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Take That Exit

Leaving the fast lane, to enjoy the view

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Boondocking at Cabela’s. . . then a broken fresh water tank . . .

Aug 72015



Cabelas-Boondocking-Billings

After we left the Indian Fort Fish Access site we headed east to Billings, Montana. We didn’t plan to spend more than a night so we opted to boondock (camp overnight without hook-ups) in the Cabela’s parking lot.

Cabela’s is awesome in that most locations have trailer parking (read: big, long spots) along the side or in the back of the parking lot. You can park overnight for FREE in Cabela’s parking lots as long as you’re just staying a night. You don’t put up the awnings, pull out the lawn chairs and set up shop, you just use it as a stop gap between locations. We don’t even feel comfortable unhitching the trailer – although some people do.

Due to limited space – it was a popular place – we ended up parking right next to the horse stalls (yes, they have “parking” for horses, too), which meant our spot was a bit more fragrant than most. It was hot and humid – and when you’re not plugged into electricity you can’t use your air conditioner.

Cabelas-Aquarium

We spent some time browsing in Cabelas (air conditioning and a cool aquarium!) and we bought some fudge. If you buy something inside Cabela’s you get a secret code to use the dump and water station – without the $5 fee. I’d rather buy fudge than pay the dumping fee. 🙂

Billings-park-near-Cabelas

At one point, we walked to a nearby neighborhood park to get some wiggles out. The kids loved this merry go round – I haven’t seen these on a playground in ages! We all hopped on and got the dizzy giggles.

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by Heather Filed Under: Destinations, Montana, Wyoming

Dry camping at Indian Fort Fishing Access campground {Montana}

Aug 52015



Montana-Fish-Access-Camping

After leaving Bozeman we headed east toward Billings. We try to drive no more than 2.5 – 3 hours between stops – both for our sanity and our kids. The drive all the way between Bozeman and Billings was a bit long, so we knew we wanted to stop somewhere in between. We had spent so much on expensive campgrounds the first part of July that we really wanted to try more boondocking – or camping without water and electricity – in more primitive spots. This has the advantage of being much cheaper, but also, the atmosphere far surpasses being in a private RV campground.

Montana-Fish-Access-Sites-Locate

Montana has something called Fishing Access Sites – and many of them offer overnight camping for a nominal fee – like $8-$15/night! At Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park we found a copy of this Montana Fishing Access Field Guide and it was incredibly useful for finding locations that allow overnight camping.

About halfway between Bozeman and Billings there is a sweet little spot on the Yellowstone River called Indian Fort Fishing Access point, near Reed, Montana. It’s right off I-90 and had very easy access with our trailer. Cost was $12/night (without a fishing license) and it’s first-come, first-serve spots. I admit – I was nervous driving into the campground, thinking the place would either be abandoned in a creepy way or filled with creepy people. I didn’t know what to expect, but we agreed to drive through and evaluate it before making the decision on whether to stay or not.

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by Heather Filed Under: Destinations, Montana

Bozeman – Music on Main, Museum of the Rockies, Belgrade library visit {Montana}

Aug 42015



Bozeman-Montana-airstream-travel

Ahh, Bozeman, Montana. You are a groovy town. I was looking forward to spending some time in Bozeman because it’s near Belgrade, where my dad grew up. He spent most of his childhood running around with his beagle named Taco and his fishing pole, fishing in the local streams. The community has changed (and grown) considerably since his childhood in the 60’s – but I think it still feels like a small town.

 

Music-on-Main-2015

The first night we got into town early and after playing in the pool and making dinner, we decided to head into down Bozeman for a Music on the Main event. A free community event, Music on the Main is held on Main street and we had no idea what a big (or awesome) event it would be!

Music-Main-Bozeman-Dancing

We got down there early, parked our big truck and walked a few blocks to the action. Food trucks, beverage vendors, storefronts – it was a lot of excitement. The band, played on the back of a flatbed truck in the middle of the closed off streets, with people dancing in the crowds.

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by Heather Filed Under: Montana

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park – Dry camping and we tour the caverns {Montana}

Jul 282015



Lewis-Clark-Caverns-State-Park

After leaving Glacier National Park we headed southeast to Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. This place was incredible and I would definitely recommend it. Even if you aren’t going to be camping here, I definitely recommend taking the cave tour.

Lewis-Clark-Caverns-camping-pull-in

This was our FIRST campground we stayed without electricity or water – dry camping! We had been wanting to do this – but wanted to get our feet wet living in the trailer first. Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park does have spots with electricity – but when we made the reservations online they weren’t available. Dry camping here was awesome and much easier than I expected.

Dry-Camping-Lewis-Clark-State-Park-2

We have solar panels on the top of the trailer – that soaked up the sun and kept our battery at almost full power after two full days of camping. When dry camping you can’t run things like the TV or the air conditioner or the microwave – but it’s actually a welcomed break from the buzzing of electronics and we didn’t miss it at all. We have two Honda generators, but we never pulled them out.

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by Heather Filed Under: Destinations, Montana

Glacier National Park – Apgar area, Junior Ranger program, picking huckleberries and more {Montana}

Jul 192015



Glacier-National-Park-Take-That-Exit

After leaving Coeur d’Alene we headed east and north to Glacier National Park, Montana.

Glacier-National-Park-West-Glacier-KOAOur West Glacier KOA campsite

We had stayed at the at the West Glacier KOA cabins a couple summers ago and we loved the location so much, we knew we had to go back. Initially we were going to spend five days at the West Glacier KOA but it’s so expensive we decided to cut it short and stay only three nights. Although not nearly enough time to explore the whole park we made the most of our time there.

Glacier-National-Park-Apgar

The first day at Glacier we drove to the Apgar Visitor Center (West Glacier) where the kids picked up their Junior Ranger booklets and we looked at the educational displays.

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by Heather Filed Under: Destinations, Montana

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