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Intergenerational: Pioneer Spirit in the Wild West

Program Number: 20798RJ
Start and End Dates:
6/9/2013 - 6/14/2013;
Duration: 5 nights
Location: Dillon, Montana
Price starting at: $669.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: Intergenerational; History & Culture
Intergenerational 		Activity Level: t (see description)
Meals: 14; 5 Breakfasts, 1 Brunch, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners    
Meal Options: Vegetarian    

Program intended for grandchildren from 9 - 12 years of age.

A vast, wild region gifted with sparsely populated expanses of ranch lands and unspoiled mountains laden with thick forests, southwest Montana invokes the pioneer spirit by reminding us that before we could develop the West, a brave few had to venture before us to tame these lands so rough and remote. Saddle up with your grandchild to discover a historic chapter of the Wild West’s amazing tale, with teachers, naturalists and historians along for the ride to lead you through once-uncharted territory.




Highlights

• Ride horseback along historic trails and visit the Sacajawea Historic Area to learn about Lewis and Clark’s expedition on Lemhi Pass.
• Go fly casting and fishing with experts who help you to understand the ecology of southwest Montana streams and the native fish that fill them.
• Encounter Gold Rush ghost towns, sit for a lesson in a pioneer-era one-room school house and take in a 19th-century melodrama performed in a historic opera house.



Activity Particulars

Elevation 5,400 feet. Walking up to one mile on uneven terrain. Horseback riding 3-4 hours on moderate terrain. Elevation up to 7,380 feet.




Date Specific Information

6-9-2013

This program date is designed for grandmothers and granddaughters only.



Coordinated by University of Montana Western.




Dillon

Beaverhead County in southwestern Montana hosts a diverse topography of ranchland, prairie, mountains and rivers. Dillon rests in the middle of it all, close to the gold rush camp of Bannack, Montana's first territorial capital, and Lewis and Clark historic sites.
Accommodations
Comfortable hotel.
Meals and Lodgings
   Guest House Inn & Suites
  Dillon, MT 6 nights
 Guest House Inn & Suites
Type: Motel
  Description: located in beautiful Beaverhead County, near I-15 Interchange
  Contact info: 580 Sinclair
Dillon
Dillon, MT 59725 USA
phone: 406-683-3636
web: www.guesthouseintl.com/hotels/dillon
  Room amenities: refrigerator, cable TV, coffee maker, hairdryer, iron/ironing board, microwave
  Facility amenities: Expanded continental breakfast, indoor heated pool and hot tub, business center for internet, some rooms with jacuzzi
  Smoking allowed: Yes
  Additional nights prior: seasonal rates Call for information and rates.
  Check in time: 3:00 PM
  Additional nights after: seasonal rates Call for information and rates.
  Check out time: 9:00 AM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
4:00-5:00 PM registration You will be staying at Guest House Inn & Suites that night.
  End of Program:
11:00 AM shuttle and independent departures You will be staying at Guest House Inn & Suites the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. A liability waiver is required by the outfitters for participation in the horseback riding
  Parking availability:
Free parking
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Dillon, MT
  Nearest city or town:  Butte, MT
  Nearest highway: I-15, state HWYs #41 and #278
  Nearest airport:  Bert Mooney Airport in Butte
  From End of Program
  Location: Dillon, MT
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

Butte, MT

 

To Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
UM Western
phone: 406-683-7302
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$50.00
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

Allow 2 hours 
   

To ensure reservations with UM Western Road Scholar's shuttle, call at least three weeks in advance (406) 683-7302 for information and schedule.
 

Butte, MT

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
UM Western
phone: 406-683-7302
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$50.00
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

Allow two hours. 
   

To ensure reservations with UM Western Road Scholar's shuttle, call at least three weeks in advance (406) 683-7302 for information and schedule.
 
Driving Directions
  Idaho Falls, ID to Dillon, MT Get onto I-15 N toward Roberts/Butte (Crossing into Montana). Take EXIT 63, toward Dillon/Twin Bridges. Stay straight to go onto I-15-BR/MT-41. Take the 1st left onto Sinclair St to Guest House Inn.
  Bozeman to Dillon, MT Get onto I-90 W toward Butte/Helena. Take exit 249 for Montana 55 toward Montana 69/​Whitehall. Turn left onto MT-55. Continue to follow MT-55 (Whitehall St)-driving through Whitehall, MT. Turn right onto W Legion Ave. Turn left onto MT-55 S. Continue onto MT-41 S this will take you to Twin Bridges, MT. Turn right onto MT-41. Continue to follow MT-41 S towards Dillon. Coming into Dillon Turn right onto I-15 BUS N (1st stoplight). Turn right on Sinclair St to Guest House Inn.
  Helena, MT to Dillon, MT Get on I-15 S toward Butte. Take EXIT 63, toward Dillon/Twin Bridges. Stay straight to go onto I-15-BR/MT-41. Take the 1st left onto Sinclair St to Guest House Inn.
  Missoula, MT to Dillon, MT Get on I-90 E. Merge onto I-15 S via EXIT 219 toward Dillon/Idaho Falls. Take EXIT 63, toward Dillon/Twin Bridges. Stay straight to go onto I-15-BR/MT-41. Take the 1st left onto Sinclair St to Guest House Inn.
Elevation Note: Classes, activities and field trips take place in and around Dillon, MT, elevation of 5,241 feet

