Happy Heavenly Birthday Jim

 I love you and miss you every day. I am so grateful that we were sealed for eternity in the Alberta temple. 

How Did I End Up in Egypt?

 Alamo, NV   High 93  Low 69

After the easy drive through SLC, I had another decision to make. Did I want to follow the interstate or wander just a little. I decided to wander. On my way north I drove Highway 93 through Nevada until I turned east to go to Utah. I took the same route going south and I had a reason for that choice. 

I had found a roadside attraction that I really wanted to stop and see but I totally missed it on my way north. So this time I was going to make sure I found it. 

I decided to spend the night in Alamo, NV at the Sunset View Inn. This is a very unique motel which is to be expected when you are near the Extraterrestrial Highway. 

 

It's a very small motel and each room has a different theme. I spent the night in the Egyptian Room. I didn't get to see any of the other rooms, so I don't know what other themes are available.  

 I got the Egyptian Room. 

 

 

The bathroom door

The Bathroom

The light switch covers

Even though the motel is right on Highway 93,  I slept well but was ready to move on early the next morning. The closer I get to home, the faster I want to get there. But I had another unique stop to make first. See you in the next post. 

I Hate Goodbyes But Meeting With Another Good Friend Helps

Helena, Mt and heading south - back to much warmer weather

I've always said I'm not a point A to point B traveler but that's kind of what I did coming back to Arizona. However, I did make a couple of really interesting stops along the way.

I went back to Helena for a couple of days to say goodbye to Judy and Don. I also wanted to do one more temple session before getting on the road.

I love this picture of Judy and her great grandson, Carter.

I really hate these goodbyes. They are so hard because you have no idea what the next year will bring for all of us. But I've been gone almost two months and it's time for me to go home. It's hot and miserable, but it's home.

So I left Montana and family behind and headed south. I spent the first night in Rexburg, ID and I was proud of myself the next morning. Last year when I left Rexburg I ended up going north instead of south. Had to go about ten miles before I could get turned around. (I seem to have this problem more often than I like.) This year I chose the right entrance ramp. 

I got hold of my very good friend, Janet, and made arrangements to meet her in Salt Lake. I may have taken the right ramp but I booked the wrong hotel. Last year we stayed at the Crystal Inn. Really liked the place so I booked it again, or so I thought. There is more than one Crystal Inn in SLC. I booked the one that was right downtown. I wanted the one that is in the West Valley.  

Janet was willing to brave the traffic and homeless people in that area, and pick me up so we could go to lunch and do some sight seeing. Janet grew up in the Salt Lake Valley and I lived there way back in 1968 to 1971 or so. So she took me around and showed me the places that no longer exist or are now something else. 

Janet and I worked together for many years at the IRS. One of my fondest memories is when we went to St. Louis for a training class and got to the ride to the top of the Arch. 

On Saturday we ran errands and then Janet took me to the "This Is The Place" monument.The Monument marks the location where, on July 24, 1847, Brigham Young first saw the Salt Lake Valley. Brigham has a vision shortly after the Latter-day Saints were exiled from Nauvoo, IL. In the vision, he saw the land where the Saints would settle and build their State of Deseret.

Brigham was very sick with Rocky Mountain spotted fever and was riding in the back of a wagon. After coming through Emigration Canyon, he asked to look out of the wagon. Those with him opened the canvas cover and propped him up so he could see the valley below them. He then said, "It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on."

 In 1917 a Boy Scout troop built a wooden marker identifying this spot. In 1921 the marker was replaced by a white stone obelisk. 

 

In 1937 sculptor Mahonri M. Young, a grandson of Brigham, was commissioned to design and create a new larger monument. In 1974, on the 100th anniversary of the pioneers entry into the valley, the new monument was erected.

The Mormon Battalion Monument

The Mormon Battalion was the only religious unit in United States military history in federal service, recruited solely from one religious body and having a religious title as the unit designation. The volunteers served from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. 

I deliberately made the decision to spend Saturday night in SLC so I could get through the city Sunday morning when traffic was light. I really hate driving through city traffic. And I sailed right on through without any problems at all.

Some Billings History Sites

Billings, MT   in the 90s but it cools down at night.

My time is running out here in Billings, but I decided to do a little bit of exploring.

Two Moon Park, named for the Northern Cheyenne chief who fought at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, borders the Yellowstone River near where we lived in Billings before we went to full time RVing. Lots of walking trails throughout the park. 

 

 

The Wayman Chapel - African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church

The railroad brought members of the Black community to Billings in the late 1800s. Most of them lived on the southside which was the center of the African American community. Black pioneer Walker Browning settled there and others joined him.

Church historians put the date of construction of the church somewhere around 1895 or 1896. Wayman Chapel not only served as a religious and spiritual center for the congregants but also as a social center for community events and functions.

