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7/10
We left Missoula & headed for Helena, MT. Once again, we decided to save some miles and left I-90 at Garrison & took Hwy.12 to Helena. It is 2 lane a good bit of the way of the 45 mile shortcut. It became 4 lane as we encountered a pass. We had the downhill 8% for 6 miles. With brakes working hard and 2nd gear whining, we made it down & thanked God we hadn’t had to go UP. We’ll take the long way on our way back to Missoula. However, it is quite a nice road and very scenic. Lots of agriculture.
Checked into Helena Campground & RV Park. Only one of two listed in this burg, it wasn't in the greatest shape the last time we stayed here. The other rv park is further away. Originally a KOA, it's landscaping has deteriorated even further than the other time we stayed here. Everything just looks tired. The area between the freeway & this campground has changed dramatically. There have been at least 4 major shopping areas built away from the beautiful downtown, so now EVERYTHING you could possibly want to buy is there, from Target to Lowe's, Home Depot to JoAnn's, Office Depot to Applebee's. But the campground has just plugged along. $35.00 Good Sam nightly rate for a dusty, weed ridden, sorta grass-sorta dirt site. No cable tv, wifi only if you take your laptop inside their office. But, whadaryagonnado? Remember, the other place is no better & further out of town. There are state campgrounds, but they don’t accommodate larger coaches.
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7/11
Sightseeing is our order of business here and we got to it! First, the Historical Society’s Museum that included a wing of Charles Russell’s paintings & sculptures and a most interesting wing of carefully chosen quilts. We had to stop there as the Tour Train was ready to whisk us off to the town tour. Very informative & interesting. We even got to see how versatile our ‘engineer’/ guide was, as 2/3 of the way through the tour, we had a flat tire. Had that puppy changed in no time! We went to lunch & drove back over some of the ‘train’ route to revisit, at our leisure, some of the sights we had seen earlier. Very chilly today. I loved every moment of it!
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Our tour ‘train’ that carried us through Helena, with the ‘engineer’ driving & telling us about the sights.
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All Aboard!!
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Beautiful Mansions & Wonderful Office Buildings carefully maintained and so pleasing to the eye! There were many pictures of mansions, but the views were partially obscured by very large trees & bushes.
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We had a flat tire & our engineer quickly fixed it & had us back ‘on track’.
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In 1908, the cornerstone of the Cathedral of St. Helena was laid. Twenty years later it was finished. It is on a hill and its landmark twin spires can be seen from many places. When we drove by, the most wonderful bells were chiming. Can’t remember for sure, but believe the top of the spires is 230 feet from the ground.
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7/12
More sightseeing today and we started with the ‘Gates of the Mountains’. The great Missouri River has its headwaters not too far from here. When Lewis & Clark came through this area, they were using boats to navigate their route. As they entered this awe-inspiring part of the river, Meriwether Lewis named it what it is called today. For only $10 for seniors, you can ride in water-taxi style boats through the canyons created by the river. It was wonderful to enjoy this place first explored in 1805. The river is now tame as there is a damn upstream, so it is calm, wide & deep. We did see a juvenile bald eagle in one spot & adult parent bald eagles protecting their nest hidden near the top of a very tall pine tree in another spot. There was a fire that devastated the forest in part of this area last year. A native Montanan shared that last year was a very bad fire year. When we completed the two-hour tour, we drove back to Helena to get a good look at the old Governor’s Mansion. They give tours & it was well worth the time. Once again, the Historical Society manages the property and does a sterling job. Please enjoy our pictures of our day’s doings.
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Just before our boat left the dock, I saw this canoer making his way toward the Gates. With his jaunty feather in his hat and his body language showing intentness, curiosity perhaps, I felt that I was seeing Lewis or Clark right before my eyes. That would be in spite of the life jacket.
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Embarking from the dock on a small lake, we are approaching the first gate. It is called Gates of the Mountains because there appears to be no passage until you’re nearby and the ‘Gate’ appears to open. I think this is one of those things that you have to be there to get.
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Carbon dated as being 1400 years old, located in a niche in a sandstone cliff, these red marks are drawings done by Native Americans. I use term drawing as our guide stated that the normal terms for these types of drawings, such as petroglyph, didn’t apply to these. The symbols have been studied but, as yet, have not been interpreted. What appears to be a mask to the right of the drawings is actually plants growing out of the rock.
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Right: This appears to be a closed passage. Below: Move the boat a couple hundred feet and the ‘gate’ appears to open.
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One lonesome pelican paddling around the opening of the first gate. Saw him when we went in and saw him on our return. Lonely dude.
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The old Governor’s Mansion. Originally a private home, it was sold to the state in 1912 and used until 1959. It fell into some disrepair and was purchased by the Historical Society & restored to the time of the first governor & his family who lived there.
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There are many interesting rooms in the house and the woodwork is magnificent. Once again, with no flash, our camera can’t really handle the situation and this pic of the family evening gathering room is the only pic that is printable. The tour is very nice.
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7/13
Our last full day in Helena and we’ve decided to tour the State Capitol building. What a wonderful place! Calling it the ‘People’s House’, visitors are encouraged to wander about and enjoy the beautiful architecture. The House & Senate meet here for 90 days every 2 years. A bit quieter than California’s government. The building was dedicated in 1902 & many years later it needed to be fixed up. It underwent a complete and careful renovation finished in 2002. It is worth spending some time in this beautiful building. The Montana Capitol’s dome is copper and reflects a dull, dark brown color. Among other things, the building is referred to as a ‘readily recognizable icon of democracy’ by the current Governor, Brian Schweitzer. I really liked that phrase. It was a most worthwhile visit. We then drove 18 miles south on I-15 to exit 176 for a visit to Tizer Gardens. Started as a gardening project by the homeowners, people began dropping in asking for a tour. They expanded their gardens, added a gift shop & opened for business. Not as fancy as the ‘big guys’ such as Minter or Butchart Gardens in Canada or even some of the smaller gardens, but it is a nice way to spend a hot afternoon winding your way through the paths and discovering sweet little ‘fairy gardens’ that a child would enjoy or the beautiful color of a group of poppies. A strawberry garden, where you are welcome to pick one to enjoy, has a winsome scarecrow. There is an old shovel head, small garden tools all without handles, & an ax head all ‘growing’ out of willow stems. A gnome will be inside or on top of a hollow log. It is nice. There are other sights to be seen and enjoyed, but we’ve hit the high points we think and will head back to Missoula for some fishing and more tourist stuff.
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Known as the ‘People’s House’, Montana’s fully restored Capitol Building is well worth visiting. Please enjoy the pictures below.
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Tizer Gardens
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They were setting up for ‘High Tea’, a popular twice a year event at the Gardens.
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If you look carefully in the upper left there is a bedpan planted with a succulent plant. This kind of whimsy is all over the Gardens.
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Old Tonka Dump Trucks, planted with seasonal flowers line up on both sides of the bridge.
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This dead tree with the cute face is supporting a ‘hat of flowers’ while gnomes shimmy down a rope on the right.There are three of the trees. So cute!
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