Equipment Requirements: Sturdy closed toed boots or shoes for moderate walking/hiking, fishing and horseback riding, water bottle and fanny or day pack to carry possibles (At high altitudes you are more susceptible to dehydration and altitude sickness. Carrying a water bottle with you and drinking plenty of water is of utmost importance to avoid these sometimes dangerous problems). Grandparents may wish to bring a walking stick. All needed equipment for activities will be provided by the outfitter.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Welcome dinner, orientation and get acquainted activities.
(Sunday, June 9)
   
 Arrive To: Registration and hotel check in from 4:00-5:00 pm
 Dinner: Welcome dinner at college cafeteria
 Evening: Orientation on the college campus in one of the conference rooms
   
Accommodations: Guest House Inn & Suites
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Encounter life on a family ranch through experiential activities: learn about the phases of sheep ranching and the wool industry.
(Monday, June 10)
   
 Breakfast: Hot breakfast buffet at the hotel
 Morning: Ranching is a way of life in Beaverhead County which is the center of Montana's largest cattle and hay producing area and is home to over 137,000 head of cows and calves, 14,000+ sheep, and 2,200+ horses, which is over 17 times the human population. Discover the responsibilities of ranchers and the women who have worked hard along side them through the years while visiting a ranch and experiencing ranch duties first hand. Three generations of a ranch family will guide an experiential learning tour of day-to-day life on a sheep ranch. Guests will have the opportunity to feed a "bum" or orphan lamb and see a sheep being sheared. All guides have been involved with 4-H, agricultural and community groups and activities, have raised families on the ranch, and have been active in the National Wool Growers Association at the state and national level.
 Lunch: Sack Lunches on the ranch.
 Afternoon: After morning activities at the ranch, participants will now have the opportunity to watch as wool that has been sheared off the sheep is spun into yarn. The hands on experience will continue as students weave the hand spun yarn into a cup mat to take home.
 Dinner: Dinner at local restaurant
 Evening: A rancher, wife and active member of the National Wool Growers Association will present the history and present status of the wool industry.
   
Accommodations: Guest House Inn & Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Enjoy a morning on the water fly fishing, learning the ecology of streams and lakes and about the fish they carry. Lunch in an historic one room school house turned restaurant then free afternoon and evening.
(Tuesday, June 11)
   
 Breakfast: Hot buffet breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: Local fishing guides will lead an excursion to small mountain lakes where participants will learn and practice basic fly fishing techniques then utilize their newly learned skills by casting their lines into some prime watering holes. Guides will help the group understand the ecology of local streams and lakes and find out about native fishes that anglers long to lure out of the beautiful mountain waters.
 Lunch: Enjoy a unique opportunity to step back in time and enjoy a home cooked lunch at Yesterdays Café. This historical venue once housed a one-room brick school house built in 1903, complete with bell tower and bell, filled with school children and the busy sounds of learning and playing until 1963.
 Afternoon: Free afternoon: Visit Beaverhead County Museum includes area and Lewis & Clark history or nearby Clark's Lookout State Park (Lewis & Clark historic trail site) Walk half a mile along trails into downtown along a nature trail. Downtown includes small town shops--ice cream, coffee shop, bookstore, galleries and gift shops. Or simply enjoy the small indoor pool at the hotel
 Dinner: Dinner on your own
 Evening: Free evening
   
Accommodations: Guest House Inn & Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Consider the life of a range rider and encounter the high country while exploring Montana's frontier on horseback. Visit Lemhi Pass and the Sacajawea Historic Area.
(Wednesday, June 12)
   
 Breakfast: Hot buffet breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: The group will be divided and half wild take a naturalist led wildflower hike while an experienced guide will lead the others on a horseback ride along a trail through open hillsides among a fragment of the county’s 2 million acres of national forest lands that showcase a critical wildlife corridor linking Central Idaho’s wilderness lands to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Riding reveals a landscape with ranch buildings nestled among wild hay meadows and fence lines stringing out across sagebrush plains where cattle out number people. The groups will then switch.
 Lunch: Sack lunches in the field
 Afternoon: Generations will travel through the Horse Prairie Valley, tracing a portion of the Lewis and Clark Trail to Lemhi Pass and the Sacajawea Historic Area. A knowledgeable historian explains Sacajawea’s key role with the early exploration of Lewis and Clark, revealing some of the most meaningful events of the expedition. The group will savor time on Lemhi Pass at the Sacajawea Historic Area which honors the courageous young Native American woman. Reflect on her contribution to the great journey of discovery and on the hardship, discoveries and accomplishments shared by all members of the Corps.
 Dinner: Outfitter hosts a Dutch oven dinner at the ranch.
 Evening: Participants will enjoy a relaxing evening around the campfire, sharing stories under the clear Montana sky.
   
