Montana, the continuing trip north and west #3

After attaining the proper beverages and some chocolate at a locally owned Coffee House in Medora, we headed down the block to check out local art the Western Edge Book Store. They did have some really nice art and I picked up some post cards and a book called "Every Place with A Name, A Dakota Photo Documentary". I like to buy local and regional documentary books especially ones that have good photography. While I was checking out I noticed the clerk had the television going...

To my horror one of my favorite places in the entire universe was being attacked by a killer hurricane! I was in shock a million miles away on the other side of the country during a beautiful morning with a warm sun in a place that should be really cold this time of year. I couldn't get this song out of my head, it played over and over... I wish I was in New Orleans... New Orleans I'll be there... as I watched in disbelief as people sat on the roofs of their flooded homes waiting for someone to come and save them. Time is a prime mover and this trip wasn't getting any longer. I looked back at the t.v. one more time and we left Medora.

From the Montana and North Dakota border we passed Wibaux and Glendive and paused in Miles City. It turns out that The Custer County Art Center in Miles City is one of the nicest and best designed art spaces I've seen. Originally a water reclaimation center discarded when the county moved to a bigger and better facility, the old water holding cells lent perfectly to gallery space and the place is near bomb proof with walls of concrete several feet thick. The curator was kind enough to let us wander as he and an assistant layed out the upcoming jurried show. In all honesty I expected little from a small town in Montana but the art was well done and made for what will be an excellent show. Kudos!!! We left in drizzle with really powerful winds. Wind I don't see in Chicago!

The weather cleared up and an hour or two down he road I spied a sign that said something about a "National Monument"! Well it sure wasn't on my NPS map. So SuperJ was game and we left the comfort of the highway for the uncertainty of the backroads of Montana. About five miles later after doubling back we found it, a place called "Pompey's Pillar'. It is part of the Lewis and Clark Trail. This trail is made up of local, state and national sites all strung together. This one is a conglomeration between the NPS, BLM and throw in the Dept of the Interior, which is why it doesn't show up on my NPS map. Captain William Clark arrived at Pompeys Pillar on July 25, 1806 and carved his name on the side of the rock. The rock sits about 100ft bove the yellowstone river and the base is approximately 1 acre. It was great being here at sunset, we could see for miles in every direction. We are now aware of most of the well known trails; Lewis and Clark, Mormon, California and Oregon National Historic trails. We made it to Billings to find a hotel for the night...