|
Pull Over Info
The roads are fun and the scenery is great but there are not many stops along this part of the tour. Most of our day will be spend riding on two lane country roads, however we must transit a small section of Interstate 90 as we proceed north. This is the only time we are actually on an US interstate highway; you will note that even the “slab” can be beautiful when it is located in the right area. This is a very relaxing route and day ride. Our destination for the day is Great Falls, Montana.
|
.jpg) |
Hotel Info
Great Falls, MT is one of many eclectic cities or towns that dot the Montana landscape. Located between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park the town offers a lot of history. Our stay this evening will be at the Best Western Hotel. This might be a good place to do your laundry, wash the bike, and just take it easy. |
|
.jpg) |
| |
Departing Red Lodge, we head north toward Great Falls, Montana. Following country two-lane roads, we enjoy the countryside scenery, eventually joining US Highway 90 for a short 40 mile stretch along this beautiful freeway before again joining the Montana back roads.
Continuing our ride, we pass through the Lewis and Clark National Forest and Little Belt Mountains; we traverse the Kings Hill Scenic Byway allowing us to leisurely savor the rugged beauty and invigorating fresh air that are part of the Montana experience. Stretching 71 miles along Highway 89, the Byway winds its way through pristine mountain lakes and streams and is home to an abundant variety of wildlife. The gravel roads criss-crossing the main highway lead to 450 miles of spectacular mountain scenery, high country lakes, trail heads, campgrounds, and old mines.
We arrive at our destination for the evening; Great Falls, Montana.
Great Falls is located along the Missouri River near several waterfalls on the Missouri and was first seen by Captain Meriwether Lewis in 1805. Founded in 1883, Great Falls began as a planned power city, situated to take advantage of the hydroelectric power of the waterfalls of the Missouri River. The town quickly became a thriving industrial and supply center and, by the early 1900s, was en route to becoming one of Montana's largest cities. A structure billed as the "world's tallest smokestack" was completed in 1908 and measured 508 feet tall. The Big Stack immediately became a landmark for the community. Great Falls prospered further with the opening of a nearby military base in the 1940s, but as rail transportation and freight slowed in the later part of the century, outlying farming areas lost population, and with the closure of the smelter and cutbacks at the airbase, its population has plateaued. The city is still knon as the "Electric City" due to the five hydroelectric dams that are in the nearby vicinity along the Missouri River.
The Mariana UFO Incident occurred in August 1950 in Great Falls. The general manager of the Great Falls "Electrics" minor-league baseball team and his secretary observed two "bright, silvery spheres" move rapidly over the city's empty baseball stadium. The general manager used his camera to film the objects; the film was one of the first ever taken of a UFO. The incident received widespread national publicity and is regarded as one of the first great UFO incidents in the United States.
|