Road Trip - Day 4

One of our goals for the trip was to connect with Dan and Judy Mulder.  Given our fluid schedule we did not make prior arrangements, but hoped for the best.  Luckily, they were available for a lunch meeting that lasted four hours.  We ate at the ‘Windbag ‘in downtown Helena and caught up with each other's lives.  It was great to connect again.  In hopes of a respite from dingy motels, we followed a lead from Dan about the historic Grand Hotel in Big Timber.  Big Timber has high sentimental value as Soren, Esther’s dad, immigrated from Norway in 1929 to sheep herd in the Crazy Mountains.  The hotel was great. $90 got us a classic room with a toilet and sink, along with a superb breakfast.  We ate in the hotel dining room and enjoyed Sonoma chicken and tolerated Rocky Mountain trout.  We were serenaded with fireworks on our 3.5 mile walk through the rustic town.