We pulled away from Jean's beautiful home on Swan Lake Monday morning full of warmth and special memories, grateful for the time we had shared and excited for the road still stretching ahead of us.
Diana had left about an hour before us, pointing her vehicle west toward Oregon while we would soon be heading east. We love traveling with Diana and wished she could simply turn around and join our little wagon train for the rest of the Grand Adventure.
That left Janice and me with one more precious hour with Julie and her mom, Jean.
After the stories, meals, laughter and memories of the past several days, there wasn't much more that needed to be said. Sometimes you recognize a special moment while you are still living it. This was one of those times. Our visit couldn't have been better, and I know it is something we will treasure forever.
One Last Stop in Swan Lake
Before leaving the area, Janice and I stopped at the Mission Mountain Mercantile for one last look around this delightful little store—and, importantly, to fill our coffee mugs for the road.
On the wall were beautiful panoramic maps of the Swan Mountain Range and Mission Mountains, identifying the peaks, passes, creeks and valleys of the country that had surrounded us during our stay.
I had also picked up a wonderful hooded sweatshirt covered with topographic lines and sketches of the mountains, trails and lakes. It seemed like the perfect souvenir—a wearable map of a place that had become much more meaningful to us over the past few days.
Coffee mugs filled, we climbed back aboard our rolling cabin and headed down the road.
Montana Through the Windshield
Our original plan was fairly modest: drive about four hours to Bozeman and call it a day. But plans on the "Chariot of the Dogs RV" are subject to change!
During the first part of the drive, as we worked our way toward Interstate 90, intermittent showers followed us through the mountains. Once we turned east, however, the clouds began giving way to sunshine, revealing the spectacular Montana landscape, forested mountains, dramatic rocky peaks, broad valleys and that seemingly endless western sky.
One of the things Janice and I enjoy when traveling is listening to local radio. It gives us a little sense of the communities we're passing through, the music people are hearing, the local voices, advertisements and bits of news from places that otherwise might simply be names on highway signs.
And Montana certainly seems to appreciate its classic rock.
Near Bozeman we found KBZM and its Labor Day special featuring classic hits from A to Z. It became our soundtrack as the miles rolled beneath us.
By the time we reached Bozeman, we were feeling good and decided, Why stop now?
So we kept going.
When the radio signal finally faded, we switched to our audiobook, First Evidence by Ken Goddard, a captivating mystery set in Oregon. A good audiobook is one of the great secrets of a long road trip. Before we knew it, another two hours had disappeared and Billings was coming into view.
Our destination was Canyon Creek Brewing, a Harvest Hosts location where we have stayed twice before.
Harvest Hosts has become one of our favorite ways to travel. Participating breweries, wineries, farms and other businesses allow RV travelers to stay overnight, giving us something much more interesting than another parking lot, and often introducing us to wonderful people along the way.
The Staff at Canyon Creek Brewing welcomed us as graciously as ever. It being Labor Day, they were hosting a free barbecue, and the owner had roasted an entire pig along with several chickens. A lively crowd had gathered, including at least eight other people staying there through Harvest Hosts.
We found a spot on the patio, enjoyed the feast and a beer, and naturally brought Tad along. Which meant that within minutes, Tad was the star.
As happens nearly everywhere we take him, someone eventually said the words we have heard countless times:
“I haven't seen an Irish Setter in years!”
Tad accepts such admiration with appropriate dignity.
Among the people who came over to meet him was a family from the Netherlands who were traveling across the United States in a converted school bus. They stopped to pet Tad, and before long we were talking about traveling, the places we'd been and the adventures still ahead.
These spontaneous encounters are one of my favorite parts of being on the road. We arrive as strangers, Tad provides the introduction, and suddenly we're sharing stories with people whose paths might never cross ours again.
Eventually we returned to our little home on wheels. After 396 miles and seven hours on the road, you might imagine Janice would show some compassion for her weary husband. You would be mistaken. She proceeded to unmercifully beat me in a couple games of Spite and Malice. Apparently there is no mercy clause for long-distance driving.
We took Tad for his evening walk and then settled into bed, listening to another couple chapters of First Evidence before turning out the lights. And just like that, another day of our Grand Adventure was complete.
That morning we had awakened beside Swan Lake, surrounded by people and a place we had grown to love. That evening we were nearly 400 miles away in Billings, sharing barbecue and beer with strangers who quickly became acquaintances, while Tad collected yet another group of admirers.
The mountains were now behind us, but I had them printed across my new hoodie, special memories tucked safely away, Janice beside me, Tad stretched out on his bed up front in our rolling cabin, and thousands of miles of road and special times together still ahead.
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