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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Driving from Great Falls, Montana to Red Lodge, Montana

On September 19, we drove from Great Falls, Montana to Red Lodge, Montana, positioning ourselves for entering Yellowstone National Park the next day by way of the Beartooth Scenic Byway.

We drove part of the way on Interstate 15, which passed through the Belt Mountains. There was a scenic overlook that we had visited on a previous trip, but the weather was much nicer this time.

There were 72 steps leading to the scenic overlook (not that I was counting).

This is the view from the overlook (you know...the one with a climb of 72 steps).

The view from above the canyon was so pretty that we decided to drive through the canyon for a closer look.

A view of the river and railroad tracks from down in the canyon

A panoramic view from down in the canyon

It was late afternoon when we reached the small western town of Red Lodge.

Red Lodge, Montana

After supper at the Red Lodge Cafe, we walked around town a bit, then took a little drive through the town and out into the countryside.

This deer was in a residential area, apparently focused on those berries on a Mountain Ash tree.

We were rewarded by this lovely sunset as we enjoyed our evening drive in the country.

Our lodging in Red Lodge was at the Yodeler Motel. We'd never stayed in one quite like it. It was sort of a bi-level. Guests had to go up seven or eight steps to reach the rooms on the upper level and down seven or eight steps to reach the rooms on the lower level. There were no rooms at ground level.

A front view of the Yodeler Motel

A rear view of the Yodeler Motel

We were staying in Room 4 on the lower level.

Our accommodations were quite comfortable. There was no air conditioning, but none was needed. A window fan was available, but the room was plenty cool enough without it.


18 comments:

  1. That motel seems like such a step back in time. I love mid-century design,

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    1. We enjoy staying in these older-style motels, Stephen, if they've been updated on the inside.

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  2. Climbing 72 steps doesn't seem too much of a price for that beautiful view! :)

    The deer seems quite undisturbed by traffic, it may be used to coming into the residential area often. Quite unusual sight for me.

    Interesting to see the motel, Linda. Was it a planned stop or was it just chosen randomly on your way?

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    1. The steps weren't too bad, Petra, and the view WAS worth it. The deer was actually joined by another as we watched, so I think you're right that they are used to being in that residential area. We had booked our motel room before beginning the trip, but we hadn't really understood its design until we arrived. It was a very old building (a hundred years...old by our standards, not yours) but had been updated and was quite comfortable.

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  3. very interesting motel. not very handicabable, but cool. the views were beautiful - thank you for the 72 steps. :)

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    1. You know, Tex, I didn't think about the handicap access at that motel, but they did have handicap parking. Looking at the photo of the rear of the building again, I think that brown contraption behind the two red posts might be some sort of lift for a wheelchair.

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  4. I've always wanted to visit Montana. Those views of the canyons are spectacular! The shot of the deer is so sweet and the beautiful sunset is amazing. I think if we didn't have 3 dogs to take care of we would definitely go on a trip like this. I just hate to board my dogs or travel with all 3 of them. :/

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  5. Wow,that scenery in that part of the world is gorgeous.

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  6. We saw enough of Montana to know that we want to get back as soon as possible. The canyon you saw from the overlook is beautiful, so I guess those 72 steps were worth it. The sunset was gorgeous.

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    1. Ha! Yes, George, those 72 steps were worth the effort. And not nearly as bad as 300-plus steps down Uncle Tom's Trail that you and Betsy took in Yellowstone. :)

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  7. Greetings from Montreal, Canada. Hi, Linda, you have a fantastic blog here. I absolutely love your photos. Thank you so much for sharing.

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    1. And greetings to you, too, Linda from Montreal. So nice to have you visit. Thanks kindly for the encouraging comment.

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  8. Those views are stunning Linda. It looks a beautiful place.

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  9. Another neat area... That motel looks great... How do you choose what motels you want to go to???? I'm always skeptical about ones that I don't know much about. Sounds like you all always pick nice ones...

    Beautiful sunset photo--and I love seeing the deer... He really wants those berries, doesn't he???? ha
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. Regarding motels, Betsy, I usually search first through AAA. If I find one there that looks promising, then I go to TripAdvisor.com to see what other travelers think of that motel. Between their reviews and those on the AAA site...and considering the nightly rate...I usually find suitable lodging. Occasionally we're disappointed, but it works most of the time.

      That deer stood on its hind legs to reach those berries. Unfortunately, I missed that shot. :)

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