A Perfect Roadtrip! Part One - to Colorado

 I learned about a 3-day wooly workshop in Colorado that happens every July. I also had friends camping in Idaho slightly before. I put together a plan to go out to CO via Montana and Wyoming, and returning through Rocky Mountain National Park, Utah and City of Rocks. Timing was based on approximately 5 hours a day driving, and the hope of stops at interesting sites as well as a few back roads. It came together in pieces, and sometimes with hope for a large dose of luck. 

First night - Fort Spokane in eastern Washington. All reservations in unknown places are a roll of the dice. It turned out my site was away from the "popular" sites and the clusters of families. The next morning I went to see the historic site of a military post and later (1900-1907) a boarding school for Native American children. Only two buildings are left. One is a barn with a museum inside. There is also a walkway around the property. 

The next two nights were with "Sunshine Friends" at Bell Bay on Lake Coeur D'Alene. Nearby is the town of Harrison. It was typical of many small towns I encountered on my trip - abandoned buildings from a previous industry, with occasional new enterprises scattered through it. 

My first campsite in Montana was on my first back road. It was above a small farming valley, on a little clearing. The next morning I came out in Anaconda. An old fire station had been converted to a museum, gallery, and studios. It's architecture was a strange mixture of details.

Montana included a stop to meet an Indie Dyer who has provided me with some great rovings. She took me to Greycliff Mill. The original mill was still grinding corn, but the rest of the property was a surprise. They are reconstructing old buildings for artist/craftsmen studios, meeting places, and shops. Weaving, leather work, pottery, and cheese! 

I was hoping to see the Little Bighorn National Battlefield, but I got to the Crow reservation too late in the day. Instead I found a KOA and Looked forward to crossing Wyoming the next day. Sheridan, Wyoming had a beautiful rest stop. It is the place my two routes crossed - 2012 around the US and this one. In both states the sky was frequently more interesting than the landscape!

Note - once you cross the Continental Divide, you enter the weather pattern of afternoon storm development. Sometimes it ended in a few sprinkles, but most of the time it was just wind.  

,