Author: Easin' Along

In 1863, a group of prospectors were en route to an area near the Yellowstone River but never made it. Members of the Crow Indian Tribe forced them on a different course and thereby changed the course of history in the Northwestern U.S. in the ensuing years. Two members of the group discovered gold near Alder Creek on May 26, 1863, and couldn’t keep their find a secret.

Within weeks, thousands descended into that area in a rush for gold. A boomtown erupted, and, in 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a law creating the Montana Territory, and Virginia City became the first capital. Helen and I came to Ennis, Montana, for a four-day visit and decided to drive the 15 miles from the Ennis RV Campground to soak up a few nuggets of history…the gold was long gone.

We arrived late in the morning and decided to walk the main street before making a stop for lunch. As has been the experience throughout our RV trip, the crowds were small, and we moved through the shops and buildings with little difficulty. Masks are mandatory in public buildings in Montana, and we complied–gladly.

Virginia City, designated as a National Historic Landmark, is quite impressive. Many of the buildings that sprang up during the gold rush when thousands of people occupied the area remain. Most of the buildings fell into disrepair when the gold ran out, and the townspeople moved on, turning Virginia City into a ghost town (the 2010 census revealed a population of 190 people). A group of generous benefactors began restoring Virginia City around 1940 before it collapsed in ruins.

While strolling through the town, we read the historical markers posted on almost every building taking pictures–lots of them. Because I wanted to give the proper feel to this post, I decided to take the images in Sepia for a “tin-type” effect. I think it captures Virginia City as an old western town from bygone days. I hope you agree.

The last picture is Road Agents Roost, a German restaurant, and our lunch stop. The food was outstanding. We finished our meal during a torrential hailstorm that followed us back to Ennis. I’ll share that story with readers later this week, Wi-Fi connection permitting. Please come back.

Hopefully, this post makes it into cyberspace; we’re in a pretty remote area up here; eleven miles east of Idaho border, and fifty miles south of border with Canada (Troy, MT), and staying connected has been a challenge. Nevertheless, we’re having a fantastic time…and, just Easin’ Along.

After spending nine days in West Yellowstone, we were ready to explore a different part of Montana. We couldn’t have picked a better base camp than Big Sky. The Inn on the Gallatin would be home for the next seven days. We met Deann, the owner, as soon as we arrived and liked her immediately. She guided us into our campsite–a perfect spot overlooking the Gallatin River from a deck running alongside our trailer. For the remainder of our stay, we watched her work tirelessly to maintain the Inn on the Gallatin in pristine condition as well as doing everything possible to enhance the experience of her guests.

There is a lot to do in the Big Sky area, including whitewater rafting. Helen signed us up for a half-day rafting trip. The guides suggested strongly that we not take a camera on the float so, I reluctantly left mine in the truck…right decision. I fell out of the raft near the end of the journey. Cliff, our guide and a huge fellow, pulled me (6′ 4″, 220 lbs.) back in with little effort, but I was soaked. I purchased the picture at the top from Montana Whitewater.

We took two hikes while in Big Sky, first to Rat Lake, and then to Ousel Falls a few days later. Both walks were moderate in hiking vernacular and about two and a half miles each. The wildflowers on the trail to Rat Lake were incredible, and we spent a lot of time taking pictures. The path to Ousel Falls was a bit more challenging and included some steep parts, but the impressive scenery was more than enough to make us put the hills out of our mind.

While in Big Sky, we met up with Debbie and Rick, two transplants from Tennessee. Debbie is the sister of one of our good friends, and her husband, Rick, is a former high school principal who moved to Montana after retirement out of a love of the great outdoors. We met at our campsite and Rick invited me to fish with him on the following Sunday. He didn’t have to ask twice. He even gave me some flies to use that he tied himself.

We fished on the Gallatin River about eight miles from camp. Rick is an expert fly fisherman and worked very patiently with me to teach me how to fish this stretch of the river. I caught three Rainbow trout, and Rick caught about six, two of which he cleaned and gave to us for a trout dinner. The meal was delicious, and I cannot remember having a better day in a trout stream. Thanks, Rick, I owe you!

I can’t sign off without telling readers about the cafe at the Inn on the Gallatin. Deann and Steve serve breakfast on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings until 11:00. The selections are exquisite, and it wasn’t easy to land on just one. I chose the Country Omelet, eggs cooked with peppers, onion, mushrooms, and smothered in sausage gravy. It was awesome. Helen had Eggs Benedict served with spinach and tomatoes–equally good. As a bonus, hot donut holes accompanied our meal. They were as light and as delicious as the beignets served at Cafe du Monde, one of my favorite New Orleans restaurants. We were so impressed by the Inn on the Gallatin that we booked a return visit next year for ten days.

I hope readers will look through the pictures I have posted on the Picture Gallery (click here). Some of the sights we encountered are just too good to let sit on a hard drive. Our time in Big Sky will stay with us forever and, I get warm and fuzzy knowing that, in a year, we’ll be Easin’ Along back here for more.

Please join us next week when we’ll come to you from Ennis, Montana. Life is good!