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Published: June 16th 2017
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We knew the weather was not going to be favorable today, so we planned on some activities in which the weather did not impact much. After breakfast we gathered our supplies for the day and headed south to the town of Bigfork. Finding the little unique shops in small towns can be interesting.
I often wonder how some of these small towns got their names. Did Bigfork actually have a big fork in it? Or did it simply mean something else? Either way we were in route. As soon as we got on the highway, the rain started and did not stop the entire day. Unfavorable. We reached Bigfork at the same time we notice the huge lake next to the road. We followed the sign for the historic section and found the appropriate area which was rather small. Most stores were not open yet, so we chose the one that was - a jewelry and knife store. My husband said to look at their jewelry and see if I find something I like - that it would be nice to have something from Montana. So I did. But before purchasing my unique piece of Montana jewelry, I looked to
the side of the shops at a little open area and there it was - a big fork. I am most certain that the town was not named after that fork sculpture but find a little joy in knowing that someone had the wit to place a big fork in the middle of Bigfork.
I listened to the shop owner talk about the Montana Sapphires to another customer. How they come from a local mine and the artist who creates the jewelry does so in his home. The Montana sapphire is unique in that it does not have to undergo heat pressure to reveal the gem. The color it is, is the color in which it was found. So - piece of jewelry that was mined out of the mountains here in Montana and turned into a beautiful piece of jewelry by an artist here in Montana sounded like a unique piece to own and wear so I purchased it - which is totally out of character for me. The shop owner might have been just been giving a sales pitch, or could have been telling the absolute truth. I choose to go with the latter.
We left
that area and followed the edge of the lake for many many miles. Drove through a couple of small communities, but did not stop anywhere. We continued on to Dixon which is where the National Bison Range is located. I read that the area not only is a refuge for Bison, but has elk, sheep and other animals. Loving to see the wildlife like we do, we went for it. Viewing wildlife is not something that is necessarily impacted by rain, as the animals generally have no choice but to deal with it. We arrived at the range, paid our usage fee and started the trek through the large area. I was not expecting it be so big. It was a very pretty area with rolling green hills and mountains, prairies with wildflowers, tall fir trees, views of the towns below - really pretty. If the weather had been favorable it would have been worth the drive just for the scenery.
We did see Bison - a few here and a few there. Just spread out all over the area. We saw a few deer as well. Before reaching the final couple of miles of the viewing tour, we
saw a herd of elk. We saw momma elk, baby elk and what we assumed were the daddy elk. They were nice to see - especially the babies.
We left the range and headed back towards town. After stopping for a late lunch we started the long drive back. Nothing makes a long drive feel unending, unless it is a long drive in the rain with cloud cover preventing you from seeing the sights around you. We could have spent more time around the lake and surrounding areas, but it was hard to enjoy that in the rain and cold. The remainder of the day was spent driving and resting. We were very tired after so much driving - for several days now. Not to mention the unfavorable weather. One could say 'just put a fork in me, I'm done'. Just make sure it is not a big fork.
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