Sunday July 28

Out of the mountains and onto the plains was the theme for today.  We dodged a couple of horses and several cows in the road on our way from Glacier but by the time we got to Browning, MT.  the road was clear of animals, anyway.  As usual we found some construction – 6 miles of it.  The way roads are repaired around here is the original road is erased and a gravel and dirt bypass is constructed.  At least this one wasn’t dusty.  We stopped in Great Falls, MT. at Walmart for supplies, then across the Missouri river to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.  Great Falls is named for a series of five waterfalls that the Corps of Discovery had to portage around in 1803 on their way to the Pacific Ocean.  Now five dams harness the power of the river for electricity and the falls are not nearly as impressive as they must have been.  The interpretive center has a movie about the expedition and exhibits related to the exploration.  Remarkably the expedition portaged six dugout canoes and gear18 miles around the falls.  It took a month to complete the portage and construct two more canoes.  Close to the center is the Giant Springs which produces 156 million gallons of water a day and flows into the Missouri.  We walked a path along the river to the spring and back.  Two more hours of prairie and we’re camped in Lewistown, MT. for the night.

 St. Mary, MT. KOA

 Our grizzly bear

 Goodbye, Glacier

 Browning, MT. in Blackfeet country

 Gimmie back my road!

 T Rex in Choteau, MT on Rt. 89

 Great Falls, MT

 Diorama of the portage of canoes around the falls at Great Falls

Great Spring and outflow into the Missouri