Day 48 (July 3): Rest Day in Great Falls

Yesterday morning Max lent me a car to use! His generous offer made my sight-seeing much easier than it would otherwise have been.

First, I went to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. This was really an excellent museum. They had an auditorium with programs scheduled for most of the day: I watched a Ken Burn's documentary on Lewis & Clark (especially made for the museum); a film on the portage that L & C had to do to get around the series of five waterfalls in this area (an 18 day exercise that seriously impaired their ability to get through the Rockies before winter); and an interesting and amusing lecture on the medical treatments used on the expedition (the members were lucky, I think, to have survived all the blood-lettings, etc.). I finally had to break myself away from the auditorium in order to see the museum displays, which were very good and arranged nicely in order of the expedition's trip.

Following lunch, I drove out of town about 15 miles in order to view Great Falls, the largest of the series of five waterfalls. Although there is now a dam there, you are still able to see the falls, just below the dam, pretty much as they would have looked to Lewis & Clark.

I then drove back to town and went to the Charles M. Russell Museum. Russell was a popular local resident and self-taught artist who lived from 1866 to 1926. He started out as a cow-hand, and his western art became very popular, leading to shows in NYC, Los Angeles, the Corcoran in D.C., London, Chicago, etc. I very much enjoyed seeing his colorful western scenes, and seeing how his technique changed gradually as he became more exposed to NY and European artwork.

Google "Charles M. Russell" and see his work for yourself.

Today, July 4, I am planning to watch the town parade, and hope to have lunch with Max.