure. I'm very proud of them. Responsible young men that NEVER complain. They make the trips so enjoyable. As a school teacher, I get to know many, many kids. Only 10% would be enjoyable to have on a trip like this. Now I know why many people say they don't understand how we can manage these trips.
The next morning, our plan was to see the battlefield and then make it as far as Devil's Tower. We did just that.
We were lucky to get to the battlefield early, as parking for trailers is limited. Maybe a dozen rigs total. You can see us in the middle there.
We spent significant time at the visitors center. The Ranger talks were OUTSTANDING! Sitting there listening to the story unfold by an incredible storyteller, while looking out over the actual battlefield was emotional. The sights, sounds, smells, and respectful banter of visitors got to us all. It was a special moment in American history, one that we understand much better for having visited.
We made the driving tour with the trailer. There were many larger rigs doing the same. It is okay, but not great this way. You really can't stop until you're at the far end. There's a small loop that we felt okay stopping for 5 minutes, but not longer.
LBH was a much better stop than I expected. Highly recommended.
On a side note, I got a tip that Wyoming "Port of Entry" will weigh your rig for you. I pulled in and they did, at no charge. I discovered I was 150 pounds over on my rear axle, which I suspected. It was helpful info, and I moved the generator and BBQ to the back of the trailer from the bed of the truck. So I figure we were traveling right about at the stated limit.
Here we are pulling into the Port of Entry.
Next stop: Devil's Tower
We were a bit somber leaving Glacier. Being this far from home, we know the chance that we ever see it again is fairly slim...at least not until retirement. We left via Browning and headed southeast across Montana on a diagonal towards Billings. We were warned by the Chamber of Commerce near Yellowstone that we didn't want to drive through the Blackfeet Reservation. But that was our direction...so. It was a sad sight, as many/most of our reservations are. Our travels have given us a great respect for native americans and an embarrassment of some of the white man's historical and present choices. If you ever drive across Montana, the sense of wide open space is overwhelming, and I couldn't help but wonder why, with so much space, there was a need for reservations.
This first shot shows the majesty of the mountains behind us with the foreground being the small, rundown, getto like reservation. It may be that way for many reasons that I don't know, but it was sad, none the less.
When we weren't but a few miles out of Glacier, there was something in the road that we hit fairly violently. I watch the road like a hawk, but was surprised when I heard the bang. For the next few stops, I watched the tires a little extra close. Although, after the bearing failure in 2014, I had been taking air pressure and hub temperatures at every fuel stop anyway. Extra work, but the prudent thing to do.
All was fine for the entire drive across Montana. When we arrived in Billings, my low pressure warning light came on. We had driven how many hundreds of miles that day (after hitting the object) and it wasn't until we arrived in civilization again that the problem presented itself. We pray as a family over our trips, and feel that not being left in the middle of nowhere was protection from God. Coming down the hill off the interstate, we were 2 miles from a Walmart, we limped over to it and discovered that the road debree had slashed the inside sidewall of a rear truck tire. Seeing the slash, I don't know how that tire drove hundreds of miles.
I was particularly upset about the tire, as we had just purchased a set of expensive Michelins (the new Defender M/S2 in an 'E' load range). We did this specifically for safety on these long summer trips. Now, my matching, new set was compromised.
I want to give a plug for "Discount Tire". Of course, there are none in Montana, so I called my local store in SC for how my warranty might apply. The person on the phone did not hesitate. He said, "You enjoy your vacation and we'll take care of you. Put the tire of your choice on the truck for now. When you return home, we'll reimburse you for that tire and install the correct one." I thought is sounded too good, but this is exactly what ended up happening. Can't say enough about the customer service, at least at my local branch.
These tires did have a marked impact in the stability of my rig, and the trip home was less stabil with a mismatched tire, but it all worked out. ๐
On with the show...
We did much of this trip without having a plan each night. As we closed in on "Little Big Horn", we thought we would stay the night in Hardin, MT. However, the few options were either sketchy, or pricey. We took our chance, as the sun was starting to set, and pushed on. We were lucky, and stumbled into "7th Ranch" campground in GaryOwen.
The price was a little higher than the $20 we like to keep our average to, but it was a bargain for how nice of a place it was. It started from the minute I checked in, they asked if I had kids and then offered a free Huckleberry ice cream sandwich for each. After a LONG day on the road, you would have thought it was Christmas morning for the kids. I'm sure they will remember what huckleberry tastes like for the rest of their lives.
The park was spotless. Every site looked to be brand new and every blade of grass was in place. We had sunflowers and birds and a beautiful sunset over the Montana hills.
At this point, the boys are a well oiled machine when we setup camp. My job is to hook up electricity. My wife immediately goes in and starts getting the A/C on and the slide out. The boys do the rest! We setup in under 5 minutes for sure. I'm very proud of them. Responsible young men that NEVER complain. They make the trips so enjoyable. As a school teacher, I get to know many, many kids. Only 10% would be enjoyable to have on a trip like this. Now I know why many people say they don't understand how we can manage these trips.
The next morning, our plan was to see the battlefield and then make it as far as Devil's Tower. We did just that.
We were lucky to get to the battlefield early, as parking for trailers is limited. Maybe a dozen rigs total. You can see us in the middle there.
We spent significant time at the visitors center. The Ranger talks were OUTSTANDING! Sitting there listening to the story unfold by an incredible storyteller, while looking out over the actual battlefield was emotional. The sights, sounds, smells, and respectful banter of visitors got to us all. It was a special moment in American history, one that we understand much better for having visited.
We made the driving tour with the trailer. There were many larger rigs doing the same. It is okay, but not great this way. You really can't stop until you're at the far end. There's a small loop that we felt okay stopping for 5 minutes, but not longer.
LBH was a much better stop than I expected. Highly recommended.
On a side note, I got a tip that Wyoming "Port of Entry" will weigh your rig for you. I pulled in and they did, at no charge. I discovered I was 150 pounds over on my rear axle, which I suspected. It was helpful info, and I moved the generator and BBQ to the back of the trailer from the bed of the truck. So I figure we were traveling right about at the stated limit.
Here we are pulling into the Port of Entry.
Next stop: Devil's Tower
Glacier really is a special place - I'm really glad you made it that far from home!
All of your pictures are great, but these two were my favorites from Glacier:
Now hurry up and post about the Badlands! :B
All of your pictures are great, but these two were my favorites from Glacier:
Now hurry up and post about the Badlands! :B
