The road north into Montana was filled with my frequent thought of, “So this is what XYZ state looks like.” Or at least the slice of it that I see. There was a sudden downpour of hard rain or hail on the way north. Fortunately there was a roadside rest stop close by where I could dry off a little and put on my rain gear. Not much rain after that.
One of the few things on my itinerary when I planned this trip was to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Today was the day. The Visitor’s Center was largely dedicated to selling souvenirs, but also contained an introduction film that was helpful. A short walk from the Visitor’s Center was “Last Stand Hill” where Custer and the last of his soldiers fell. There were little white stone markers with the names of the soldiers, placed where they fell. Custer’s was painted black so it’s easy to identify. Across the road is a monument to the Indians who died in the battle. Well done. There was also a five mile long road through the battlefield, with markers where soldiers and Indians fell, and signs describing the movements and skirmishes of the combatants. The battle was well described, and it was moving to me to stand there where people fought and died in 1876. It was well worth the trip there.
After leaving Little Bighorn I had a little bit of a scare about running out of gas. Each of the first four towns where I hoped to find gas was either deserted or too small to support a gas station. My empty light was on. It was getting dark and cold. I was mostly passing through Indian Reservation. There were houses scattered along the way, and I thought that if the engine stopped I could walk up to one, but they were all guarded by untethered dogs. I did stop in front of one house to see what would happen. A dog immediately ran down off the porch and down the driveway toward me. I didn’t wait around to see if he just wanted to be petted. Since you’re reading this you know I made it out somehow. Just wanted to let you know I was worried.
I stayed at a nice little neon-lined motel in the town of Broadus, Montana. On the way to dinner my scooter headlight burned out. Still have the bright beam, but I really have to avoid night driving until I get it fixed.
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