Accommodations: Guest House Inn & Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Visit two historic ghost towns, Montana's first and second territorial capitols and gold rush sites, and enjoy docent-lead tours, a retro lesson in historic school room and 9th century melodrama at historic Opera House.
(Thursday, June 13)
   
 Breakfast: Hot buffet breakfast at hotel
 Morning: Generations will enjoy a morning at Bannack State Park, a renowned ghost town named as Montana's first Territorial Capital in 1864 when the news of a gold discovery brought many to Bannack hoping to strike it rich. Even though the gold trail soon moved to Virginia City, some people stayed in Bannack, exploring the use of other mining techniques. From the late 1860's to the 1930's, Bannack continued as a mining town with a fluctuating population. Docent-led tour provides a glimpse into the historic wild west through exploration of many buildings that were built nearly 150 years ago in this once booming, gold rush town that was named an historic landmark in 1961. The tour includes entry into Bannack's original school building where children will sit in historic desks and experience a school lesson taught in much the same way as children were taught in the late 1800's.
 Lunch: Sack lunch at Bannack State Park
 Afternoon: Just as the gold strike trail moved on, so will Road Scholar adventurers as they travel on to Virginia and Nevada Cities. Rich placer diggings were discovered here at Alder Gulch in the spring of 1863 and the stampede of gold seekers soon lined the gulch in search of riches. Virginia City blossomed forth as trading and amusement center for free handed miners and later became the second territorial Capitol of Montana. The group will pan for gold and enjoy a docent-led tour here among beautiful wood and stone buildings to experience how remarkably well preserved this old west, Victorian gold mining town is as it comes to life in the brief golden months of a Montana summer. Free time will be part of the afternoon schedule so guests have time for individual exploration on their own.
 Dinner: Dinner Virginia City
 Evening: The day will culminate with the unique opportunity to view an evening production of an authentic 19th century melodrama by Montana's oldest professional theater troupe in an historic Opera House.
   
Accommodations: Guest House Inn & Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Pioneering the Wild West wraps up in a newly renovated, historic classroom on the campus of University of Montana Western, site of Montana's Normal School established in 1896.
(Friday, June 14)
   
 Breakfast: Hot complimentary breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: Final presentation offers experiential learning as it encompasses the history of education as it tamed the wild west beginning with Montana's Normal School and the one room school house. The presentation will be held in a newly renovated, historic classroom located on the campus of University of Montana Western, site of the state's Normal School, established in 1896.
 Brunch: 11 a.m. grab and go brunch. Airport shuttle departs at 11:30 am.
   
Accommodations: Guest House Inn & Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Brunch

Free Time Opportunities
  
  Dillon, MT Bannack State Park
Bannack, once the Queen of the gold camps and home of 3,000 people, is now a state park; now 60 beautiful wooden and brick buildings line the old main street. It was the site of the area's first big gold strike in 1862 and later became Montana's first territorial capital. For additional information, visit www.bannack.org/index.htm
  Beaverhead Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Center located at Dillon's historic old railroad depot. For additional information, visit www.beaverheadchamber.org
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


Montana Ghost Towns and Gold Camps: A Pictorial Guide


Author: William Whitfield


Description: Pictorial history includes over 400 photographs and textual commentary detailing ghost towns and mining and gold rush camps at 71 historic locations around the Treasure State. Writer-photographer Whitfield's book reflects more than a dozen years of research and field work.



Montana Mining Ghost Towns


Author: Barbara Fifer


Description: A recording of Montana's historic and abandoned mining towns is presented through colorful images, historical photographs, newspaper excerpts and text describing life in the mining camps - prospectors, outlaws, colorful characters, vigilantes and corporate shenanigans.



Montana, A History of Two Centuries


Author: Michael Malone, William L. Lang & Richard B. Roeder


Description: "Montana: A History of Two Centuries" first appeared in 1976 and immediately became the standard work in its field. This book can be described as a "definitive" one-volume history of Montana. Written primarily to serve as a testbook for college-level history courses, this is a comprehensive, balanced, and detailed overview of Montana's fascinating history. All three authors knew the state extraordinarily well, and clearly loved its past. In this thoroughgoing revision, William L. Lang has joined Michael P. Malone and Richard B. Roeder in carrying forward the narrative to the 1990s. Fully twenty percent of the text is new or revised, incorporating the results of new research and new interpretations dealing with pre-history, Native American studies, ethnic history, women's studies, oral history, and recent political history. In addition, the bibliography has been updated and greatly expanded, new maps have been drawn, and new photographs have been selected.



The Last Best Place, A Montana Anthology


Author: William Kittredge & Annick Smith, editors


Description: This anthology preserves Montana's rich literary heritage from myths and stories of the earliest Native American inhabitants to works of contemporary authors. Read accounts written by early explorers and visitors including Lewis and Clark, Osborne Russell and James Audubon and by miners, cowboys and settlers. This literature that has been birthed in the Last Best Place - diaries, essays, legends, journals, tall tales, poetry - reflects the remarkable nature of the Treasure State.





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