Because I Can In Montana

NOTE: My Photo ‘Shoot the Moon’ took first place in the 2011 Montana State Fair Photography Exhibition an the ‘Action’ Category. Take a look in the Gallery!
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This year, Spring in Great Falls, Montana started out at -4° and snowing.  For me, that meant it was time to be inside thinking about warm weather road trips.  I may have to wait for the flooding to end, as things warmed up rather quickly, but going down memory lane always gets me in travel mode.

During the summer of 2010, Bill and I took a fantastic road trip through parts of Southwestern Montana. We had reservations that evening for a night of comedy with “The Brewery Follies” playing inside Virginia City’s Gilbert Brewery. We headed South on Hwy. 287, with rolling plains to the East and the Tobacco Root Mountains to our West. The color splashes surrounding the entire drive were amazing!

Getting closer to our destination, we passed through the towns of Harrison and Norris (home of the unique “Norris Hot Springs”).  As evening drew closer we stopped in the town of Ennis, where we had reservations at the Fan Mountain Inn, only 14 miles shy of Virginia City. Rooms fill up quickly in this vacation hot spot, so reservations are recommended. The rooms at the Fan Mountain Inn are invitingly clean and comfortable. The owners and operators are very friendly and attentive. At the office, look for a welcoming tail wag from the loving family dog peeking over the half-door behind the counter. Some of these quaint towns offer rental cabins, motels and campgrounds. If you travel via RV, there are several choices including a KOA Campground in Alder, which is only 9 miles from Virginia City.

We arrived at the Gilbert Brewery early enough to watch as the staff opened the doors, worked the Will Call window, took tickets at the door, ushered guests to seats, took drink orders, and bar-tended.  Then, the lights flickered and we realized that “the staff” and the Brewery Follies actors were one and the same.  They shut the doors and the bar, removed their aprons and effortlessly went from serving us to entertaining us. The show was edgy, free from political correctness and hilarious! This is definitely a show for the adults, surprisingly void of a night of ‘F bombs’ and other cursing, yet full of naughtiness! Every seat lets you enjoy the show, but I warn you, sitting front row center may get you more attention that you planned for… you may become part of the show!

At intermission, the performers are once again the ‘Staff’ taking orders and serving up drinks. After the finale, the cast mingles with the guests, encouraging everyone to continue the fun at one or more of the local nightlife spots such as The Bale of Hay Saloon.

Entering Virginia City by day compared to night felt like we were in two different places. The nightlife was a very modern 21 and over crowd. Daylight created a time warp, and we found ourselves in a place where the 186o’s are alive and well. It is home to over 100 historic buildings, taking you back in time with their authentic furnishings and artifacts. Many have posted information and photos of their establishments dating back to when they were built, and what businesses have passed through them over time.  The stories are fascinating. If only those buildings could talk! Many of the town’s residents believe that they can. Many say that the living are not the only residents.  Outlaw Café and Antiques believes matter-of-factly that the playful spirit of a little girl resides there. Decide for your self by stopping by.  For more possible ghostly encounters Virginia City offers a guided Ghost Walk.

Like many families, we spent the day playing tourists, going through all of Virginia City’s shops. Cousin’s Candy Shop is a favorite by kids of all ages.  Baskets and jars of taffy’s, chocolate, licorices and hard candies surround you.  The shops centerpiece is the glassed-in section of hand-dipped chocolate candies and homemade fudge. They make a delicious honeycomb candy that is a favorite of mine.  It is a crunchy sweet honey flavored bar, thickly dipped in dark or milk chocolate.  Each chocolate covered crunchy bite dissolves in your mouth! For me it is Heavenly decadence.

There are a couple of places offering Old Time Photos.  We were drawn to Wallace Street Photographic Emporium, located at 208 Wallace Street, where we had a blast posing for pictures.

Another way for the family to jump back in time is to take a 25 minute ride on the Virginia City Overland Stagecoach, starting at the West end of Wallace Street, directly across from the Fairweather Inn.

Many of the employees throughout town set the mood by working in period costumes. If you want to purchase a piece from the past, Ranks Mercantile will have it. They carry a large variety of sizes in men’s, women’s and children’s old west frontier clothing and Victorian clothing and accessories.  On an earlier trip Bill purchased a chocolate brown Bowler hat there that went well with his brown duster. Per Wikipedia, it is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849, for the British soldier and politician Edward Coke. Per me, it’s a sexy hat that makes me turn my head for a second look. It is such a classic look.

In Spring of 1863, Gold Fever broke out. This caused a need for trade and a desire for adventure. Virginia City is the only survivor of those main “Cities” created during the beginning of the 1863 Gold Rush in Montana.

Currently, Virginia City is the largest and first of three towns strung together along Alder Gulch, also called Alder Creek.  It is followed by Nevada City, and Alder.

