Day 4

We actually left the hotel at a pretty decent time this morning and started our drive towards Great Falls. Which was basically this the entire way: 

Even I love driving in Montana!

Especially with all the buttes:

We made it to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center by late morning. I have been excited about this place since we planned the trip. The important thing was I kept my cool and wasn't a giant dork about it:

Once inside we had to get Mike to share with the other kids:

And discovered Heidi's love of furs:

And saw an early rifle being fired, which was according to all 3 kids the highlight of the visit:

At this point, much like Captain Meriweather Lewis, I had to make a tough decision about our ongoing route. We did not have enough time to do both the Lewis and Clark Pass and the Gates of the Mountains both of which I had been dying to see. 

After some consultation with the map and the rest of my party, it was decided we would take the more direct route to our hotel in Helena, which would mean skipping the Lewis and Clark Pass. A heart-wrenching decision to say the least. I take comfort in knowing this gives me an excuse to come back to Montana.

Before we continued south we took a detour to Great Falls, which for any fellow Lewis and Clark buffs was where the 18 mile Great Portage began:

We had our daily picnic lunch on Ryan's Island overlooking the falls, I think the guy on the left works for the FBI:

After lunch we drove down to Gates of the Mountains but along the way we passed through one of the most amazing landscapes I have ever seen: the Adel Mountain volcanics, a pile of volcanic rocks that flank the Missouri River for 40 miles. 

Even Andrew was impressed:

Mike loved this photo bomb:

We made it to Gates of the Mountains for the last boat tour of the day. I made them retake this picture until they looked as excited as I was:

The entire landscape is full of amazing limestone cliffs. Here, I'll let Meriweather Lewis describe it for you: “In many places, the rocks seem ready to tumble on us.” At each bend in the waterway, great stone walls seemed to block passage, only to open like gentle giant gates as the expedition drew near.

This formation is what Lewis described as the Gates of the Mountains:

We took a quick stop at the campsite of Lewis's expedition (it's hard to get a 12 year old to face the camera):

That is a well pump in the background that my kids were obsessed with. This photo has a real 70s feel to it that may have a lot to do with my attempt to bring the romper back into fashion:

After 2 hours on my favorite boat tour EVER, we made it to Helena in time for a quick swim and dinner. 

I am going to call it, Montana is definitely the most amazing state I have visited and quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

I mean look at the gorgeousness of my reject photos!!:

Tomorrow on to Yellowstone National Park!