81/1006/3358, Today was the 1000 milestone, just 3358 or less depending on my calculator to go. Up early at the motel due to noisy neighbors upstairs, continental breakfast with newspaper then on the road. Have to work through Great Falls for 10 miles on the bike route and then out of town through rush hour. Then turn onto 289 onto a country road with no traffic and the sun is up pretty high now, cool and wheat fields on the right. I just crest a hill and two F15 Eagle fighter jets come screaming over the electric lines just in front of me, low and loud. Very impressive, they stay low for a while over the wheat fields then climb steep and bank to the north and are gone. Lucky I wasn't nearer with afterburners, I could be BBQ. I ride the country road for more miles and a chopper comes and checks me out, not too near, but I must be the only interesting thing this morning. Maelstrom AFB is to the left and I am on a perimeter road for quite a few miles. Climb a few moderate hills with a 25-30 mile tailwind and blue skies, great ride. About 30 miles out I come to a uphill right over a mountain pass straight up, my toughest climb yet. Then right after is another big uphill! I stop for break at the top and spot two elk across the ravine, one with rack and one without. Going to take a break at Highwood, mall town with a market and meet Suz, but, as we are finding more and more, the market is closed. So as I roll through town, a dog decides to chase, so I jump the pace and get out of town. Suz finally catches me 10 miles down the road and decides to go ahead to Fort Benton to reconnoiter for a lunch spot. Fort Benton turns out to be a quaint very historical place with a park along the riverfront right across the street from the downtown cafe. We have a great early lunch then spend some time in the park with Beau. There is a memorial to Shep, a bronze statue of the dog. The story is that Shep followed his Masters coffin to the railroad here in 1936 and came back every day until 1942 when he was killed by the train. He was such a popular part of the town, that hundreds came to his funeral and they erected a memorial to the dog .
This was a Lewis and Clark town and a major stop on the Missouri river that runs next to the park. The renovated 1850's Grand Union Hotel sits right on the river and there is an old scenic bridge just next to it. I take off for another 25 miles and we end up in Geraldine for the night. The RV park on the map is closed but the general store says we can stay in the city park in our RV van. We do that and there are clean restrooms for our use free of charge. We go to Rusty's bar and grill for fried chicken and beer, then an early night in the van. Very quiet but we don't sleep well, too quiet??
Jim, Suz and Beau
No comments:
Post a Comment