During season, Nevada City becomes a restored outdoor museum.  It is complete with numerous refurbished buildings and allows you to get close and personal with trains at the Alder Gulch Short Line Railroad, and at the train museum. Behind the dusty antique glass windows of the museum, are several re-furbishing projects underway. The wood and iron works of the old trains are very intricate. The photo I took of Bill in his new bowler looks like he stepped back in time and is waiting to board.  The railroad wasn’t running while we were there, so that is something we have to look forward to on a future visit.

If you are looking for a fun-filled trip, the close communities of Virginia City, Nevada City, and Alder have something for everyone!  When you visit the fun places I’ve mentioned, make sure to tell them that Karen, from Because I Can In Montana, suggested the trip!

Here are links for some of the places we visited on our trip.

http://www.norrishotsprings.com/

http://fanmountaininn.com/

http://www.ranksmercantile.com/

http://aldergulch.com/

http://koa.com/campgrounds/alder/

http://www.cousinscandy.com/about-us.htm

http://www.breweryfollies.net/

Comments (1) Jul 28 2011

In mid October of 2009,  my husband, Bill, contacted H1N1. This virus quickly turned into Pneumonia, putting us through the most harrowing experience we’ve shared.

A couple of days before we left for vacation I had published an article on my website about a special Halloween event at The Old Skyline, planning on updating any other events and articles upon return. My husband Bill and I both worked on October 15, 2009, so by the time we got the vehicle packed, it was fairly late when headed off with Las Vegas, Nevada, being our vacation destination.  Bill had a cough, but he lives with asthma and had been working very long hours, so he assumed that was all it was.  We drove as far as Pocatello, Idaho, before taking a break to rest and visit with some family on the afternoon of the 16th.  Afterwards, we drove on to Provo, Utah, for the night.

We left for Las Vegas the morning of the 17th, which by the way was Bill’s birthday. We arrived at Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in time to check in and rest a little before our reservations for a comedy show at The Four Queens Hotel & Casino.  We had been in Las Vegas for about an hour when we got a phone call from home that our 21- month old grandson was on his way by ambulance to Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, Montana.  He had had a seizure and had stopped breathing.  Thanks to the excellent skills of  Great Falls Emergency Services and Benefis Hospital, he is fine now.  He had developed a high fever.  This caused him to have a febrile seizure.  Two to five percent of young children have a febrile seizure due to being ill and having a high fever.  Knowing this didn’t make this news any easier at the time.  We felt so helpless, and we were so many miles away.  However, we knew that Benefis would provide the absolute best medical care for him.  We kept in constant contact with our family in Great Falls, and were very relieved when we found out he was breathing on his own and alert.  It turned out that the fever was caused by an ear infection. He had to be put on strong antibiotics and a regimen of Tylenol and Motrin (Ibuprofen) to keep the fever down.  He will have to be very cautious of high fevers, especially while he is so young.  We were emotionally drained and hoped that a night at the comedy club would be a good release, which it was.  Afterwards we were able to wander around the Fremont Street Experience, which was an incredible experience of music, lights and fun for everyone!

Bill’s cough continued to get worse so he added some over-the-counter cold and cough medicine to his asthma medicine and we rested until early afternoon on Sunday.  Then we leisurely absorbed the beauty of Caesars Palace and the extrordinary musical water display at the Bellagio.  We had a nice dinner inside of Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino then strolled through the Miracle Mile Shops . We had reservations there for V – The Ultimate Variety Show, which was filled with non-stop high-energized performances!  This was the best variety show I had ever seen!

My dad met us in Las Vegas on Monday about noon.  Again, we took the day rather slow,  visiting together at our hotel and at dinner.  This was nice for Bill, who by then had bought out the local Walgreen’s selection of over-the-counter Daytime & Nighttime Cold Medicines, and for my 81 year old dad whom had driven from Arizona that morning.  You wouldn’t guess my dad to be 81.  He says he does everything he use to do when he was younger, it just takes him a little longer now.  This was Monday.  We enjoyed  World Class Circus Acts at Circus Circus inside of the Midway where kids of all ages had fun.  We ate a casual dinner at Mexitalia X-Press inside the main casino.  They had such flavorful food! Then we called it a night.

On Tuesday morning I awoke with a start to our room being very, very hot.  It didn’t take long to realize that the heat was coming from Bill.  He was burning up with fever and his coughs had turned so violent that he had to hold his sides when he coughed.  I got him in a cool shower and gave him as much bottled water as I could get him to drink.  I called my dad’s room and told him we needed to get Bill to the hospital.  Within a few minutes we had him at a local hospital.  Although it was only 8am, the place was filling up quickly.  I suggested that my dad go back to the hotel until we knew more.  It was well over an hour before Bill was seen, and they only “rushed” him in then because he was sweating profusely, pale as a ghost and fading in and out of consciousness.  The staff there told him that they were assuming everyone that came in with the flu symptoms had H1N1 so they were treating everyone as if they had it.  They put him on an IV,  gave him 3 liters of water, put him on oxygen and gave him a breathing treatment.  They also gave him something in the IV for pain.  After about 6 hours they decided that Bill was able to breathe at a level they considered safe enough for him to go back to the hotel to rest enough to prepare for our trip home to see his own doctor.   They gave him a prescription for Zithromax (a very powerful antibiotic) and sent us on our way.

