Day 26 – Battle at Little Bighorn on a Bad Air day

Narration Here.

The day's route was a mere 160 miles down I90 into Billings, MT. With a 10 AM start it would not take much of the day to drive and then set up and do things at the campsite. The wind was blowing fairly strong out of the west, sending smoke from the numerous Montana fires into the area. Had it been a clear day, over 50-100mile of rolling pastures and winding rivers could have been seen. Instead, a disappointing haze left visibility not much beyond 1-2 miles.

About 100 miles into the day Kevin saw a sign for Little Bighorn Battlefield. Maybe that would be an interesting place to stop. Theresa did some quick research and found it was a National Park so it would be free with Kevin's Senior Pass and it looked like it had RV parking. Coooool. With time to spare, it was worth a try.

Kevin made the exit and cautiously followed the signs directing to the historic area. At the entry gate, he presented his pass and inquired where to park or turn around the beast. The ranger handed Kevin a map and stated that if the immediate RV parking was full, the vehicle would need to continue on all the way to the end of the drive where there was a parking lot and turnaround. “Ok..... cool, That should work” Kevin replied with caution somehow knowing the young lady at the gate had never navigated and RV into the area.

Kevin slowly passed the full RV parking spots. Drat! Theresa looked at the map and noted that the road to the battlefield had some numerical points of interest along way. After the visitor center was passed, the road narrowed to a minimal one and one-half lane road with no shoulder and occasional parking pullouts for the points of interest.

Panic set in as the view of the long road ahead seemed to not have an end, nor any visible turn around point. A brief stop was made at one of the areas dotted with markers. Some markers were red head stones for Indian losses and lots were white markers for the US Army losses. The national park offered an audio tour available on the web so visitors could listen via phone as scenic points are encountered throughout the park. Theresa started to play part of the tour but shifted her focus as a large charter bus was heading back in the RV's direction. Somehow, the bus had managed to get turned around... but where? The bus passed the parked Smitanic with inches between mirrors. Thank goodness the driver was conditioned and well trained for close encounters. For those less trained there would not be enough room for 2 RVs to pass on this road, and it will be tough to pass any oncoming traffic. The Smitanic travelers did not want to see any more casualties added to this battlefield!

Kevin pulled out slowly and managed to maneuver the monster up and down the curves and hills. Theresa closed her eyes as oncoming vehicles slowed and moved over as much as possible to let the Battle Wagon sneak by. Finally, the end parking lot was spotted. It did exist! The RV and toad barely cleared the curbs of the parking lot. The Battle not yet over! Kevin caught his breath. Theresa scouted an oncoming tour bus! Kevin elected to flank right and hold his position, only to do battle
latter when he is on the run and not stalled in the parking area, until the bus was past.

Hoping there were no more oncoming buses, Kevin cautiously began the trip back down the road to the park entrance. Several oncoming trucks, cars and occasional RVs were skillfully passed and with a half mile to go, a single free-range horse crossed the road halting all traffic in both directions. The steed finally galloped into the field and was joined by the rest of the small herd that crossed under a tunnel. Guess he was making sure it was safe for the others. He was the STUD and proved it.

The Smitanic then encountered a dude in a family van that took the center of the 1 ½ lane road. The Smitanic slowed and drifted to the edge of the road and paused. The van driver began to emote using hand jesters and body language. The captain of the Smitanic assessed the situation and quickly confirmed the Smitanic had supplies to last more than a week. The standoff would easily sway to the fully stocked Smitanic. The captain of the Smitanic then relaxed and waited for the next move of the ill prepared van driver. The van driver realized he, like Custer, was fully out numbered. The best response for the van driver was to smartly retreat. The van driver, much like Custer's response, was to egotistically advance in a feeble attempt to challenge the odds. As the van driver advanced he was shouting in full frustration the most challenging vocabulary he could muster. Finally, the retreat of the park exit was reached! The battle was over and the Captain of the Smitanic had earned the honor of General having survived the encounters of Little Big Horn. The crew was relieved, but was also a bit disappointed that more of the park's significance could not be explored. All the pamphlets and park info were reviewed to at least get some of the info. That would just have to suffice. 

The rest of the drive seemed trivial after Kevin's Last Stand in Little Bighorn. The next two nights would be at the Yellowstone River RV park just off I90 in Billings. Hook up was easy as there was only electric and water on the reserved site. Supplies were needed (mainly wine) so Theresa and Kevin found the local Walmart.

Tomorrow would be filled with chores like laundry and other to-do list items that had been put off for far too long! Perhaps there will be time for a walk or bike ride in the area...that would be nice.