(2018 Alaska Ep 21)
We left Cody on Monday, June 4, headed for Great Falls, Montana (RabbiTRAILS Alaska Map, pt #24).
On the way we had an interesting experience near Billings. Our GPS routed us to the middle of nowhere (actually to the very small town of Molt, Montana). We reached a point where our only choice was one of several dirt roads.
We decided to backtrack, and after 30 minutes, we were on the correct road to Great Falls! This was a lesson to be careful what you put your faith in and to double check routing with a map!
During our stay in Great Falls, we learned the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the area in 1804. As they travelled upriver, they were expecting a single set of falls on the Missouri River. There were actually five!
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center located on the bluffs above the river gives an excellent chronology of the expedition.
Adjacent to the center is a great bike trail along the Missouri River. We biked part of the trail to see views of three of the waterfalls encountered by Lewis and Clark, and the dams that have been built to control the river.
Giant Springs State Park is also on that trail. More than 150 million gallons of water flows from the springs into the Missouri River each day. Lewis and Clark even noted the springs during their expedition.
The springs reminded us of some of the first magnitude springs in Florida. At 54 degrees year-round, the Giant Springs would be a bit cold for Florida manatees however!
After two nights in Great Falls we continued north and became international travelers when we crossed the border into Canada!
Take the LONG Road... 