SUNDAY - Today's 168-mile travel day was a little bit longer than the previous two. The first 13-miles were spent backtracking on 2-lane roads, trying to get back to the outskirts of Helena where we saw a Costco on the way in.
After filling ROVER's tank with $3.16 gas ($3.21 everywhere else in town), we then went inside the store when they opened at 10:00AM to grab a few muffins and snacks. We have no room in the fridge or freezer for any more food, so nothing refrigerated was the rule of the day. We still spent over $65.00, but it should last a few weeks.
On the way out of the store we grabbed an early lunch. A $1.50 hot dog (for me) and a root beer to share, plus a $1.99 slice of pepperoni pizza (for Tricia) for a grand total of $3.49! Where else can get lunch for two people at that price?
Less than a 1/2-mile from Costco was the entrance ramp for Interstate 15 South. We spent the next 134-miles on the I-15 until we exited in the town of Dillon, but we were still 21-miles from the campground.
As always, here are the photos from today's travels.
TRAVEL DAY PHOTOS THROUGH SOUTHWEST MONTANA
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Here we are dropping down into another valley after crossing over the Continental Divide.
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Is it easy to tell we're passing through the Helena National Forest?
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We passed by nothing but trees for nearly 15-miles in the National Forest.
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We pulled over at a Scenic Overlook just before we arrived in Butte, MT. If you look real close you'll see there is someone watching us from the top of the mountain.
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A 90' tall statue of the Virgin Mary was watching over us and the town of Butte.
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Looking the other way we got a bird's eye view of Butte, MT.
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We could also see the large open pit mine on the north side of town.
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I usually like to travel around 55MPH, it's where I'm most comfortable towing THE POD and where ROVER gets his best gas mileage. Today we went 65MPH to try and blend in!
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We arrived at our reserved campsite only to find it completely shaded by trees. We need sun on our panels for our 3-day visit here, so we moved 3-sites to the left.
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Our original site had a pathway down to the Grasshopper Creek.
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Site #9 is much better suited for our needs.
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It has a clear view of the northern sky for Starlink and plenty of sun.
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Plus we still have a front row site with a view of Grasshopper Creek.
Around 3:30PM we climbed into ROVER and drove another 1/2-mile into the park to the Visitor Center. It sits at the end of Main Street in the 1862 town of Bannock, MT.
Bannack State Park is here to preserve and protect the history and buildings of the present day ghost town of Bannock.
We went to the Visitor Center to see what time they give tours of the buildings and signed up for tomorrow's 11:00AM walking tour with John, a 20-year Bannack State Park employee.
We were then given a 24-page booklet to "study" so tommorow we could ask "intelligent" questions. I think I'm going to like John's sense of humor, it matches mine!
Oh yeah, we also purchased two Huckleberry Ice Cream Sandwiches on the way out the door!
MONDAY - Bannack, Montana has over a 100-year history with the last of the residents leaving in the 1970s.
Today there are over 60 buildings still standing and is considered Montana's best preserved ghost town. In it's heyday, Bannack had over 3,000 residents, mostly miners looking to strike it rich by uncovering gold.
Several years later gold was discovered 70-miles away and overnight the town's population decreased by 50%. It was a common story told all around the West in the late-1800s.
I should mention the rule when visiting Bannack is, if the front door is unlocked, you're welcome to go inside and check things out. But please, close and latch the doors on the way out.
BANNACK, MT (GHOST TOWN)
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Bannack is the site of Montana's first major gold discovery on July 28, 1862.
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Bannack's population swelled to over 3,000 by 1863.
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As the value of gold steadily dwindled, Bannack's bustling population was slowly lost.
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This home was used as a movie set in the (2022-2025) TV series "1923".
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The movie crew painted the doors and window trim a bright red. They were supposed to return it to the original color, but that didn't happen.
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This is one of three saloons in town.
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The bar took up the complete westside wall of the front room.
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The front of the bar was very ornate by late 1800's standards.
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It must have taken a long time to manufacture this bar.
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I don't know if all saloons had barber chairs back then, but this one did today.
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Next door was the Gereral Store. You can see some of John's humour with the sign. He's now the curator of the town and by the way, nothing in this room is for sale...
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...except maybe the many floor coverings if you want to peel it all up.
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Know what this is? It's a teething mask for adolescent calves. Nothing says "no more milk for you" like a sharp poke in the teat.
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Another interesting item in "the store" was this moonshine still.
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This house sat alone on the way up the trail to the town gallows and cemetery.
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In front of the home were some abandoned mining artifacts.
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This cluster of small homes located far from the boardwalk is called "Bachelors Row".
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As curator, Johns accepts any and all donations of period pieces for the park.
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Several buildings were filled with items just waiting to be properly displayed.
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There were all kinds of items ready to go out into the different buildings.
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This was the largest and best preserved single family home in the entire town.
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This was the typical miners home, usually with just one of two rooms.
