Eastbound – Day 7

November 16, 2013
Alzada, MT
133,153.1 ( 229.9 miles)

We’re sitting here in the parking lot of a true western saloon called the Stoneville Saloon, though I’m either too early or too late as Topless Tuesday was on October 15th. :/ It’s a sawdust on the floor type of place with a single pool table that doubles as a table :D, L shaped bar and a single bar tender. A Super Sweet woman who’s probably seen more than any of us could ever imagine here on the border of Wyoming. I bet this place gets busy around the time Sturgis is is full swing.

Off in front of us is the prairie with horses and behind us, more prairie  with horses. Further out its just rolling fields of well, prairie with cattle everywhere and I am pretty sure those were Antelope we saw grazing out there with them. I even got to see two cattle knocking horns.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-J6SstFtIKxI/Uog-p5zznuI/AAAAAAAADRw/HeNC7xmbiRM/s144-c-o/1116131104.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay7#5947072197556412130″ caption=”My gracious hosts for the night.Thanks for the camp site and great travel tips.” type=”image” alt=”1116131104.jpg” pe2_img_align=”right” ]So that’s where we are now, but earlier today…well that’s a different story! We left Billings after saying Good Bye to our host Michael T and his wife. We headed up out of Billings to the Plateau to get a good photo op of the city. On the way out, we passed another Westy Michael had told me about so I stopped in, but no one was home. We made our way to I-90 and headed Eastbound.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4y9DfjFXylE/UohUvWNMOzI/AAAAAAAADTk/_VB1K4pErok/s144-c-o/DSC06788.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay7#5947096480334232370″ caption=”Some of the rock formations through the North Cheyenne Reservation” type=”image” alt=”DSC06788.JPG” ]When we pulled off of I-90 and got onto 212 Eastbound, the first stop was the Little Bighorn Battle Field. If you are in this area, this is a MUST STOP on your trip. Back on the road we continued east and entered the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. While the mountain scenery was beautiful, this tribe is suffering greatly. Poverty is everywhere and so many homes have simply been abandoned. It is such a shame how we treated the Native Americans here. While I understand the desire to help other countries, I would think people would want to make sure their own house is in order before venturing out to help others. If people would only open their eyes and see we are literally on the verge of a Third World Nation with only two classes of people. Poor and Rich.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HvHbqIy25jo/UohUe16PJ4I/AAAAAAAADS8/xvjybGAs_Nw/s144-c-o/DSC06782.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay7#5947096196786890626″ caption=”nothing around but Lexie, Sandy and I” type=”image” alt=”DSC06782.JPG” ]Once we left the Reservation we drove through Custer National Forest. Not so much of a forest as I’m use to, but rather a mixture of prairie and some trees. I stopped for some photo ops with the Black Angus roaming the ranch land and another with the sun lightning up one of the mountain tops in the distance. Behind us it was dark, real dark and to the East it was dark too. Yep, from our vantage point, we could see both storm systems that are coming across the country. Behind us, its bringing snow and in front of us – Tornados! Now, while I don’t like snow, I’ll take that over the tornados any day. So here we sit out on the side of a Saloon with a sing announcing Topless Tuesday October 15th. expecting a snow storm to hit us tonight. I’m hoping it misses us, but either way, we have beautiful weather coming in on Monday. By then we should be across the Badlands and on our way to North Dakota.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-V9sajSAWah0/Uog6RyIf2uI/AAAAAAAADPc/sqM1O9tFm2Y/s144-c-o/1116131608.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay7#5947067385132341986″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”1116131608.jpg” pe2_img_align=”none” ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Y3n4HSHoztg/Uog6BF6hykI/AAAAAAAADPU/Tcec3KGbsuU/s144-c-o/1116131608a.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108131301217387227436/EastboundDay7#5947067098384681538″ caption=”well with all the camp sites closed, this Saloon offered me a place to hook up for the night so we took it. Too bad its not Tuesday!” type=”image” alt=”1116131608a.jpg” pe2_img_align=”none” ]

Tomorrow, we visit Devils Tower -WY, Deadwood – SD, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Then it’s off to the Badlands. Pretty soon we’ll be turning North to hit North Dakota and then its Eastbound again.

[pe2-gallery album=”http://picasaweb.google.com/data/feed/base/user/108131301217387227436/albumid/5947063956652231329?alt=rss&hl=en_US&kind=photo” ]

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