Little Bighorn, Montana

We took a back road from Devils Tower in Wyoming to the Little Bighorn Memorial in Montana. Wow - these are two big states. Both beautiful and filled with vast, unbroken vistas where occasionally you'll see an entrance for a ranch and maybe a few of the ranch building far off in the distance.

Our back road was an alternative to Interstate 90, which would have had us arrive in the same spot but without the twists and turns so common to old US routes. This was US 212 and it was a lot of fun. There were places on this route where the road stretched out in front of you for 30 miles, many time without any turns at all. Just occasionally it went up a small rise or gently dropped down from that same rise.

We arrived at Little Bighorn at 3 pm during the heat of the day. Easily 90 degrees in the shade with a warm, not cooling, wind blowing the whole time. Really something to see, this battlefield, especially after reading about the life and upbringing of both Custer and Crazy Horse that brought them to this particular piece of real estate at the same time. Both bent on the destruction of the other. Or rather, what the other stood for and represented. Two cultures at violent odds with each other, one of them poorly equipped for the battle. Although on that day in 1876, the native Americans defeated the US Army. Within a year the war was over and most were on a reservation.

In any case, it was special to be there and see where the battle occurred. The only battle that has been more research, analyzed, and written about was at Gettysburg, PA.

Afterwards we went a short distance to stay at the Hardin KOA campground. MLA had cooked meatballs in the crock pot while we drove down the road so we were able to grab a great dinner shortly after we arrived.

Then I went outside to do battle with the insects that tried to drill their bodies through the front of the RV. Not that they were successful unless you count leaving a huge mess on the front windshield and front of the RV. Took me about 45 minutes to clean them off the windshield and the front cap. The little buggers turn to concrete and require a lot of elbow grease to remove.

One of the other RVs had a Victory motorcycle parked out front. Specifically it was the Vision model, a very sleek and beautiful design. I had seen picture in the motorcycle magazines however I had not seen one in person. By the time I finished battling the bugs and walked over, the owner, Skip, had put the bike inside his toy hauler. When I asked about the bike he jumped up and took the bike out of the trailer so I could get a good look. I would have been quite happy just viewing the bike while it was inside the trailer but he insisted on pulling the bike outside.

What a beauty! He offered to let me take MLA for a ride on the bike however I think I'll wait until our next motorcycle event. Victory always has demo bikes available for you to test drive.

Skip was great to talk to and is a full timer like us. Originally from Missouri he is now a Texan. Great guy... Marine for 6 years, National Guard Reserves for another 25 years. This guy knows his way around a story that's for sure. You meet the best people while RVing.

Had a chance to take a few pictures just as the sun was setting. And then I had to jump in the RV as the mosquitoes attacked in force. Very small, hungry biting mosquitoes that leave you with a little something, something to remember them by....

See Ya!