Red Lodge, MT

 Today Joe and I went to Red Lodge, MT. It is a 133 mile round trip from Cody. It was alittle chilly when we left, but by the time we got to Red Lodge, it had warmed up nicely. It was a very pretty ride to Red Lodge. We passed by a little cemetary....just out in the middle of nowhere. Also, lots of ranches....cattle and horse ranches.


We passed by the Smith Mining Disaster...it was the worst coal mining disaster in the state of Monatana. On February 27, 1943 an explosion ripped through the mine Of the 77 men working that day, only 3 got out of the mine alive.

Red Lodge started as a stage coach stop in 1884. Coal discoveries nearby transformed Red Lodge into a mining boom town by the 1890s. Red Lodge prospered and by 1911 had a population of 5,000.The mining days came to an end with the Smith Mining disaster in 1943. Today, the Beartooth Hwy. links Red Lodge to Yellowstone and it is a booming tourist center. It' s population is 2,125 people now and that's the way everyone we talked to today likes it!

Lots of crafts and hand-made things to buy...



but, Joe headed for Beartooth Harley.....



and I headed for the hand made chocolates.



Store fronts are original....

and notice there are NO traffic lights!



Great advice! I just had to get a picture of this sign.