Tuesday, May 16-Friday, May 19

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center                                                                                         Great Falls Montana

We spent the night in Great Falls and visited the Lewis and Clark Center.

We were greeted by a volunteer and his Newfoundland hound, Seaman.  This dog is named after the Newfoundland that accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition, and he is one big guy!

The center is located on the Missouri River, and it tells the story of the expedition’s portage of the five great falls of the Missouri.  We learned a lot as we watched a video and toured the exhibits.  Everything here is really well done.

Chico Hot Springs Resort                                                                                                       Pray, Montana

While we were in Great Falls, one of the shop owners told us about this place.  She and her husband have been going there since they were in college.

We had to drive over this mountain to get there.

We drove over the pass in a pretty hard snow.

The resort was built in 1900.  It has an old fashioned fine dining room, a spa, stables, and other activities for guests. Our room had a shared bathroom in the hallway and indoor access to the hot springs pool.  There is a small pool under roof, and a larger one outdoors.  The small pool is about 102 degrees and the larger one is around 98.

There’s a bar right next to the pools.

Andy added a hat to the collection.

We stayed two nights, and I will always remember sitting in the outdoor pool on the first night, looking up at a jet black sky and feeling the snow hitting my face.  Definitely a highlight of the trip for me!