Day 16

From: Marco
Date: July 16, 2000
Subject: Visiting Helena

We had a motel breakfast — it was donuts and cereal. We planned to go home, but first to Helena, Montana's capital.

We went by two ghost towns on the way there and stopped at Virginia City. There I bought some candy and other souvenirs. It was fun to see old buildings still standing and in working mode. There we went in a candy shop and I bought some homemade taffy. We walked the main street and went into a store where I bought a dream catcher — man it's so cool. I love it.

Then after more ice cream we went to Helena. I got to see the main capital building, but it was closed. Then we went around town. It was pretty cool, but not busy or loud at all. It was nothing like I thought it would be. I imagined it with lots of name brand stores and noise and traffic, but there was none of that. We had fun visiting places.

Then [we went] to eat at a KFC and [after that] to hunt for antique shops. We found a couple, Roman bought a small spoon — he collects those. Mary likes to buy old stuff, mainly furniture.

We drove back, it was a couple of hours, and then we stopped at the house where we stopped on Friday, with Mary's uncle. And then we drove back to Choteau.

I actually missed being away from home, not Chicago, but Choteau. It was rather weird. After we arrived and [settled in] to relax, I spotted a cow in the front lawn, but the Christiaens don't own cows or a farm. So Roman and I chased it, but it ran into the highway. Then we had dinner and did laundry.

So far for the day I just relaxed. Then to get some sleep for work tomorrow.

« previous 10 of 12 next »

M A P Get oriented with this map of Montana. [more]

G A L L E R Y A view down the main street of Virginia City, MT. [enlarge] A view of a Virginia City, MT storefront. [enlarge]

M O R E "The very much alive ghost town, Virginia City, Montana, is frozen in time. It is a remarkably well preserved old west Victorian mining town. When the gold ran out, there was still enough left so that homes and businesses were occupied, but there was not enough wealth to remodel. So it froze, and now represents the whole Victorian era."