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You can see this home is looking its age on the inside.
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Tricia spent a lot of time panning for gold at the edge of town.
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She ended up with a fair amount of garnet chips to take home as a souvenir.
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There was only one home in town that had a fair amount of furnishings.
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Every town must have a church, this one is Methodist.
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A fair amount of the pews were still there with the hymnal pockets on the back.
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And the glass was still intact over the entranceway.
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This brick building was built in 1876 and used as the County Courthouse until 1881. The county seat was moved to nearby Dillon, MT when the railroad bypassed Bannack.
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The courthouse was quickly repurposed into the Hotel Meade and enlarged in the back.
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Both floors of the hotel are open to being visited.
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A large kitchen was added to the back of the building.
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The second floor was converted into hotel rooms...
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...while the ground floor was sectioned off as sitting and dining rooms.
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This is considered by most to be the oldest jail cell in Montana.
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Any ideas what the purpose of this 2-story building is.
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It served two completely different purposes.
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The ground floor was the town's school...
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...complete with a merry-go-round outside for the children's recess.
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The upper floor of the building was the town's Masonic Lodge. There is a separate outdoor staircase to gain access to the lodge.
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There were no children in class today, must still be summer break?
TUESDAY - We took the day off from sightseeing and were rewarded with a few wildlife sigthings right out the dinette windows.
The first one on the scene this morning was this guy. He kept his distance by staying on the opposite bank of the Grasshopper Creek that flows behind our campsite. He was in the general area for the better part of an hour.
He slowly paced back and forth just inside the tree line until his lunch was over.
We also had several hummingbirds visit our back window a few times, but they are so darn quick we've got no photos to prove it.
Looking for our Visited States Map and Data? How about our State by State Bucket Lists or Visited Campgrounds List? If so, click on the sign below to be taken to our other website.
Here we are dropping down into another valley after crossing over the Continental Divide.
Is it easy to tell we're passing through the Helena National Forest?
We passed by nothing but trees for nearly 15-miles in the National Forest.
We pulled over at a Scenic Overlook just before we arrived in Butte, MT.
A 90' tall statue of the Virgin Mary was watching over us and the town of Butte.
Looking the other way we got a bird's eye view of Butte, MT.
We could also see the large open pit mine on the north side of town.
I usually like to travel around 55MPH, it's where I'm most comfortable towing THE POD
We arrived at our reserved campsite only to find it completely shaded by trees.
Our original site had a pathway down to the Grasshopper Creek.
Site #9 is much better suited for our needs.
It has a clear view of the northern sky for Starlink and plenty of sun.
Plus we still have a front row site with a view of Grasshopper Creek.
Bannack is the site of Montana's first major gold discovery on July 28, 1862.
Bannack's population swelled to over 3,000 by 1863.
As the value of gold steadily dwindled, Bannack's bustling population was slowly lost.
This home was used as a movie set in the (2022-2025) TV series "1923".
The movie crew painted the doors and window trim a bright red.
This is one of three saloons in town.
The bar took up the complete westside wall of the front room.
The front of the bar was very ornate by late 1800's standards.
It must have taken a long time to manufacture this bar.
I don't know if all saloons had barber chairs back then, but this one did today.
Next door was the Gereral Store. You can see some of John's humour with the sign.
...except maybe the many floor coverings if you want to peel it all up.
Know what this is? It's a teething mask for adolescent calves.
Another interesting item in "the store" was this moonshine still.
This house sat alone on the way up the trail to the town gallows and cemetery.
In front of the home were some abandoned mining artifacts.
This cluster of small homes located far from the boardwalk is called "Bachelors Row".
As curator, Johns accepts any and all donations of period pieces for the park.
Several buildings were filled with items just waiting to be properly displayed.
There were all kinds of items ready to go out into the different buildings.
This was the largest and best preserved single family home in the entire town.
This was the typical miners home, usually with just one of two rooms.
You can see this home is looking its age on the inside.
Tricia spent a lot of time panning for gold at the edge of town.
She ended up with a fair amount of garnet chips to take home as a souvenir.
There was only one home in town that had a fair amount of furnishings.
Every town must have a church, this one is Methodist.
A fair amount of the pews were still there with the hymnal pockets on the back.
And the glass was still intact over the entranceway.
This brick building was built in 1876 and used as the County Courthouse until 1881.
The courthouse was quickly repurposed into the Hotel Meade and enlarged in the back.
Both floors of the hotel are open to being visited.
A large kitchen was added to the back of the building.
The second floor was converted into hotel rooms...
...while the ground floor was sectioned off as sitting and dining rooms.
This is considered by most to be the oldest jail cell in Montana.
Any ideas what the purpose of this 2-story building is.
It served two completely different purposes.
The ground floor was the town's school...
...complete with a merry-go-round outside for the children's recess.
The upper floor of the building was the town's Masonic Lodge.
There were no children in class today, must still be summer break?
