Turned South - Now in Billings, Montana

We left Fort Benton by 9:30am this morning in very overcast, grey skies.  Weather stated by the time we got near Billings we should be in rain, and the Weather Channel was correct.  We traveled on Montana state roads for the most part, very desolate roads.  When you saw trees you knew there was a farm there, otherwise it was barren.  No other trees, no animals such as deer or pronghorn antelope, only small birds by the roadside.  Rolling hills, no farm animals - that area was strictly for wheat crops.  We have made our turn and now headed back south to Arizona for the winter. Sigh.

Wide open wheat fields

Square Butte on left, Table Butte on right

Where there are trees - there is a farm

In and out of very small towns, thriving never the less.  One town, Stanford, had a barbecue and rodeo going on, neat to see that the whole town was there.  Grain silos, grain elevators, railroad track for train to come haul away the grain.  We began to see a number of bikers (all covered up since it was raining) not too far from Billings.  This past week was the 75th Sturgis Rally for Harley's and bikers in Sturgis, South Dakota - about 3 hour drive from Billings. Supposed to have over 1 million bikers there.  That's alot!

Every small town had grain elevators

Pulled into the campground here in Billings at 2:30 in rain.  Safe, tucked in, will sit tight for a week while we shop (no sales tax in Montana) and do some sightseeing.  We have not walked back yet but the campground butts up against the Yellowstone River.  Billings is the largest city in Montana - about 106K people.  Small in comparison to Phoenix, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver.  Biggest city we have seen since we stepped out of Utah this past May and got into Wyoming.  Nice to have a couple of different grocery store chains to choose from, have a choice in general merchandise stores, etc.

Big Snowy Mountains (only no snow right now)

So many old abandoned buildings - stories they could tell

Hurry! rain coming!

What the heck was this?

And wind farms - big wind farms!

On to the next field to cut down

One of many toy haulers in this campground

Something about our drive today - we did not see any farm animals (cows/horses/sheep) until we got within 50 miles of Billings.  The winters are just too darn cold to have farm animals - need to stock pile 3 years of feed we were told, to make sure the livestock survives the harsh winters.