The trip through the remainder of Montana was breathtaking ... what a beautiful place this is in the Summer. Of course, you have to like snow, ice and sanded roads to live here in the Winter ... burrrrr!
Next stop was the Granite Peak RV Resort in Missoula. This stop turned out to be a first-class camp spot for only $50/night. Space between rigs was adequate and angled so you had plenty of privacy. Hey, you shouldn't be looking out your windows at your neighbors anyway, right? We didn't ... We jumped in the car and headed for Fort Missoula Regional Park.
This is a 156-acre park and sports complex that just happens to sit right next to two museums; the Fort Missoula Historical Museum and the Rocky Mountain Military Museum. The Historical Museum is comprised of a 2-story building with mostly artifacts and examples of US Forest Service radio and communications equipment; very well presented and documented.
Another wing of the building was dedicated to the Fort's inhabitants from its inception to closure in 1946 ... Japanese and Italian internment. We had no idea that these peoples had been shipped all the way here to Montana! Very interesting, and a bit depressing to read what they left, lost and endured during the 2nd world war. Several families were documented and followed from the time of their arrest and internment to their release ... Not a good time for "Americans" of Japanese or Italian decent!
After checking out the interesting Origami display, we decided to leave that part of history behind and venture outside where we found acres of interesting history ... Buildings with stories to tell, rail and farming equipment, and many other interesting bits of Montana history being preserved for coming generations.
We walked around for a good hour ... much to see. Then, we headed for the Military Museum, another excellent example of folks caring enough about our history to preserve it for generations.
Exhibits here went from a brief overview, with artifacts, from the Civil War, to WWI and II, and the most complete arms cache I've ever seen. All behind bars, of course, there were examples of several other country's WWI and WWII arms, and everything we used from bazookas to 50cal machine guns. The entrance to the museum was guarded by a menacing looking tracked vehicle.
No, that's not a Halloween costume in the last picture ... it's of a "Halo jumper", soldiers and SEALS who leave a perfectly good airplane at between 15,000 and 35,000 feet, on oxygen, depending on how clandestine they need to be. These guys are pros! They can drop from 35,000 feet, into your backyard, and take a steak off your grill before you know it!
Okay, let him keep my steak as we need to get on the road. After a brief trip through Northern Idaho (more beautiful country), we will stop in Spokane, WA for the night.
Stay tuned ...
No comments:
Post a Comment