| Nightlife in Big Sky, Montana is more
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| | visited Staci's, even a lively bartender
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| exciting than you would think. Especially
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| | who could whip up a drink in the blink of
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| for a pair of happy-go-lucky California
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| | an eye.
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| girls in town just for the heck of it, on
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| | As appealing as our cowboy bar experience
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| a spur-of-the-moment vacation in search
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| | had been, we couldn't stay all night
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| of a Western adventure. Not the kind of
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| | because the morning held the promise of
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| west-coast adventure you'd find on a
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| | more adventure. So after a few more
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| sunny San Diego beach covered with
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| | strange stares from some of the locals
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| half-nude bodies dripping with SPF 15
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| | and suspicious smiles from others, we
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| tanning lotion. Or the kind you'd find on
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| | departed Staci's and headed back down
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| a Big Bear ski slope watching bikini
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| | that dark road.
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| babes race down the black diamond hills
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| | The next day we awoke bright and early
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| with sun screen-covered noses.
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| | and headed out towards Yellowstone
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| This vacation was more of a "good girls"
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| | National Park. Upon entering the town of
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| version of Thelma and Louise hitting the
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| | West Yellowstone, I immediately felt as
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| open highway to see what we could see.
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| | though we had gone back in time to some
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| With no concrete plans, no hotel
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| | familiar yet unknown place that was a
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| reservations and no idea what to expect,
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| | cross between Mayberry and the Twilight
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| we arrived in Billings, grabbed a few
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| | Zone. But as we followed the signs into
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| visitors brochures and decided to at
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| | Yellowstone National Park, a feeling of
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| least try to visit Bozeman, Big Sky and
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| | anticipation rose up inside of me, and I
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| Yellowstone National Park.
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| | must admit that I was secretly on the
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| After one night's stay in Bozeman at a
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| | lookout for Ranger Bob, Yogi the Bear and
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| lovely bed and breakfast and a
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| | his little friend, Boo-Boo.
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| breathtaking hike the day before up to
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| | The sights of the natural hot springs and
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| Fairy Lake-a peaceful, secluded lake
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| | clay-like mud pots were breathtaking.
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| surrounded by tall pines and absolutely
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| | Watching bison graze at a distance as we
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| no noise at all-we awoke to the sight of
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| | sat eating fruit and nuts on a log by the
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| a light snowfall (a real treat for
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| | side of the road, we were very careful
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| Southern Californians), the smell of
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| | not to litter this pristine wilderness
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| Canadian bacon and the bark of the inn
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| | obviously created by the sovereign hand
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| keeper's golden retriever, Bailey. It was
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| | of God. It was all so surreal.
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| time to hit the road.
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| | Traipsing through what we had hoped
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| Our drive through Bozeman traced past
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| | wasn't off-limits territory reserved only
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| charming little antique shops, down-home
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| | for the bison, I realized that we should
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| diners, and the usual small town sights,
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| | head back to our car when we noticed
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| then to the outskirts of town. After a
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| | enormous piles of bison poop in the tall,
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| few stops to check out some antiques, and
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| | golden brush. Hmmmm, how fast can a bison
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| about two hours later, my girlfriend and
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| | run, and could I outrun one if motivated
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| I found ourselves in the friendly town of
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| | by the fear for my life? I wasn't
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| Big Sky feeling like two fish out of
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| | convinced I wanted to find out, so after
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| water, but ready to breathe in some more
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| | much whining and sharing my fears of
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| of that smog-free air through our gills
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| | hypothetical situations of the two of us
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| and get to know the place-if only for a
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| | being eaten by a family of bison, my
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| few days.
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| | friend finally consented to my cowardice
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| Our inquiries as to where to find some
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| | and we headed back to the safety of the
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| adventure in this ski town during the off
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| | parking lot civilization.
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| season led us to the horse stables for
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| | Further up the road into the Park, we
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| some Western-style sight seeing. A
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| | came to the spot known world wide for its
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| two-hour horseback ride guided by a
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| | perfect timing-Old Faithful geyser.
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| real-life cowboy was a challenge for my
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| | Amazingly, we arrived within only two
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| tender hind parts, but I had to tough it
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| | minutes of the moment of truth, the
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| out because my friend, the experienced
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| | geyser's eruption, which is said to take
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| rider that she is, struck up a friendly
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| | place every 80 minutes on average.
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| conversation with our trail guide (need I
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| | Watching the gentle puffs of steam become
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| say, "flirting"). And besides that, the
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| | a graceful gush of water shooting
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| views from the trail were unreal. I felt
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| | powerfully high up into the air, I was
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| like I was riding through a scene from
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| | indeed impressed by nature's
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| the old TV show Big Valley.
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| | awe-inspiring display of beauty. And just
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| After a much-needed soak in a deep tub of
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| | as quickly as it had begun, it all ended
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| hot water overflowing with bubbles
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| | in a slow, quiet lull of
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| (literally) in our cozy room at the
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| | nothingness-until the next time.
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| Rainbow Ranch Lodge, I perked up and my
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| | Our walking tour of the other geysers
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| travel buddy and I trekked down to a
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| | around the Old Faithful site was equally
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| little restaurant on the side of the road
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| | awesome. Sturdy wood-beamed pathways led
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| that served the freshest, most tender
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| | us over the bubbling pools of mud and
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| beef we'd ever eaten this side of ...
