Ogden, Utah to Butte, Montana

Today was a faster drive than yesterday, being all freeway.  Probably we could have gone farther, but there wasn't a stopping point that was just right in terms of distance.

Butte is an old mining town, enormous amounts of copper were extracted from the ground.  Three rail lines came into town to haul it all away.  We were here briefly in 2003, but ran away because it was supposed to snow.  That post is here.  Butte is now a poor city.  They're trying to attract tourists, but apart from the possible disaster that is the Berkeley pit, there's just not that much to do and see.   There are, however, sprucing up efforts going on.

This is a mine head frame, from when mining was done underground.  They hoist machines, material and people.  There are several scattered in the area.  In 1955 underground mining ceased and they started strip mining.  The smears are from the dead bugs on the windshield.

We're at the Hampton Inn.  This is a lovely facility.  Rooms are good sized, with horizontal surfaces upon which to put one's stuff.  There is adequate light.  They don't use air freshener in the rooms.  So much better than last night.  If we ever come back this route, we will stay here. 

We have a rotisserie chicken and a bag of salad for dinner.  We managed to avoid Subway this trip.

Tomorrow we are back in Spokane, to begin the gargantuan task of putting it all away.