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Montana is a very interesting State, called “Big Sky Country”. It is the 4 th  State in the US in size after Alaska, Texas and California. There is plenty of space to roam around with five people per square mile. The Continental Divide is to the West with the Triple Divide Peak (8,025 feet) found in Glacier National Park. To the East, you find fertile plains allowing crops and cattle. The first cattle ranch was started in 1833 and rodeos are a part of the State entertainments. After the Civil War, ranchers grew and cattle drives were seen every year, travelling for weeks at the speed of 10 miles a day. Montana weather has warm and clear summer months with cold and snowy winters. HISTORY of the STATE. In the 18 th  century, French trappers came and traded their furs with the Indians. In 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase, East Montana became a US Territory. From 1804 to 1806, Lewis and Clark were sent by President Jefferson to discover the West and find a route to the Pacific Ocean. It to

The West in the 19 th  century. A long time ago, my father offered me a treat every month and took me to a movie theater in the neighborhood to watch a “cowboy movie. “It was wonderful, and I was ready to follow the cowboy’s life. The endless prairie, the camp’s fires with the night full of stars, the riding on your favorite horse, and at the end, the arrival in a “town” with all the “amenities of civilization”. However, years passed, and I read more about this time in History…. which was not the same as my dreams. We will discover the daily life of different professions in the 19 th  century, some still alive. The life of a cowboy. A cowboy was a young man, ready for adventures, who did not mind rough times. He worked at a ranch, taking care of the animals, cattle, and horses, repairing fences, keeping the farm going and called at branding time. He shared a bed in the bunk house with other cowboys and ate with them. The evening was often spent singing around the campfire. When round u

  COLORADO TRIP Some of our family members decided to explore the Rocky Mountain National Park and I was delighted. We started out by visiting Denver. First, we went to the Museum of Nature and Science (started in 1900). You discover the Rocky Mountain Region with its plants, animals, gems, and minerals. The museum offers many more exhibitions about the Universe, prehistoric times and wildlife elsewhere in the world. Next, we visited the Catholic Cathedral. The first parish church, St Mary’s, built in 1869, was replaced by the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, started in 1906 and dedicated in 1912. Seventy-five stained glass windows came from the Royal Bavarian Institute if Munich and adorn the walls. In August 1993, Pope John Paul 2 celebrated Mass as a part of World Youth Day. Denver is also the site of the last two remaining mints in the US, mining coins. Unfortunately, it was closed. Our destination was Estes Park, where we rented a cabin for the

 Denali National Park After a great week spent in Anchorage, we travelled to Denali by coach, a 230 miles journey. Along the highway we could see the changes in the nature around us. The arrival to the park was grandiose. You do not realize how large it is until you see it. Denali mountain is the highest in North America, reaching 20.000 feet and the park has 5 million acres. No car is allowed, and you travel by park buses. We used them and were delighted that rangers boarded the bus with us and gave interesting explanations about the different facts of the park. Animals are roaming free in Denali. We were lucky to observe a Mama grizzly bear followed by her two cubs keeping close to her. A handsome elk looked at us, proud of his stature. Many other small creatures were running around, squirrels, marmots, foxes… However, we were not able to see Denali Mountain top, hidden from us by fog and clouds… As a group, we were taken for small hikes with a ranger to discover small paths an

  Trip to Alaska – Part 2 of 3  After WW2 a Renaissance occurred in the Native culture. As an example, the Youpik have villages of about 250 people with a main occupation: fishing salmon and other fish. They live in log cabins with, next to their door, a small “house”, called "food cache" high on sticks, where they keep their food.  A ladder kept on its side allow humans to go up… but not bears. Hunting is also a necessity to survive during so many cold months of the year. The Eskimos live in the North, grouped in villages along the coast. Whaling has been very important with every part of the animal being used. Logging, fishing, and tourism are the main sources of income in Alaska, but oil has been discovered in Prudhoe Bay in the modern time. We learn an interesting fact about the people of the North…In many of the tribes, you cannot refuse food if you are invited. It is a grave insult to the host… In Anchorage, we were invited to a lively performance of natives’ danc

 Trip to Alaska  -  Part 1  of  3  Photo-www.travelblat.com Alaska was purchased by the US from Russia, with the signature of President   Andrew Johnson on October 18, 1867. After the Civil War, William Seward, Secretary of State, had accepted the second offer by the Russians to sell us Alaska for $ 7.2 million. Little interest was shown first and it was called “Seward’s Folly”…. But in 1896…. Gold was discovered… and everything changed. Alaska became a State on January 3, 1959, Hawaii following on August 21, 1959 as the 50 th State. President Eisenhower issued an order for the American Flag having 50 stars. Alaska is a great place to visit… so different from the other States. What fascinated me was its immensity in contrast with the scare population(except in the large towns) You drive miles along the highway from Anchorage to Denali National Park, meeting a car here and there and stopping at last in a tourist coffee shop, tired from the long drive. If you head South of A

  The Orkney Islands are 20 miles north of the coast of Scotland. In the Orkneys, you will find many prehistorical remains, most of them very well preserved. Maes Howe is a burial chamber, built around 2800 BC for an important family. The entrance is a long low corridor arriving to a burial chamber. The interesting fact is that the tomb is illuminated when the winter solstice sunset shines down through the passage once a year. Let’s go now to the Ring of Brodgar, a circle of 60 stones of which 27 remain standing. It dates from around 3000 BC and was probably used for religious and social ceremonies. Nearby, in Stenness only 4 stones survived. Skara Brae is the Northern Europe best preserved Neolithic village which has an interesting story.   In 1850 a wild storm stripped earth and grass from a dune by the sea and the ruins of an ancient village was discovered… dating from 5000 years ago… before the pyramids were built… The structure of the village survived because it became covered

  Imagine yourself traveling from London to the northern tip of Scotland. The 8 hours train ride is very pleasant, often along the North Sea, other time through the English countryside, peaceful and green with cows and horses grazing around the farms.  The Orkneys Train station on the way north.  Looking out of the window at the right time, you will have a glimpse of Glamis Castle, the favorite of Queen Elizabeth, the deceased Queen Moher. Inverness is at the end of the line, an important town with fancy and comfortable “Victorian” hotels welcoming you. The next morning, you board a smaller train, called “The Far North Line”, where the passengers talk to one another in a friendly way.   The landscape is now different with spare farms, cottages with thatched roofs, sheep grazing everywhere, beautiful scenery with rocks and lakes (called lochs).   The route stops at Thurso, the most northerly train station in the British Isles.      Thurso is close to Scrabster and you will again c