States – Page 66 – Wandering Dawgs

Day 15: Beautiful Montana

May 31, 2013June 17, 2026Posted in Montana, Parks, RV ParksTagged Butte, Continental Divide, Dick's RV Park, Great Falls, Our Lady of the Rockies4 Comments

Day 15: May 30, 2013. Cardwell, MT to Great Falls, MT. Dick’s RV Park, Site 81. 190 miles traveled. Over 2000 total miles since leaving Georgia.

By far, this was the most spectacular travel day we have had on this trip. Although it was overcast all day, the rain finally let up for most of the drive. We continued to see pronghorn antelope in the fields and mountains all around.

Our Lady of the Rockies overlooking Butte, MT

After traveling west on I-90 since Minnesota, we started north on I-15 in Butte, Montana. Overlooking Butte, sitting atop the Continental Divide at 8510 feet above sea level is Our Lady of the Rockies statue. We could see her high up on the mountain beside the interstate.

We crossed the Continental Divide twice today. The first time was we were at 6398 feet and just past Butte. We crossed it again a little later. As we climbed into the higher elevations the trees changed to Lodgepole Pines and the grassy slopes became rocky formations.

We could see the mountains as we drove between Cardwell and Great Falls, Montana

As we continued north to Great Falls, we drove out of the mountains to lower elevations. We crossed the Missouri River several times. We saw several semi trucks with tandem trailers, and one with three trailers. We don’t see that at home!

Before we left home we knew we would need to get new tires for the fifth wheel. We stopped at a tire store in Great Falls to get that chore out of the way before we arrive in Canada on Sunday. We had lunch at a Boston’s Restaurant next door to the tire store and less than two hours later we were setting up at Dick’s RV Park.

Day 14: Rainy Day Driving in Montana

May 31, 2013June 17, 2026Posted in Montana, Parks, Rainy Days, RV Parks, WildflowersTagged Cardwell, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Rocky Mountains4 Comments

Day 14: May 29, 2013. Sheridan, Wyoming to Cardwell, Montana. Cardwell Store and Campground. Site 32. 314 miles traveled.

Today we knew we were truly in the mountains. Henry negotiated steep 6% grades on I-90 in the rain. Off in the distance, between rain showers, we could see the Rocky Mountains. The rain was coming down so hard we couldn’t see them at times. We eventually crossed into the high plains and the Big Sky Country.

We crossed the Little Bighorn River not far from the Little Bighorn National Monument which memorializes the Battle of Little Bighorn where Custer’s Last Stand took place. We also passed a few Lewis and Clark Historical Sites.

The rain finally stopped as we pulled into a small RV park/gas station/store/casino in Cardwell, Montana. We were surrounded by mountains and enjoyed watching magpies and blue birds flying all around. Several rabbits hopped through the campground. We watched a Great Blue Heron flying right over our heads and a Bald Eagle soaring high above the trees.

Day 13: Sightseeing and Shopping in Wyoming

May 29, 2013June 17, 2026Posted in Restaurants, Tourist Attractions, WyomingTagged Blacktooth Brewing Company, brewery, Buffalo Bill Cody, Sheridan, Sheridan Inn, Wyoming Rib and Chop House6 Comments

Day 13: May 28, 2013. Peter D’s RV Park, Sheridan, Wyoming

We took care of a few housekeeping things before going sightseeing in downtown Sheridan. Henry climbed up on the roof of the RV to check on the hail damage. There was a hole in the living room vent cover which he patched with duct tape. You can fix anything with either duct tape or WD40, right?

Once that chore was completed we hit Main Street in Sheridan for a little shopping. We browsed a few shops with everything from shoes to western wear. One shop displayed spurs, cowboy hats, saddles, and cowboy boots of every color and style.

A stop at Safeway for a few supplies and we were back at the campground. Later in the day we returned to town to do a little sightseeing at the historic Sheridan Inn. The Inn is now closed so we could only explore outside and peek in the windows. Buffalo Bill Cody made the inn his home whenever he was in Sheridan and was part owner from 1894 to 1902. The inn is located across the street from the train station.

We enjoyed a locally brewed amber ale from the Blacktooth Brewing Company with our dinner of baby back ribs at the Wyoming Rib and Chop House.

Day 12: Wildlife Sighting and Hailstorms

May 28, 2013June 17, 2026Posted in RV Parks, Wildlife, WyomingTagged Badlands, hail storm, mule deer, Peter D's, Sheridan Wyoming6 Comments

Day 12: Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2013. Midland, South Dakota to Sheridan, WY. Peter D’s RV park Site 30. 356 miles traveled.

You never know what to expect when traveling cross country – camels in a field, sudden storms, or mule deer walking through your campground. There’s never a dull moment.

We stopped at a scenic overlook on the interstate so I could get some pictures of the Badlands. There is a wonderful scenic drive through the middle of the Badlands that we enjoyed a few years ago but to save time we skipped it on this trip. A view from the interstate was the closest we would get. As I was taking pictures saw a mule deer walk by just down the hill from where I was standing.

No idea why he was there, but there was a camel in a field next to our campground in South Dakota

The sky started turning black all around us and it looked like severe weather was on its way. As we were getting close to Spearfish, South Dakota the rain was coming down so hard we couldn’t see. We pulled off the road to wait out the storm. Pea size hail began pounding the roof and hood of the truck.

Hail on the truck window near Spearfish, South Dakota — Hail landed outside my window during a hailstorm near Spearfish, South Dakota.

Hailstorm near Spearfish, South Dakota — Stopped on the side of I-90 to wait out a hailstorm near Spearfish, South Dakota. There is pea size hail on the road.

It was pretty scary stuff! We stopped at a rest area in Wyoming to check out the the vent covers and skylights in the RV. There were scratches but nothing seemed to be broken. Henry inspected them later and discovered a hole in one of them he was able to patch.

We continued to see storms almost all the way to Sheridan, Wyoming. The sun came out shortly before we arrived. As we entered the RV park, piles of pea sized hail lined the side of the road. An RV across from us had all of her roof vents destroyed. We barely missed being in the middle of a second storm.

We were very grateful to arrive at our destination safe and sound. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon and even saw some mule deer ambling across the hill in the campground.

Day 10 and 11: Traveling West on I-90

May 27, 2013June 17, 2026Posted in RV Parks, South Dakota, SunsetTagged Belvidere East KOA, Indian Tacos, Missouri River9 Comments

Days 10 and 11: Saturday, May 25, 2013 and Sunday, May 26, 2013. Welcome, Minnesota to Midland, South Dakota. KOA Belvidere East Campground, Midland, South Dakota. Site 26. 331 miles traveled. Crossed into Mountain Time.

Road weary after traveling through 10 states in 10 days, we decided to take a break from driving and spent two nights in Midland, SD.

We stopped at a rest area on I-90 near Chamberlain, SD for a scenic view of the Missouri River. There is also a museum at the rest area celebrating the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

We stopped for a few groceries at the Walmart in Mitchell, South Dakota. Mitchell is the location of The Corn Palace, a popular tourist destination for travelers in South Dakota. We have visited the Corn Palace before, so we decided to pass it by on this trip.

Bridge over the Missouri River at overlook on I-90 in South Dakota

We have stayed at this RV park twice before on our western travels. It’s a very nice park with very nice, hard working owners. The wife is the cook in their small restaurant and we enjoyed our Indian tacos. Yum!