July 13, 2012

.  Arrived in Helena at about 2 and found the house of Sandra and John , who would be our very first hosts in our Affordable Travel Club(ATC).   Wandered around historic downtown Helena and went to the cathedral.  Amazing church.  It was built by a Helena millionaire in 1906.  He had only one child and he lost his wife and daughter when she was 20.  He had no kin to leave his vast fortune to so he built the cathedral to honor them.  On the bells they discovered when cleaning them that he had expressed his love for his daughter inscribed in the bells.  There were   huge stained glass windows that were put in the Cathedral later after it was built.  They were made in Germany or France and were buried during the 1^st World War so as not to be destroyed, later uncovered and shipped to Helena and installed.

Went to the our hosts  at 5 and they gave us each a microbrew.  I had a Polygamy Porter that he had picked up in Utah!  Very lovely couple who travel a lot in the USA in their 1991 Volkswagon van.  They are retired, he was a chemist and she a librarian.  They were both from Red Lodge, MT and had lived between Helena and Austin, Texas for awhile and worked both places.  She ran the Montana library for the blind and disabled.    They camped for 5 months in Europe earlier in their lives and recently made a trip to eastern Europe including Croatia so they showed us their pictures and we compared stories. 

July14, 2012 Day 9

Got up to a wonderful breakfast, toast with bread to die for and homemade raspberry jam as well as an egg scramble, juice, yogurt, coffee.  Took their picture and left for mass at the cathedral.  

Went to the Montana Historical Society Museum after mass.  Second Saturday is a free day.  Lucky us!  Saw the Charles Russell painting When the Land Belonged to God that Jim Gladstone talked about.  Beautiful as well as a whole room with many of his paintings.  Very interesting artist and Montana favorite.  Also saw the white buffalo and many Indian artifacts.  Went on the Tourist train with conductor Dangerous Dan who taught us something about Tacoma.  He was talking about the Helena City Park being the second largest in the nation, behind Point Defiance in Tacoma.  Learned a lot about the gold rush in Helena and last chance gulch.  Saw beautiful historical mansions.  Apparently Helena had more millionaires  than any other city in the nation during this period.  Interesting story about how Helena became the capitol over Anaconda and their might have been ballot tampering.  A secret room was discovered at the sheriff’s house with twice as many Helena ballots than there were residents.

Went to the Farmer’s Market and picked up some snap peas from some Amish farmers, some raspberry rhubarb jam for a gift for Shawna and Mike and ate some pork kebobs and a bratwurst.  Also bought some smoked pork chops and bison jerky.  They better be good because they cost almost 25.00.  Also went to the grocery store to get ready for the next week of camping.

Drove out to Shawna and Mike's house, brother-in-law Bob’s sister.  They have a magnificent home on Hauser Lake.  It is beautifully decorated and with spectacular grounds.  Wow, we have the apartment over the garage with a full refrigerator to freeze our containers and ice packs, and a comfortable bed and shower.    Had a lovely afternoon of fruit, cheese and crackers, wine, and conversation.  Did some phone calling and then had dinner of broasted chicken, joes, salad and more wine.  Took a beautiful boat ride while we pulled their grandson on the inner tube. They are lovely people, have taken many adventures including Patagonia, Manchu Pichu, and much hiking and kayaking.