Wyoming was a great adventure, but I was also very excited to move on to Montana.  I have been there many times, but it still remains one of my favorite states.  In fact, I have toyed around with the idea of moving there several times through the years.  It’s such a grand and wonderful state, with stately mountains and beautiful vistas.  If you haven’t been following along, check out my posts on the overall plan and my Wyoming wanderings to enjoy the full North to Alaska adventure.

Livingston, Montana

Once I officially exited Yellowstone, I was basically in Montana already.  It was already late in the day and I didn’t really have a plan for the night’s rest.  I didn’t want to drive much farther after a somewhat stressful and lengthy day of driving.  But, I also didn’t want to stay too close to Yellowstone and pay exorbitant camping prices.  I settled on a bit of a compromise and found a spot in Livingston, Montana, at Osen’s RV Park.

It was a cute little park, although it still ended up being the most expensive spot on the journey to Alaska despite being about an hour from the entrance to Yellowstone.  I had a relaxing evening there and even walked to a local pizzeria to enjoy a meal outside the RV.  I love having my own food and kitchen in the RV (so much easier and cheaper).  But, it’s still fun to explore the local eats sometimes.

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park

The next morning, I hit the road with high hopes of getting a first come, first served spot at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park.  It was only about an hour drive.  And, I had called ahead to ensure there were still spots available.  Thankfully, it all worked out and I got an amazing spot that actually turned out to be my favorite of the entire journey.  It was quiet and peaceful, with huge spots and a lovely view.  The cell service was almost nonexistent, but that was actually a nice break as well.  I definitely wanted to extend my visit and stay an extra day, but the campground was completely booked up for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

Beautiful and spacious campsite at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park

Lyla the adventure cat in her favorite spot – taking in the world around her

Adventures in the Caverns

After settling into my campsite, I headed over to the lower Visitor’s Center.  My hope was that they had a shuttle that I could take up to the Caverns themselves (quite a distance and climb from the campground area).  Unfortunately, that was not the case.  They were very helpful and suggested that I could take my RV to the upper parking lot, but I was really hoping to avoid moving after just getting all set up.

Although it was outside my comfort zone, I decided to see if I could tag along with someone else also headed from the Visitor’s Center up to the Caverns.  A friendly family came along shortly and agreed to give me a ride.  They were very sweet.  Not only did they give me a ride up the caverns, but they also included me in their conversations during the tour and gave me a ride back down afterward!

The caverns themselves were absolutely amazing!  I had been on a tour with my parents as a young child but was very excited to experience it from a new perspective.  The tour started with a fairly long walk up to the entrance of the caves.  At about 5,000 feet in elevation, this mini-hike could be a bit challenging for those not used to higher elevations.   The tour of the caves was also very in-depth, and involved stairs, crouching, and even some sliding.  The whole adventure took around 2 hours, but was definitely worth it!

Cave formations in Lewis and Clark Caverns

Missoula, Montana

My last destination in Montana was the lovely city of Missoula, home of my uncle and aunt’s family.  I was very excited to see them and spend time together since it had been many years between visits.  I ended up staying a little over a week there.  They were also kind enough to allow me to park my RV in their driveway, which saved me a lot of money and was super convenient!  I had such a wonderful time with them.

The day before I was planning to continue my journey to Alaska, my dad flew down to Missoula from Alaska.  As I was planning the trip, I grew somewhat concerned about the possibility of a problem with my motorhome somewhere in Northern Canada, where there are few towns and very little cell service.  I knew that I could probably figure out any situation I might get into.  But, I also didn’t relish the idea of potentially being stranded.  My dad was kind enough to agree to join me on the Canadian leg of my journey.  He has lots of great expertise for potential issues, and is also super great company!  I was so excited for him to join me and thankful that he was able to.