Meandering around the West found Peg and I in Garrison, Montana at a lovely old RV park close by the Little Blackfoot River. Yes Scout got to swim in the Little Blackfoot, or more precisely wade in the stream of crystal clear cold water. Garrison consists of about 80 year around residents who drive the 10 miles east to Deer Lodge for groceries, etc. This is what we did on our first day in the area.

Deer Lodge was quite a pleasant surprise. Garrison was just the place to stop for a weekend on the way West and I hadn’t researched the area for things to so I didn’t know about the prison, museums and Grant Kohrs National Historic Site. The Kohrs site is maintained by the National Park Service as a working ranch that consists of 1618 acres that is accessed from Deer Lodge. We did not visit the ranch, maybe next time.

The Old Montana Prison Museum complex is a great place to visit and well worth the trip. The site contains the prison with a total of 5 museums. Built in the 1880’s by prison labor it is a stark reminder of the work that went into the making of the Old West. The exhibits of prison life and the stories of riots and killings bring the history of the folks kept here. On the bright side for the prisoners is the view.

The big surprise for me was the automobile museum. Holy Cow! Totally unexpected to find hundreds of vehicles from the very beginning of automobiles up to today. I sort of went overboard on the pictures; however, these are really well done vehicles and worthy of every picture. If you are a car buff this place has got to be on your bucket list. After our tour we stopped for some delicious ice cream and took a gander at the Old Milwaukee Railroad display. There are also images of Old Deer Lodge and the town.

We moved on to Colbert, Washington through the first rainy day of driving in almost a year. We started out in a cold drizzle and low 40’s F and drove into sunshine and 80’s. Quite a change and reflects on the changing seasons. If you are at altitude, it is time to prepare for snow and cold weather but if you are in the valleys, summer will linger on a few more weeks. Enjoy the images.

Best regards,

Sjh

Deer Lodge Montana