Saturday, January 8

Shelby,Montana to Dillon, Montana.

It was not a long day, but what a beautiful drive!

The morning (up to Great Falls) saw us in more flat territory as we had seen in the prairies. Miles of flat fields, long straight stretches of road and very little snow.

We had brunch in Great Falls and the scenery changed when we left there. Travelling through the Big Belt Mountains was amazing! Not huge like the Rockies, but big (as the name implies) with snow cover. The sun was shining and we passed over the Missouri River several times. This river seems to meander through an extensive valley. There were several beautiful homes situated on the side of the river with mountains, the highway, and a railway track all around. Looked like a very peaceful place to live. The drive was a bit strenuous, though. Wind!!! Gary was saying that the stretch of highway would be a trucker's nightmare - so many long, steep climbs. We had a very brief snow squall at 5700 feet altitude, but other than that the weather was great. Not warm yet, however.

Best Western Paradise Inn tonight. Darn - the hot tub broke this morning!