Trip to Virginia City

July 30 – Our time with Bruce and Sharon is coming to an end!  So sad, but at least we know we will catch up with them again in a couple of months in New Mexico.  Today we headed out at 10 for Virginia City, MT. 

Bruce drove and we had a beautiful morning as we drove along the Madison River where numerous fly fishermen were hard at leisure.  The fields were dotted with antelope, some resting and some enjoying the fruits of some farmer’s labor.  The guys talked up a storm in the front and Sharon and I commented on the sites along the way. 

I think he's the boss

His entourage

We drove through Ennis, which is a big fishermen area and swells up during the summer months.  It’s only about 14 miles from there to Virginia City.  As we were exiting Ennis, I spotted a small herd of antelope in the same field area that Bill and I had seen them 2 years ago.  Bruce turned around and they were all lying in the grass, enjoying a beautiful day.  The moment I got out of the truck, one stood up and then they all did.  I guess they were preparing to flee if necessary.  We all got our photos and were on our way again.

We stopped again at a scenic overlook of the valley and mountains in the background.  Very beautiful stop.

Parking was easily available when we arrived in Virginia City, so Bruce snagged a spot along the main street and we hit the gift shops and checked out the various open buildings that look just like they did back in the day.  Stores’ shelves were stocked with clothing, sewing materials, canned goods, you-

Working safe from the
1800's

name-it!  The original old western part of the town is only a few blocks long.  There’s a train station and train that are not original but they take people a few miles to the town of Nevada City.  It’s collection of old buildings that were going to be bulldozed from all over the state.  They are set up like a town.  We chose not to go, as Bill and I have been on it.

The old Opera House

We all did a bit of shopping and also left the candy store with bags for each couple.  Never know when you will have a food emergency and candy can do the trick!

The plan was to have lunch in Ennis where Bill and I have eaten before.  We got parked easily but the place has changed hands and is now more upscale and didn’t open until 4.  So we went to the café we’ve also eaten in before and they serve breakfast all day in addition to a lunch menu.  Bruce and Sharon both went with a breakfast meal while Bill and I did lunch.  It was OK, but not nearly as good as the pork belly sandwich I was planning to have at the other place.

We made a quick stop at Madison Grocery as I thought I might get a couple of bargains but left with only 2 bananas, a bottle of wine (always a bargain) and 2 post cards.

Just outside of Ennis was an old steam tractor.  We stopped so Bruce, a train aficionado, could get some photos and see what kind of engine it was.  It was built in Battle Creek, MI.  We also saw the field of llamas but there was no where to pull off to get photos or see if they’d walk over and spit on us!

They sky was getting dark on the way home and we could see storming in the distance.  There was not an antelope to be seen!  They got out of Dodge at the first sign of bad weather.  We made it home before any rain and kept getting warnings of hail and other weather conditions but it really didn’t do much and no hail so it was a peaceful night after a busy day!

Long day of sightseeing

August 10 – We stopped at the office on our way out this morning just after 8 to take Becky a loaf of the pumpkin bread and put some things in the mailbox.  We talked about what day this week she’d like us to do our other half day make up day.  She said it will be an afternoon so will see before we plan out the rest of the week.

We didn’t have breakfast as we had planned to return to the little café in Ennis, MT and we did.  We had some delicious biscuits and gravy.  They split the biscuits and toast them before putting the gravy on and the gravy is very chunky sausage instead of all fine.  It comes with 2 eggs so I had mine on a side dish for Bill to eat. It was yummy!

The train

Then it was on to Virginia City.  The town’s main street is mostly original buildings from the gold rush era.  The first gold was found in the Madison Valley in 1862 in Bannock and then in 1863 in the area that is now Virginia City.  Most of the old buildings still stand except for the area that was Chinatown.  That is where the little train depot was built that runs a narrow gauge train with 3-4 small cars and is currently using a gas engine.  The train takes about 23 minutes to go 2 miles to neighboring Nevada City.

We parked at the Depot and bought our tickets to Nevada

Former bordello

City for 11:00 with a return at 12:30.  We took some photos of the buildings that housed “ladies of the evening”.  They are currently being refurbished.  There is a gift shop and information area at the depot, which was originally owned by the Northern Pacific in Harrison, MT and was moved here in 1964.

The train ride was OK but not a lot to see along the way.  Nevada City’s main street across from the depot is original as there were numerous towns and settlements along the valley once the gold rush era started.  The rest of the town is considered a museum that is maintained and run by the state of Montana. 

Nevada City original hotel on
main street

It’s a very interesting story of Charles Bovey, one of the heirs of a milling company, later known as General Mills, and his wife dedicated a large part of their lives and money to relocating more than 100 houses and buildings to Nevada City to preserve the history of those buildings that were abandoned in many cases.  They also collected thousands of relics of all kinds, including farm equipment, carriages, dishes, you name it and they collected it.  This collection of Western memorabilia is only second to the Smithsonian.  Their only child, Ford, sold the town and the artifacts to the state of Montana after his parents’ deaths for $6 million.  As a side note, Ford never married and was very eccentric and known to use drugs etc.