While he slept from the residual effects of the pain medication in the IV, I bounced back and forth between checking on him and visiting with my dad a few rooms over.  It was during this time that I set up the camcorder and had my dad share stories, songs and experiences of his life.  I will cherish these stories and share them with his grandchildren &  great grandchildren for years to come.My dad headed back to his home in Arizona about noon on Wednesday, October 20, 2009.  Bill rested as much as possible that day, preparing for our +1,ooo mile drive back to Great Falls on Thursday.  Getting him as comfortable as possible in the passenger seat, we started our journey for home about 11am.  I drove until I knew I could no longer stay awake.  We stopped in Ogden, Utah, for the night. We were Great Falls bound the next morning.  I knew that I needed to get Bill home to Benefis Hospital for their professional medical assistance as soon as possible.  As our exit off Highway 15 approached, I told Bill that I wanted to trade our luggage- loaded van for our Jeep Cherokee.  We made the quick vehicle switch in our driveway and headed for Benefis Hospital.  I pulled up to the Emergency doors and as Bill got out he was thrown into another one of  his painful coughing fits.  Security saw this, and they had him in a wheelchair and straight into an emergency room before I could park.

He was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, and admitted right away.  Being this late in the game, the H1N1 tests kept coming up inconclusive, but the doctors said that all of the signs were there that the pneumonia started with H1N1, especially the high spiked fever.  The pain in his right side turned out to be 3 broken ribs, caused from the violent coughing.  On the 26th they attempted to drain the liquid around his lungs, but realized it was too dangerous with too little, if any, long-lasting results.   It ended up that they had to do a thoracotomy on October 28th. The entire staff of Benefis Hospital were wonderful.  Bill was well taken care of at all times.   On Sunday, the epedural was removed,  he was taken off of oxygen and one chest tube was removed on Monday.  The morphine line was removed on Tuesday and the last chest tube was removed on Wednesday.

After 13 days, Bill was released from the hospital on Thursday, November 5, 2009.  Before letting him go,  Dr. James Legan, MD, and Dr. Dinesh Bhaskaran, MD, came in to talk to us. It was then that we found out how truly lucky Bill was to be alive.  The mortality rate of pneumonia following H1N1 is astounding.  The Doctors said that Bill had become their ‘poster child’ of how quickly H1N1 and pneumonia can take over a normally healthy man in his mid forties.

Bill was able to return to work in December of 2009.   His ribs continue to heal, and he gets stronger each day.  This virus opened our eyes to the importance of the H1N1 vaccine.  Even though it is unlikely that he will get H1N1 again, we decided not to chance it and got our H1N1 shots at the Cascade County/City Health Department in Great Falls, Montana on January 15, 2010. For more information on the H1N1 vaccine contact your local Health Department.

Comments (0) Jan 19 2010

A wonderful opportunity to enjoy our beautiful state of Montana happened March 6 – 8, 2009. We had made our reservations a few months prior for a weekend get away for both ourselves and my husband Bill’s parents Wayne & Gayle Daniels.  Early Friday afternoon on March 6th, we left Great Falls via Highway 15 heading south towards Helena, with Chico Hot Springs as our destination.  Chico Hot Springs is about 25 miles from Livingston, Montana.

One of my favorite pictorial spots on the drive was the vicinity of  Wolf Creek. The variety of the topography that surrounds the highway throughout there is astounding.  The combination of snow-topped mountains and rock walls going straight up at great heights are beautiful. There were winding semi-frozen creeks all around.  No matter where we looked, the view was breathtaking.

Impressing my husband Bill and my Father-In-law Wayne, both hunters, was the bountiful wildlife we saw, especially the Antelope, White Tail and Mule Deer. There were well over 100 Antelope in one of the larger herds we passed, and we spotted a large Elk just past Townsend.  After only being removed from the endangered species list in June of  2007,  we were all in awe of the many Bald Eagles in a variety of settings.  We saw both adult and juvenile eagles and their nests. Both the female and male adult bald eagles have a blackish-brown back and breast; a white head, neck, and tail; and yellow feet and bill.  The juveniles are a mixture of brown and white.  It takes 4 or 5 years before they reach adulthood. Due to there not being a safe place to pull over at the sightings I was unable to get any pictures of them on this trip.  For  more information on  Bald Eagles visit www.baldeagleinfo.com. We also saw several Golden Eagles.

We arrived at Chico Hot Springs a little before 7:00PM. Read More

Comments (2) Mar 15 2009