Fort Benton to Great Falls, Montana

We stopped at Fort Benton last night because it was about the right distance we wanted to travel and it had a campground.  Coming down the hill into somewhat civilization, it didn't look like much, just another small farming community.  Little did we know.

The woman at the campground gave us a visitor guide which I read while Ted was washing the vehicles.  Founded in 1846, Fort Benton is Montana's first town and is central to the history of this region of the United States.  It started as a trading post with the Blackfoot Indians but when the first steamboat reached here in 1860, it became a major destination point on the upper Missouri River.  3,495 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, it became known as the world's most innermost port.  Falls and rapids upstream made it the furthest one could travel in a steamboat. With the coming of the railroads, steamboat traffic stopped in 1890.

Forbes magazine named Fort Benton among the 15 prettiest towns in the U.S. for 2013, right along with Camden, Maine and Asheville, North Carolina which we have spent time in. National Geographic Traveler included the Missouri River Breaks on its list of Best Trips for 2013 and National Geographic encouraged travelers to stop at Fort Benton's three museums, the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Interpretive Center and the Grand Union Hotel's Grille restaurant.

A map in the front of the guide showed the locations of the points of interest so once we ate dinner, we drove to the waterfront about ten blocks south and four blocks toward the river that we didn't even know was there before we arrived at the campsite.  We parked across from the fort and took a few pictures of the fort and a statue of Lewis, Clark and "Sacagawea" as her name was spelled here.

Missouri River at Fort Benton

Birthplace of Montana

Lewis, Clark and Sacagawea

Main Street started by the fort and we slowly drove down the street with its nice shops and restaurants across the street from the levee and river. There was a walkway along the levee and more than a dozen interpretive signs as well as a replica of a keelboat like Lewis and Clark would have had.  We stopped to take a picture of the Grand Union Hotel.  Built in 1882, the hotel was said to be the finest establishment between St. Paul and a the Pacific Coast and it is still used as a hotel today.  Once we had identified where the museums were and familiarized ourselves with the town, we returned to the motor home and called it a day.

Grand Union Hotel

This morning we got up, got ready and waited for the museums to be open.  We started at the Missouri Breaks Interpretive center.  We looked at the displays of the flora and fauna of the area as well as information on Lewis and Clark and the flight of the Nez Perce Indians before watching the twenty minute film.  We walked the short path by the river and went back to talk to the Bureau of Land Management Ranger about camping on BLM land which is free.  She was very helpful and gave us some great information.  The National Monument itself covers 375,000 acres of public land and at the 149 miles of Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River flows through it.  We got information on outfitters and would like to come back and paddle it some day.

High Cliffs Across from the Interpretive Center

The Museum of the Upper Missouri had a closed sign but the fort next to it was open.  I grabbed an umbrella as it was sprinkling and we went in.  It was founded in 1846 by the American Fur Company, the same as Fort Union but was not quite as big or grand.  The trading store had more to see and the guy working there, besides being very informative, was a hoot.  Again it was hard to look around as he chewed our ears off.  In the museum room next to the store were beaded clothing as well as four elaborate Indian headdresses.  I've often wondered how they were made. The feathers, fur and beads are stitched onto a felt cap made to fit the owners head.

Entrance to Fort

Bourgeois House

Blockhouse is Only Remaining Original Structure

Store and Museum

Across the fort in the bourgeois building was an art exhibit of bronzes by Robert Scriver devoted to Blackfoot life as well as lithographs by Karl Bodmer depicting Missouri River landscapes and Native American societies of the 1830s.  Upstairs was the living quarters of the bourgeois which we took a quick look at.

I Love the Bronzes

I wasn't feeling very good so we decided to skip the Museum of the Northern Great Plains and get on the road.  No sooner did we get hooked up and on the road but it started to rain. We started out of town and almost missed the sign that said "no trucks or busses".  We looked up the hill to see a railroad bridge that would have taken off the top of our RV. Luckily there was a yard we could turn around in beside us so we could avoid a serious mishap.We arrived in Great Falls a little before noon.

 Because I had a tightness in my chest and was a little light headed, I decided I should go to the ER. I looked up the hospital online and found Benefis Healthcare which is the largest hospital in Montana.  Six hours later and many tests, I knew I didn't have a problem with my heart but did have a referral for a gastroscopy which my doctor in Florida told me I needed but would not give me a referral as I was leaving Florida.