In August of 2013, the church closed its doors. It sustained many water leaks and was declared unsafe. 

I find it interesting that even though we lived in Billings for several years, we never took the time to explore our hometown. But that seems to be the way it is for most people. Maybe next year I can find some more places of interest.

More Family and Friend Time

 Billings - same

 After getting back from wandering down memory lane in Sidney, I returned to Billings for more fun times with family and friends.

Carol

Bill, Carol's hubby, and Jim were best friends. They both worked at Denny Menholt Chevy, pulled fifth wheels with a boat behind the trailer, loved to hunt and especially loved to fish. When the guys decided the wives needed to meet, we discovered that we were both from Sidney and knew many of the same people. So a friendship was formed. Bill died several years before Jim and he was missed. It was so fun to catch up with Carol. She is quite a lady and has determined that she is going to live to 106. Go for it girl.

Aunt Mary - she is my Mom's younger sister. My Uncle Bob died in January and it was wonderful to have time to spend with her. Todd and I visited with her and Bob last summer when I was in Billings. Other than having a bum knee, she is doing really good so I'll see her again next summer.

Tina and Woody

I've told you about Tina in earlier blogs. She is the person who introduced Jim and I to full time RVing. She and Woody are still traveling and happened to be in Billings when I was also there. We met up for lunch  which almost turned into dinner also but they needed to get on the road. They plan on coming through AZ the first part of the year, if all goes as planned. So I will get to see them again. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them again.

 Now for some family pictures

 

The proud Grandmas 

Elias's "Uncle" Jerrin

Mr. Mo

The kids at the Burn the Point classic car show

It's almost time for me to leave Billings and return to Helena for a couple of days before heading south. (I am already back in AJ but the blog posts are way behind. I'm trying to get caught up.)

Confluence, Forts, and Time Zones

North Dakota - same

Our next stop is further into North Dakota at Fort Union and this is when we figured out our next Oops. We forgot that North Dakota is in the Central Time Zone and Montana is in the Mountain Time Zone. So we lost an hour when we crossed the border. That meant that the Fort and the gate were closed.

Between 1828 and 1867, Fort Union was the most important fur trade post on the Upper Missouri River. During the summer season they have lots of activities. But all we got was a picture.

Moving on to the Confluence of the Yellowstone and the Missouri Rivers. Originating high in the interior of Yellowstone National Park at the Yellowstone Lake in Wyoming, the Yellowstone River flows 676 miles to its confluence with the Missouri River - unrestrained by a single dam. Eventually, the Yellowstone River joins the Missouri River just past the border with North Dakota.

Once again the Interpretive Center is closed so we went looking for the actual site.  

The river flowing from the left is the Missouri. The Yellowstone is flowing from the south. When they meet at the red marker (the Confluence) the Yellowstone flows into the Missouri and continues eastward as the Missouri River.

It's a beautiful place and we tried to imagine what it was like when Lewis and Clark were there. I'm sure the rivers were flowing much higher and wilder. Close your eyes and listen to the clashing of the two rivers as they struggle for dominance. 

Fort Buford was also closed but there were a couple of buildings that were open and others had windows to look in. Fort Buford was built in 1866 as a military outpost. It is probably best remembered as the place where the famous Hunkpapa Sioux leader, Sitting Bull, surrendered in 1881.

This photo does not do this dragonfly justice. His/her wings were glittering so brightly and was just incredibly gorgeous.

This was the original cemetery. The headstones have been refurbished and replaced as needed. Several of the headstones tell what the men or women died of. Several suicides.

 Vaughn found this grave and wondered if she could be one of my relatives. My maiden name is Mercer. There's not much information available about this little girl but I may just have to keep looking.

 

There are some very interesting stories about those who died at Fort Buford. Here's a link if you're interested in reading some of them. Fort Buford Cemetery

Masons at Fort Buford

Most of the members were veterans of the Civil War. Yellowstone Lodge #88 was founded in 1871 and the membership began with 29 freemasons. Only white men were allowed to be members. When the soldiers at Fort Buford were moved to Fort Shaw (in Montana), they lost most of their membership and in 1874 surrendered their charter.

This horse sculpture (located behind the lodge) is a tribute to buffalo soldiers at Fort Buford.

By this time, it is starting to get late and time to head back to the hotel. I did take a couple of pictures of old buildings in Fairview that I thought were interesting.

The old Hotel Albert. No longer a hotel but still operating as a casino, bar and restaurant.

 The old bank building

Sunday morning we attended church. My Grandma Haase and my sister were two of the very first members of the Latter-day Saint church in Sidney. In fact, we did not have a chapel to meet in. A couple of places we met were a Quonset hut in Fairview and the Girl Scout Cabin in Sidney. The congregation has definitely grown and they have a beautiful chapel. There were still a few people who remember my folks and me and it was fun to visit with them.