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| | steaming hot springs. Careful not to lean
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| well, anyplace. When one of the locals, a
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| | too far forward or to drop anything into
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| handsome "Marlboro Man" type seated on a
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| | the pools, we carefully heeded the
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| barstool, kindly invited us to drop by
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| | warning signs about their intense heat,
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| the local watering hole, Staci's Old
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| | reportedly hot enough to boil the rubber
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| Faithful Bar, the next night for a little
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| | off of a jogging shoe (not to mention the
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| Western hospitality and a lesson in how
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| | tender skin off of my bones!).
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| to really two-step, we knew we couldn't
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| | But suddenly the heat of the pools wasn't
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| miss that opportunity.
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| | a concern, when just up ahead about 30
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| So the next night, we hopped in our
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| | feet we noticed a big, hairy mass of
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| Subaru Outback (we had to "look" the part
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| | flesh munching away at the brush on the
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| of locals, right) and headed down the
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| | side of the walking path. A real life
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| dark two-lane highway very slowly so as
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| | bison, up close and personal. We froze in
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| not to accidentally encounter one of
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| | our tracks awaiting any sign that this
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| those deer we were warned to beware of
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| | big fella might be intimidated by our
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| from the road signs posted every twenty
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| | presence, or even worse, that he might
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| paces. The fear of killing Bambi was ever
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| | begin to see us as two tasty morsels just
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| in our consciousness. As my friend drove
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| | ripe for eatin'. We were stuck between
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| tentatively, I sat anxiously with eyes
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| | fear and the almost uncontrollable urge
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| wide open ready to scream, "Stop!" at the
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| | to laugh out loud at this unbelievable
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| first sight of anything that remotely
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| | sight. And wouldn't you know it-no more
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| looked like a darling deer ready to
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| | film in the camera! We slowly eased past
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| prance in front of our rental car. Talk
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| | the mammoth beast keeping our four eyes
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| about stress!
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| | on his two and ready to run like Flo Jo
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| As we neared our destination and noticed
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| | if the threat presented itself. With that
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| the flickering red neon sign out front
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| | experience, there was no doubt that
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| and the rickety wood-framed screen door
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| | Yellowstone was the highlight of this
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| smack shut behind a few cowboys, doubt
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| | trip.
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| set in big time. Suddenly we weren't so
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| | On the last day of our great Montana
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| sure we should be there. Would we be
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| | adventure, we hit the road and did some
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| safe? What if something happened to us,
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| | more side-tripping. Traveling up highway
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| who would know? Yes, safety was a
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| | 287, we passed through the town of Ennis
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| concern. But that's why two crazed,
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| | and then journeyed through Virginia City,
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| adventurous minds are better than one. So
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| | a little "ghost town" that has been
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| we threw caution to the wind, took a deep
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| | preserved as an historic area. The old
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| breath and headed into Staci's.
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| | wooden buildings reminded me of the town
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| Remember that scene from the movie comedy
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| | in Little House on the Prairie. As we
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| 48-Hours when Eddie Murphy steps into a
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| | walked the dusty road I half expected to
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| country/western bar and the whole room
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| | be caught in the middle of a shootout
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| screeches to a halt. Well, just keep that
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| | between the town sheriff and an unwelcome
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| in mind. I don't think I have ever felt
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| | troublemaker.
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| more aware of my being than at that
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| | Eventually, we found ourselves at Three
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| moment when my curly, blonde-haired
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| | Forks, a watery junction where three
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| friend and I, an African American woman,
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| | rivers (the Jefferson, Madison and
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| walked into that bar. All eyes on us, we
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| | Gallatin rivers) meet to form the mouth
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| tried to look like we "belonged" there.
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| | of the Missouri River. As we stood there
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| And to our credit we were cool as
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| | watching the swirl of the brown waters
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| cucumbers-on the outside.
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| | and feeling the drizzle of an oncoming
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| As we strolled over to the only two empty
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| | downpour, we realized that this
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| barstools, I felt as if we were moving in
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| | crossroads signified the end of our trip.
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| slow motion-and so were the hundred or so
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| | One full of unexpected treasures and
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| pairs of eyes that followed us. Even the
| |
| | surprises we could have never planned.
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| cigarette smoke swirls were flowing
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| | Back to reality tomorrow. But what an
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| through the air like low fog hovering
| |
| | adventure we had experienced.
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| over a still country pond in the early
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| | Back in Billings we hesitated a bit as we
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| morning. But once we sat down, the room
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| | returned our rental car and headed into
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| quickly returned to its previous lively
| |
| | the airport, relishing our serendipitous
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| condition and we were able to exhale.
| |
| | escapade as we caught one last glimpse of
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| Whew, the hard part was over.
| |
| | the freshly snow-capped mountains in the
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| I must say, our cowboy bar experience was
| |
| | distance. An adventure, indeed. One I
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| chock full of interesting sights-a live
| |
| | will never forget, and one that I believe
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| band talented enough to make it to the
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| | will set the standard for all future
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| second round of Star Search, dancing
| |
| | vacations for me. Plan a little,
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| couples proficient in the latest country
| |
| | experience a lot. That is now my vacation
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| western and dirty dancing moves, photos
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| | slogan.
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| of local rodeo celebrities who had
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| |
|
