Fairmont Hot Springs, MT -- a Honeymoon Tradition

I should explain -- I'm in Bozeman taking care of my uncle.  He needed someone to stay with him after he got out of the hospital two weeks ago.  What a love he is -- so much weaker and more frail than the cowboy who took care of my sister and me years and years ago.  So I get him in and out of bed, cook, clean, and encourage him to do his exercises.  Home health folks come during the week for a variety of things -- God bless them each and every one.  I'm a Hospice volunteer myself which helps with this situation. 

Anyway, my uncle has tried for two weeks to get strong enough to look after himself.  And two days ago he finally admitted that he just can't manage it.  Thank goodness, since there's no forcing a tough old bird like him  to accept help unless he decides he needs to.  

The folks at assisted living  came to the house -- so nice and welcoming.  I know he's in good hands! We've spent the last two days getting him settled -- the phone on, the TV hooked up, the frig stocked, his personal things around the room. 

I know he'd much rather be at home, but I have to go back to South Dakota sometime, and he just isn't strong enough to stay alone. 

So -- off we go to somewhere.  Brian won't tell me where! 

January 5, 2008:  As we drove over the Butte Hill on I-90 yesterday -- a road that didn't even exist when I left Bozeman -- I couldn't figure out where we were going.

"It's a surprise," Brian said.  

So I enjoyed the scenery -- snowy forests and high mountains.  One thing never changes -- semi-trucks in their lowest gears, grinding up Montana mountain passes!  Cloudy skies obscured the huge "Our Lady of the Rockies" statue on the ridge overlooking Butte. 

And then just past Butte, Brian took the turn-off for Fairmont Hot Springs.  What fun!  This is my first trip to this lovely, little family resort. We enjoyed a lovely dinner last night complete with the hanging wine carafe to my right to "air out" the red wine.    

January 6, 2008:  This morning we enjoyed leisurely swims.  What a romantic way to start the New Year!  We even ventured into the outdoor pool -- wonderful warm water surrounded by an icy pool edge.  We heard the shrieks of the kids coming through the covered water slide, and we watched them shoot out the tube in a cloud of steam.  Shivering, they raced through the ice-cold air to go back up the stairs to slide again.  In the photo of the outdoor pool, notice how everyone's in the water up to their necks!     Now time to head home.  This time we took the old highway over Pipestone Pass (MT 2 at exit 127 in Butte) -- the lovely road along the Jefferson River to Whitehall.  This I remembered from childhood!  Back in the days when a trip to Butte or Billings took all day on two-lane, winding blacktop; we packed a picnic for those trips.  

At Three Forks, we headed north for a quick peek at a favorite place from my childhood -- Headwaters of the Missouri State Park.  The Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin Rivers meet here to form the mighty Mo'.  We always took our Christmas tree there and burned it.  How well I remember huge chunks of dirty grey and white ice grinding along in the Missouri.  Swirling cold dark water, growling ice -- great fun for a kid!  Oh yes, a cave high up in the sandstone cliffs that was certainly a mountain lion's home -- at least to an imaginative child.    But then darkness sent us back to I-90 and home. 

January 7, 2008:  Today when I told my uncle about our trip, he got the sweetest look on his face.  

"My wife and I went there on our honeymoon," he said softly.  "She loved to swim; I remember her floating on her back and blowing bubbles."  

How perfect is that?  He loved her so much and was heartbroken when she died six years ago, about a year before my husband died.  

Louise with photos by Brian.  Text and photos copyright GoinMobyle, LLC 2009