End of the Wild West Tour


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North America
April 7th 2010
Published: April 8th 2010
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Day 21 Salt Lake City, Utah to Helena, Montana

The weather was not promising for our all day drive to Helena...snow and rain predicted. We woke up to a fresh four inches of snow, but the roads were clear, and while we hit several snow flurries as we drove north, there was never any snow on the roads. Most of the drive was through flat pastures and sage brush, with snowy mountains in the background. We stopped off in Butte to look at the old buildings, the mines (copper) and to get a coffee. We sat in a sports bar that was once a bank, and the old vault was still there.

We arrived at John and Linda's before dark....They are in the middle of remodeling and are doing beautiful things to their home, which is on a hill above the capitol building.

Days 22 and 23 Helena

We started the day with a short hike above John and Linda's, and then had breakfast downtown, followed by a tour of the old homes in Helena (John grew up here). There are so many great old homes here, and most are beautifully restored. Bill and I later went back to visit the museum and tour the Capitol Building and the Cathedral. The weather is sparkling clear....but cold. A wind storm is predicted for tonight...

We woke up to a mostly clear morning, and as the construction workers arrive at 7:23, we woke early! We decided to get a crepe in town and then hike up to the top of Mt. Helena...we are at 4,000 feet here and it was another 1500 feet to the top. The day stayed sunny and got warmer, but the summit was really windy. After returning to the van, we ate a late breakfast in town at a great cafe (No Sweat Cafe) and headed back to John and Linda's to pack and leave. However, the predicted storm suddenly hit, and we had a few inches of snow on the ground in a short time....one of the passes was closed due to falling trees....so we decided to stay here tonight and leave tomorrow. I'll probably add a final update from home this weekend....


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Butte, MontanaButte, Montana
Butte, Montana

There was a huge open pit copper mine here. One of the mine towers is in the foreground.
Capitol buildingCapitol building
Capitol building

The building was meticulously restored recently. Another floor had been added to this barrel vault, covering over all the glass...
St.  Helena'sSt.  Helena's
St. Helena's

Lots of copper money here.....
At the summit of Mt HelenaAt the summit of Mt Helena
At the summit of Mt Helena

It was so windy it was hard to walk!


9th April 2010

Looks like more fun on the road! I'm amazed that the weather is still iffy. I plan to leave in just 3 weeks and expect warm and spring flower weather! Yikers. Maybe I should add another 2 weeks to my departure. I have a possibly client conflict that could delay departure also. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. See you soon! Breta
9th April 2010

Don't rush home- the weather here is nuts- yesterday it hailed was sunny and snowed all with in an hower. Today it is hailing/snowing crazy. What a grat trip- I wil have to get some tips on cool places to go. Pepe looks like a smart bird, ha ha. Have a safe rest of your trip. Jen

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