A Great Town (Great Falls, MT)

 

Tomorrow we leave for Glacier NP, about a160 mile trip.  Just the right distance, not to far.  We should be there about 2 PM.  No telling how the internet connection will be.

The weather in Great Falls was perfect.  In the 80’s during the day and 60’s at night.  When it did rain, it rained in the late afternoon or at night. 

Great Falls, MT is right on the Missouri River.  This is where Lewis & Clark and the Corp. of Discovery came through.  They came up the Missouri and had go around several water falls.  There is a Lewis & Clark Interpretative Center located here on the Mighty Missouri River.

The men of the Lewis & Clark Exposition had to portage all of their equipment around each of the falls.

After taking an elevator down to the river level they had two Rangers there to show us how, using a compass, follow a map and not get lost. Next a ranger showed us how the men of the expedition started a fire.  It is amazing, how in the mid 1800’s, how accurate the Lewis & Clark’s maps were.

There is a nice walking/biking trail along the river.  Up the river a short distance is the Giant Springs State Park.  We spent a whole day there.  The springs were amazing and the grounds (built the WPA in the 1930’s and updated in the 1970’s by Great Falls) are beautifully kept up. On this day they had activities for people of all ages.  It was free for Montana residences, and $5 for everyone else.  But because we had Montana plates on the truck, we didn't have to pay.  Hey, every penny helps.  (note, Ann really loved this park.  She thinks it should be one of the Seven Wonders of the World!)

Warning!  the following slide show has 27 photographs.  You do not have to watch all of them, but I will know who you are if you don’t.

There are three waterfalls along the Missouri around Great Falls.  They all supply supply hydroelectric power to the main grid.  The hydroelectric power generated here does not go directly to Great Falls.  It goes into the power grid that serves US and Canada. 

We went to all three but the best one was the Great Falls/Ryan Dam built in 1915 and produces 60 megawatts of power. It is 10 miles from the city of Great Falls.

There is an beautiful  island park in the middle of the river.  It is accessible via a wire suspension bridge.

This is a sign on the island.  If the Horn sounds 8 short blast.  RUN fast - the Dam is about to BLOW!!!

We visited the C.M Russell museum.  C.M Russell was a Cowboy/Artist of the 1930s who live and worked in Great Falls.  Unfortunately, we could not photograph in the museum, but we did take some pictures of the sculptures on the grounds.

Great Falls, MT is a place we both really like and, some day, would like to come back to.  Just not in the winter.

Reminder:  All of these great pictures are taken by Ann and myself.

Life is truly Great on the Roan Road…