Butte, MT. July 6-7, 2017

From Montpelier we drove to Butte, MT for a revisit.   Since we had been there before, we were searching for new things to see and do.    We did take the trolley tour of the city - it has grown, cleaned up, and added a folk festival!   The statue of Mary is still on top of the mountain overlooking the city.   After lunch we drove 72 miles through beautiful territory to the Big Hole National Battlefield where the 7th Cavalry fought the Nez Pearce Indians.   I should qualify that - they attacked while most of the Indians were still asleep.   Casualties were heavy - with women and children the majority of the killed.   They had to leave in a hurry, and were unable to tend to their dead.   This is a sacred place for the Indians.   The fight continued over Montana.  

On Friday we drove to Virginia City and Nevada City.    The towns were part of a 14-mile series of mining towns built almost overnight when gold was discovered.   Some of the buildings remain standing and the tourist towns began in 1976.   We rode the train to Nevada City and toured their museum.    Of particular interest was the "music hall" with all manner of band organs, street organs, player pianos and other forms of music machines.   The buildings on site were brought in from various areas of Montana.   We rode the train back to Virginia City, checked out the museum , and then headed back to Butte.

On Saturday we packed up and headed for Missoula, Montana for a revisit to that city.