Montana - Kootenai Falls

One of our favorite places to go in Montana is the Kootenai Falls area located between Libby and Troy Montana on US Hwy 2.  This is the setting for the film "River Wild" and has some amazing rapids when the river is running high and boasts one of the largest free flowing falls in the northwest.

Kootenai Falls Montana

Kootenai Falls Montana

Green Pool at Kootenai Falls

There are plenty of trails along the south side to explore and take in the views, but one of the most exciting and best views is from the swinging bridge just west of the main trail.  While the bridge is not for everyone (we saw a lot of people decide not to cross after stepping foot on it) it provides access to several more trails on the north side of the river as well as a spectacular view from the middle of the bridge.

Janet crossing the swinging bridge

There is so much to see and do in Montana. We've been to Montana several times and always enjoy going back.  For those who love the outdoors Montana is a real jewel.

Fern Shadow - Kootenai National Forest

Sunset over Noxon Reservoir - Trout Creek Montana

Montana

We left Yellowstone and headed northwest into Montana.  I always love visiting Big Sky Country.  I don't think there is anywhere in the world that is more scenic then western Montana.  With its sweeping vistas, huge mountain ranges and wide open spaces it gives one both a sense of awe and a feeling of serenity.  We first landed in a small town called Ennis which allowed us to day trip out to the old western towns of Virginia City and Nevada City.  Both towns are very rustic now, but were thriving gold towns during the 1800's.  Virginia City still has residents living there and is a National Historic Landmark along with much of the surrounding area.  Nevada City (1.5 miles west) is now an open air museum where you can step back in time and see what life was like during the gold rush.  The town was shut down for the season when we arrived, but we had been there before so had already seen much of it.  I really love shooting rustic items and this town gives me a chance to stretch out and explore.

Welcome to Nevada City

Nevada City Saloon

Kitchen Window

Nevada City Train

 

 

Yellowstone

Janet and I have been to Yellowstone several times before, but for the first time we actually stayed in the park which made it much easier to explore.  For those of you who have been there you know just how huge this park is 

(2,219,789 acres) and how difficult it is to see just a small portion of it.  We were here for 3 days and could have stayed for a week without seeing all there is to see.

Sunrise in Yellowstone

Yellowstone is a mix of landscapes, from the beautiful canyons, rivers and lakes to the surreal and other-worldly geothermal features that spew and steam and bubble throughout the park.  The colors of many of the geothermal pools are absolutely stunning.

Grand Prismatic Pool

Emerald Pool

We spent one afternoon on a hike with a ranger and learned so much about how the features were formed and found that due to the ever changing landscape these features do not always last for very long.

 

 

Geothermal Pool

One morning Janet and I decided to drive to one of the scenic waterfalls and then hike along the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  We drove to Artist Point and I took a few shots from various positions.  I was just about to pack it in when a lady told me to wait about 30 minutes when the sun crested over the canyon and I would be treated to a beautiful rainbow in the mist of the waterfall.  Gorgeous!

Waterfall Rainbow

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is truly an American treasure and a must see for anyone who enjoys the beauty of nature and wildlife that abound in the park.

Where the Buffalo Roam

Sunset at Yellowstone

Wyoming

Our first stop in Wyoming was Gillette, the self proclaimed "Energy Capital of the Nation".  They are mostly known for their vast quantities of coal and oil.  It was amazing to see the tons of coal being shipped out of the city every day by train.  Our main reason for going there was for the Escapees Rally.  Escapees is a group of like minded people who enjoy the RVing lifestyle.  The rally was full of great information about RVing, friendly people (a common theme in the RV world) and a lot of fun.  

Sunset in Gillette

After the rally we continued west to the town of Cody, named after Buffalo Bill Cody.  We hoped to take in a rodeo, but unfortunately the season had ended the week before.  Cody is well known in the rodeo circuit, but make sure and get there during the summer if you want to see one and once the season is over, much of Cody starts shutting down from a tourist standpoint.  We did go to see the Buffalo Bill Dam which was constructed in 1910 to aid the local farmers in irrigating their crops.  The views from atop the dam are fantastic and the visitor center has information on the history of the area and the building of the dam.  

One of the other places we went to in Cody was a museum/gift shop called Tecumseh's Trading Post.  It is mostly a tourist trap that sells the typical gift shop things, but also has a donation only museum in the back that is well worth a quick stop.  The proprietor has built a huge miniature village depicting the develop of the old west.  It is really quite interesting for both young and old.

View from Buffalo Bill Dam

Shoshone River in Cody

Tecumseh's Trading Post Miniature Village

Tecumseh's Trading Post Miniature Village

Back in San Diego

Janet and I are back in San Diego for a couple of months and I know what you are wondering, "What happened to the rest of our travels?".  Well, the simple answer is, I got lazy.  The more I got behind in my writing the harder it was to get back into it, but I never stopped taking pictures.  So what I hope to do over the next few weeks is recap what we did and what we saw over the last couple of months and show you some of my favorite shots.

America's Cup Races in San Diego

While it is nice to back in San Diego, I'll have to admit that I did not miss it much.  I have become a big fan of the small towns and villages that we have stayed near while traveling across the USA.  It is so refreshing to experience the friendly nature of the people in the smaller towns and the slower pace.  I truly enjoyed traveling the secondary highways instead of driving the fast paced freeways.  It has been extremely liberating to drive 55 mph instead of racing around at 70+ mph.  Sure, it takes longer to get from place to place, but the payback is that my stress level while driving went way down (until I hit Los Angeles, it is amazing how that city can bring out the worst in me) and I was able to actually enjoy the scenery. 

Janet and I visited 18 states and traveled approximately 14,500 miles in the six months we were out.  This next year we hope to visit the east coast and maybe eastern Canada (at least that's the plan for now).  We have quite a bit to talk about and pictures to show, so stay tuned for several blog entries in the next couple of weeks.  Cheers!

States visited in 2011