Meeteetse, Wyoming. The cowboy bar that has gun shot holes in the walls and 'Panama Red' is the lady with the knife behind the bar.
It is Sunday. I have not been to church since Pennsylvania and I want to go. Doctor Google informs me that the local Presbyterian Church is PC(USA) so I pass. Liz grew up a Lutheran and we attend that church from time to time so the local Lutheran Church got my vote.
The folk were welcoming and friendly and the service was uplifting. It is a good thing to affirm one's faith by fellowshiping with other believers. After a chat over a cup of coffee I hit the road.
Contrary to yesterday, it was quite balmy with the temperature rising during the day to 21.5 C. But the wind! There were occasions when I was seriously discomfited by the gusts and I did a lot of leaning while riding in a straight line. I passed through Shoshoni and Thermopolis and continued to Meeteetse for my lunch stop; and decided to give my custom to the Cowboy Bar Established 1873. The lady bartender was a tough looking character, carrying a great big knife on her hip.. After lunch I asked her about it and she proudly showed it to me. It was a gift from her husband. She informed me that she carried .44 revolver and under the bar had a billy club and a taser. Apparently it gets quite rough in there at times. She also pointed out bullet holes in the wall and ceiling. Her name was Panama Red and I treated her with extra respect!
I thought that having had a chicken salad for lunch I could afford a dessert and went over the road to a rather nice chocolate shop. At $1.75 it was an expensive mouthful.
I went through Cody, Wyoming. Tourist trap.
On the turn off to Red Lodge I noticed some derelict buildings. It was the site of the Smith Mine, which closed in 1943 after Montana's worst ever mining disaster. 74 dead and three survivors. The buildings remain, abandoned, as a memorial to them.
Soon I was in Red Lodge Montana and having my expectations of riding the Beartooth Highway dampened. Perhaps my faith, expressed by riding two days from Utah to Montana, was not enough. This may become clearer tomorrow morning. A possible alternative is the Chief Joseph scenic byway, but it involves me retracing my path 50 kms.
Red Lodge is very pretty and very rural. I found a deer wandering the streets. Have a look at the photos.
Dinner at the Pollard Hotel was really interesting as I had a long discussion with some local folk, which was great fun. I am sorry I didn't get their names, except for Emma, the bartender. Smart, smart girl!
It is Sunday. I have not been to church since Pennsylvania and I want to go. Doctor Google informs me that the local Presbyterian Church is PC(USA) so I pass. Liz grew up a Lutheran and we attend that church from time to time so the local Lutheran Church got my vote.
The folk were welcoming and friendly and the service was uplifting. It is a good thing to affirm one's faith by fellowshiping with other believers. After a chat over a cup of coffee I hit the road.
Contrary to yesterday, it was quite balmy with the temperature rising during the day to 21.5 C. But the wind! There were occasions when I was seriously discomfited by the gusts and I did a lot of leaning while riding in a straight line. I passed through Shoshoni and Thermopolis and continued to Meeteetse for my lunch stop; and decided to give my custom to the Cowboy Bar Established 1873. The lady bartender was a tough looking character, carrying a great big knife on her hip.. After lunch I asked her about it and she proudly showed it to me. It was a gift from her husband. She informed me that she carried .44 revolver and under the bar had a billy club and a taser. Apparently it gets quite rough in there at times. She also pointed out bullet holes in the wall and ceiling. Her name was Panama Red and I treated her with extra respect!
I thought that having had a chicken salad for lunch I could afford a dessert and went over the road to a rather nice chocolate shop. At $1.75 it was an expensive mouthful.
I went through Cody, Wyoming. Tourist trap.
On the turn off to Red Lodge I noticed some derelict buildings. It was the site of the Smith Mine, which closed in 1943 after Montana's worst ever mining disaster. 74 dead and three survivors. The buildings remain, abandoned, as a memorial to them.
Soon I was in Red Lodge Montana and having my expectations of riding the Beartooth Highway dampened. Perhaps my faith, expressed by riding two days from Utah to Montana, was not enough. This may become clearer tomorrow morning. A possible alternative is the Chief Joseph scenic byway, but it involves me retracing my path 50 kms.
Red Lodge is very pretty and very rural. I found a deer wandering the streets. Have a look at the photos.
Dinner at the Pollard Hotel was really interesting as I had a long discussion with some local folk, which was great fun. I am sorry I didn't get their names, except for Emma, the bartender. Smart, smart girl!
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