Moving to New Territory==Montana and North Dakota--Sept. 6-10

From Great Falls we drove a short distance to Ft. Benton--the oldest settlement in Montana. Steamships and keel boats traveled the Missouri River to bring supplies to the area. The town has a trail on the old levee.
This bridge was a one lane bridge for cars in its heyday.The flowers along the levee trail were gorgeous.George Montgomery was an actor and a sculptor from the area.It is also on Lewis and Clark's Trail.The fort is open by appointment only.From Ft. Benton we headed to Havre (pronounced haver) where the county has the largest park in the U.S. We stayed two nights at Bear Creek Park. Our site was right by the lake!We took the time to geocache and hike the hills in the park.
From Havre it was on to Culbertson, MT. We were going to stop sooner, but the weather was still rainy and cool. Culbertson had a great city park that offered free camping so we set up camp for the night.
From Culbertson it was just a short distance to North Dakota.We didn't go far in North Dakota--just to Fort Buford. Before you arrive at Ft. Buford there is a state historical site at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. We went inside and the operators told us about a campground about 100 yards east of the center. It was free and it had electric hook-ups! We decided to stay 2 nights so we could explore the area.Well, when we arrived the weather was questionable and only got worse as the day and night went on. We once again heard thunder and then the unmistakable sound of hail! At one point Bob and I both covered our ears because the pounding on the rv was sooooo loud! When it was all over, Bob went out to check the car--all looked well, but it was hard to see in the dark. Only morning would tell. The next morning, Bob checked again and the only damage was to our air conditioner shrouds--they had a few holes that Bob put Eterna-Bond over.

We visited Ft. Buford. There are 2 buildings which have been restored--a barracks........and the commanding officer's house. It is the house where Sitting Bull surrendered. It was also the first house in North Dakota to have a bay window.
Ft. Union Trading Post was just 2 miles from Ft. Buford. It was a bustling trading post for many years.

This is the house where the bourgeois lived. It is now the visitor center and gift shop.About 20 miles from Ft. Buford is an old bridge and railroad tunnel. They were in use until the 1980s. Now they are open for pedestrians. We walked over the bridge.
Then through the tunnel. This was the first and only railroad tunnel in North Dakota.You have to have a flashlight as there is a curve in the tunnel and it gets very dark!We enjoyed visiting the area around Ft. Buford, but it is time to move on to Theodore Roosevelt National Park--North Unit.