Montana Bound!
Finally, we get to add another state to our travel map — neither of us had ever been to Montana before.
Lynn was up at her usual 5:00 a.m. on travel day and Kirk at 8:00. We were on the road earlier than normal at 9:00; with a hot day ahead, we skipped breakfast and finished packing quickly thanks to yesterday’s prep. The drive was a bit longer than usual at 201 miles, just under three and a half hours, with an ETA of 12:30 p.m.
The drive was smooth overall, with one short delay of about fifteen minutes due to roadwork. Only one lane was open for both directions, so we waited while opposing traffic made its way through. We passed familiar territory through Cody and by Heart Mountain again. The scenery was beautiful — wide‑open roads, big skies, and a few quirky roadside oddities, including a sign that read “Avoid Broken Windshield – 30 MPH.” With nothing around us, we had no idea how 30 MPH was supposed to prevent a broken windshield. Little did we know it was foreshadowing.
Around noon we stopped at the Sinclair station in Bridger, MT, for a quick break. They had surprisingly cool bathroom sinks — soap, water, and air dryer all built into one faucet. Naturally, we both took photos. Yes, we’re the people who photograph sinks. The bathrooms were spotless, which was a nice bonus.
By 1:00 p.m. we arrived at Mountain Range RV Park in Columbus, MT, and by 2:00 we were settled in and relaxing.
Around 5:00 we headed into town — small, but charming — and found dinner at the Whistle Stop Café. Excellent burgers, fresh homemade fries, and a cozy atmosphere. A great find for a tiny town. We forgot to take pics.
After dinner we explored the area a bit, stopping at ITCH‑KEP‑PE Park, which reminded us of Kitch‑iti‑kipi in Michigan. It’s a pretty campground along the river. We grabbed groceries at the IGA and headed back.
By 6:30 p.m. we were at the RV again. Lynn dove into blog work and photo review while Kirk relaxed and rewatched Game of Thrones.
Around 9:00 we went for a walk. The sun was setting, the air cooling, and the sky was gorgeous. We even caught photos of a few deer — including one perfectly timed fence jump.
A simple travel day, a new state on the map, and a beautiful Montana sunset to finish it off.
Weather – (Columbus, MT) – High 93*, Low 58*. Wind 1-4/13 mph. No rain. No humidity.
Traffic – Not much. Slight delay due to road construction (maybe 15 minutes).
Food – Whistle Stop Cafe – very good.
Notable – Beautiful drive. Montana sunset. Deer.