One of the vintage musical
pieces

There is a nice little museum in the depot at Nevada City highlighting the lives and efforts of the Boveys to preserve and protect the history of the state of Montana.

One of the moved buildings

We toured most of the “village” and there were 2-3 re-enactors out today but the weekends they have many.  Every weekend there is some kind of “event” but maybe it was better to miss the crowd and have the place to ourselves for the most part.

The monument

We took the train back to Virginia City and checked out several of the shops and one of the museums.  We drove down to the river to the monument to the discovery of gold.  It names the 6 men who first found the gold there.  Later a large mining company was established there and looks like it’s still there but no admittance is allowed.   

Main Street Virginia City

Back in town we parked and checked out some of the open old buildings, the most interesting one was a millenary shop run by 2 sisters who when they decided they were done just locked it up and left it.  Nothing has been changed since they closed it in 1945.  The stock is still on the shelves and the displays are still hanging.  They lived in 2 small rooms behind the shop.  There was no information on why they left.

Another of the old shops

There was a nice free museum in one of the old buildings and they had a small shop on one side.  There were lots of photographs and also some from the earthquake that we hadn’t seen.

Bill wanted me to take some of the building photos in sepia so that was interesting.  I think I have mastered how to do that on my camera.  Wish I had my book for it with me so I would read up and practice more.

The Mansion

The “mansion” of the territorial governor was on the main street and rather small.  Actually it was really small.  The comment was that the townspeople didn’t know how he managed to live in it as he was a big man!

We debated whether to have lunch in town before leaving

Back in Nevada City

and after looking at the map we decided to try one of the non-tourist towns along our way.  We had to drive through Nevada City on the way to Bannock State Park so we stopped for a few more photos.

We stopped in Sheridan, MT at a little place called The Spoon and Shovel for lunch.  It was very good!  Bill had a sandwich with a side salad and I had the special, Nicoise Salad and it came with a cold chicken leg.  It was very good but we both thought the chicken leg was unusual.  They also had an assortment of homemade baked goods so after our meal I had a macaroon with chocolate and Bill went with a cookie.

First peek of Bannack

A guest at the RV park had told me how interesting the ghost town of Bannack was so we figured we might as well visit it today as it’s pretty far from Island Park.  It’s now Bannack State Park, out in the middle of no where and was once a bustling town of 3,000.  The town sprang up from the gold rush in 1862.  It was the first territorial capital of Montana.

Bannack produced placer gold, which is river gold and not

Masonic Lodge

mined.  Some rock mining was done but it was very difficult.  What started with panning in 1862 progressed to hydraulic mining for the next 40 years and in 1895 dredging began.  Parts were brought in by wagon to build huge dredges for use up and down in the river.  That lasted about 7 years.  By WWII mining had pretty much died out except for a few small mines downstream of Bannack that operated until the 1970’s.  The post office closed in 1938 and the school in the 1950’s. 

The hotel

Efforts to preserve the town started in 1940 and various groups and organizers worked towards that goal and in 1954 it became the property of the state of Montana.  Over the next 30 years the state continued to acquire more or the private property within the town site and to preserve the

Bill in the barber chair

buildings.  It didn’t look to us like much had been done as many of the houses had ceilings falling and holes in the interior walls.  We could see layer upon layer of wall coverings.  It’s very sad but like all other parks, there isn’t enough money to do it all.  We did enjoy the visit even though the rain and lightening threatened some during our walk.  We saw a mama deer and her fawn come out into the road and get some lunch.

Now for the long drive into Rexburg, ID.  We needed to get there before the pharmacy at Wal-mart closed.  On the road in we both spotted a park on the right and caught a glimpse of the sign.  We busted out laughing at the same time and asked if we both read it correctly.  Bill turned around and we went back and sure enough, it said what we thought it said.  Yes, we are of the twisted sort!

It was 8pm when we got to Wal-mart so we did what we needed there and then I went next door to the Albertson’s and loaded up on produce and a few other things on my list.  Now it was 9 and we hadn’t had dinner.  Neither of us wanted to sit and wait in a restaurant and get home any later than we were already so we went to the Arby’s in the parking lot.  I hadn’t had an Arby’s roast beef in ages and it was delicious along with my side salad.  Bill had the same with cheese and we were good to go for the drive home.

Bill drove half of the 60 miles and I did the last half.  I had the death grip on the wheel and was constantly scanning for deer to jump out on the road.  Luckily we made it home without incident at 10:30.  What a long day!  We put everything away and read long enough to relax and hit the hay!