At the end of August, we traveled to Dillon, Montana to look at UMW (the University of Montana Western). On Sunday before our campus tour, we drove to Bannack State Park to look at the ghost town. Gold and other ores were mined from 1862 through a time in the 1950s, then the town and surrounding area were made into a state park.
The buildings are restored structurally rather than decoratively. Only one house contains assembled furniture (wood burning stove, cabinets, etc.) and decorative items (plates, wall hangings, etc.). It seems to me that the emptier buildings better challenge the imagination, allowing one to imagine making a place for oneself.
Besides houses, the town has a hotel, a Masonic Lodge and one-room school, a church, a saloon, two tiny jails, several store fronts, and some storage sheds and barns. Outside of town there's an animal corral (cattle? ponies?). There is exactly one road, running east to west through the town.
R wanted to visit his sailboat, left in La Paz, Mexico from an earlier trip, and W needed a chance to relax from the pressure cooker of his lab at work. So off they went.
Apparently it's easier to sail south, with the Pacific coast currents, than north. At some point R will need to have his sailboat shipped north with a larger boat but, in the meantime, it's 'stuck' at a marina in La Paz.
R knows a lot about sailing and sailboats, and W was willing to learn and to hang out. Between them, they also know a lot about people and aeronautics, but not so much about geology or biology. La Paz features a bleak landscape and odd sea creatures, about which they hope friends at home will provide insight
Relaxing and hanging out with family was the point, and we were with the program.
An afternoon at Fort De Soto Park beach.
And we spent an afternoon at the Museum of Science and Industry, followed by another at Celebration Station with go carts and miniature gold.
When we visited Florida during spring break, we stayed at W's sister's condo. It was so comfortable that we briefly entertained thoughts about retiring to Tampa.
The fuzz-ball trying to get W's attention is the boy-dog, Gizmo.
Resting inside. The gray dog on E's back is Sailor, the girl-dog. Gizmo is sleeping on the floor.
J in dining area.
J's granddaughter, O, who is 1/2 year younger than E and a grade behind in school.
O's grandfather, T.
J's daughter S.
J and her other daughter, C.
C takes a picture of me, W, and J.
Sailor, in a comfy spot.
We stayed in a largish cabin that looks better here than on the inside. And don't get me going about the 'kitchen' - I think the utensils are unappealing so that guests will go to the restaurant.
The scenery is stunning.
And light over the lake changes constantly.