Location: Leaving Coeur d'Alene, heading for Bozeman, Montana
Weather: Slight mist in the morning....
We left Coeur D'Alene at about 7:30 a.m. and ate breakfast in a city park in Kellogg, Idaho. It was a little rainy out but nothing too bad. All day long we traveled through a lot of mining country. There were huge hills made of the tailings, and a lot of old abandoned mines. In the distance we saw Anaconda, which had the largest smoke stack in the world.
We saw Lewis and Clark Caves today. It sure was scary. We took a train ride to a little cart thing which hauled us up the mountain side. We looked down, down down as the ranger joked about the cable being spliced together with Scotch Tape!
A current view of what Ruby saw from her tram in 1967
We pulled into a motel a little ways from Boseman to spend the night. We charcoal broiled our dinner in back of our cabin. Mungo caught two fish.
August 20, 2006
Location: Leaving Couer d'Alene, heading for Bozeman, Montana.
Weather: Clear, not too hot, no wind... Perfect!
The family awoke in time to grab some breakfast, make their lunches and pack up for the road at the designated time. There was some mention of enjoying the trip and taking in side attractions. So, with Mereyann, Bramblerose and Ruby in one car and Mungo, Baby Rube, Myrtle and Olo in the other, they said good-bye to Couer D'Alene, and hit the road.
One last pose with Lake Couer D'Alene 
After a brief stop to enjoy one final view of the lake, Mereyann, who was driving, took the lead. Not too far out there was a wayside attraction sign which said, "Mullan Tree and Mullan Road Historical site."
"Do you think we should take it in?" asked Mereyann. "Uhh... Yeah...
I think we should", said Ruby. So they quickly took the exit, mistakenly assuming that the rest of the family in the other car would follow, but they did not see them exit, and did not take it. The ladies in the lead car quickly took in the attraction, got pictures to document it and got back on the road.
The ladies at their side attraction 
Ruby imagined the other car would be speeding up, trying to catch up with them, when they were behind them all along . This could make for a lengthy chase through the state of Montana. "Call them on your cell phone and tell them." said Mereyann. Alas! There was no phone service in the mountains. "Write them a text message, and as soon as they are where they can get phone service, they will get the message, kinda like e-mail." instructed Mereyann. Ruby, throughly impressed with Mereyann's genius, did as she was told. The plan worked. They soon saw them parked next to a rest area, and waiting outside the car, signalling for them. They realized they were now in Montana and in a new time zone as well.
Travel continued through Montana. They had lunch in a baseball park in Missoula, and stopped for gas in Butte.
Headed for a picnic table in a baseball park in Missoula, Montana 
"Is that an observatory?" Olo asked as he looked up to a white object contrasting against the brown mountains that surrounded the town. Inquiries at the gas station informed them that it was a huge statue known as "Our Lady of the Rockies." http://www.ourladyoftherockies.org
Lewis and Clark Caverns was the next top. As they got out of their respective cars in the parking lot, Olo exclaimed ,"Did you see the wildlife driving up here?! I saw a coyote by the side of the road... and then there was a huge snake !" The coyote did not really bother Ruby too much, but the snake put her on orange-alert.
There was no train or tram up the side of the mountain, that played so vividly in the memories of both Mungo and Ruby. It was determined that neither were all that safe, and were removed in the 1970s. Now, to get to the cave entrance, there was a 15-minute uphill hike that came with a warning on what to do if one should encounter a snake. "Grreaat!" thought Ruby.... so she remained to the back of the pack of people.... hoping that any snake encounters would be dealt with before she arrived there. Her plan worked!
Hiking to the caverns, and safely arriving there 
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There were approximately 30 people in the tour group that met their young-girl guide at its entrance. The tour took a couple of hours and involved bending down to get through passages, squeezing sideways through passages and even at one point sliding into a new room via "The Beaver Slide."
The young girl in blue with the flashlight in her hands is the guide
As the sun was beginning to set, the family jumped in their respective vehicles. They still had a good distance to go before they found their motel and could eat their dinner. On the way, they spotted their first wildlife of the trip. Two pronghorn (aka antelope) grazing in a field by the side of the highway.
Myrtle was nervous about the motel, but it turned out to be the best accomodations of the entire trip. Each room had a microwave, a refrigerator, a large screen television, and a double sink outside the bathroom. They were all happy with this motel. By the time food was gotten and eaten, it was late. Everyone went to bed.
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