Red Lodge, MT and beyond-July 2, 2012

We got a late start today so we headed for Red Lodge. It's another one of those towns that has taken advantage of it's old buildings to revitalize the area. Lot of shops and eating establishments. We had a great lunch and then headed into the Beartooth Mountains. It was another of those days where words just don't describe the scenery adequately. In many places a gasp was all we could manage.

Entrance to the canyon in the Beartooth Mountains

The road was great. What we love about being in the mountains in Montana is that they are so open. Unlike the Rockies in most places that are closed in right next to the road. The mountains here create such wide and sweeping vistas that no picture does it justice. There was some beautiful country on the way to Red Lodge but no place to pull off the road and take pictures.

Thankfully, pine beetles have not destroyed this part of the country yet

Rock Creek runs through the Beartooth Mountains and into the Yellowstone River

For sure this is horse country. There are some cattle ranches but most are for horses. The gigantic horse barns were bigger than some aircraft hangars. It is astonishing. The alfalfa fields are huge also. We came back a different way and found the scenery to be just as pretty. What a wonderful drive. It was not too hot or too windy today and there was no rain. So, we really enjoyed it.

The Yellowstone River welcomed us back to Columbus.