Travel: State Welcome Centers. Park Service Wants Your Photos. Wyoming & Montana. Cargo Trailer Shelves. Trash.

It's "Travel Tuesday" again:

Make your first stop the State Welcome Center in a new state.

"When traveling about the country, make the State Welcome Center or Visitor Center your first stop—one that will  save you both time and money if you intend to explore the new area you have entered.
 
Your check list should include: State and/or local map, list of all campgrounds from primitive to RV resorts, discount coupons and promotional offerings for visitors, list of attractions, scenic areas, schedule of special or seasonal events, wildlife viewing areas, regional or local bird list, and a restaurant guide along with senior and early diner discounts.

And don’t forget to ask if they allow an overnight stay at the Welcome Center while you plan the rest of your trip in their state."

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Park Service wants your National Historic Landmark photos

"RVers are a fortunate lot: Our travels take us around the country, or just around a region. Wherever we travel though, we're surrounded by beauty and interesting stops begging for a visit. Across the United States nearly 2,500 designated National Historic Landmarks (NHL) cry out for attention.
 
To better publicize these national treasures, the Park Service is putting out a call for photographers of every level and stripe to enter their pictures of NHLs in the agency's 12th annual photo contest. Winning photos will be published in the National Historic Landmark 2012 Event Planner.

“Not all national historic landmarks are battlefields, high-style architecture, or associated with the Founding Fathers,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “But all are places with extraordinary significance to our American story. Through the photo contest we invite people to explore these amazing places and to share their favorites.”
Perhaps a side-benefit of the contest for RVers is the answer to the question, "What do we do on our trip this year?" For a list of National Historic Landmarks, follow this link.
Want to learn more about the contest? Your information is here."
From: http://www.nationalparkvisitor.com/2011/04/park-service-wants-your-national.html
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Wyoming on Interstate 80.   Little America:
The only motel in America with its own Zip Code

"There isn't a whole lot of civilization between Evanston and Green River, Wyoming on Interstate 80. One notable exception is Little America, a giant truck stop and motel complete with its own post office -- Little America, 82929.

Named for Admiral Richard Byrd’s 1929 base camp in Antarctica, Little America has provided a similar haven to motorists since 1934.

Little America is the only motel in America with its own Zip Code, making it a memorable stop for anyone interested in visiting superlatives by the road. The truck stop is well stocked with the regular trucker and road-tripper merchandise. If you're hungry, grab a meal in the coffee shop or if you're not THAT hungry, a 50 cent ice cream cone is the best deal for miles.


And, heaven forbid, if your tow vehicle or RV is acting up and needs a mechanic, there's a repair shop that specializes in diesel engines.
 
We're sad to report that Little America does not have an RV park, but there's plenty of room to park for awhile to stretch your legs or take a snooze."
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Montana's St. Ignatius Mission, Historic Art.

 "If you are traveling anywhere near Glacier National Park in northwest Montana this RVing season, plan a short cultural stop in the small town of St. Ignatius, about 50 miles north of Missoula.
The community, currently on the Flathead Indian Reservation, dates back to the mid-1800s when Jesuit missionaries founded St. Ignatius Mission.
By the early 1890s, Indian peoples and missionaries began construction on the building using local materials. The "million bricks were made with local clay, the lumber was cut in nearby foothills, and the striking interior murals" were created by the mission's handyman ... and extremely gifted amateur painter.
These incredible frescoes are 58 compelling reasons to pull off the highway.




"Brother Joseph Carignano (1853-1919), an Italian Jesuit who was the cook at the mission for many years, painted 58 frescoes on the walls and ceiling of the church, despite no formal art training and only being able to work on the murals in between his regular jobs," writes Jan Krause in the Lake Shore Country Journal.
"The frescos depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, as well as portraits of several saints. Behind the main altar is a triptych of the three visions of St. Ignatius Loyola, and above that a mural of the Last Judgment. Pictures of Mary and Joseph adorn the side altars. These vibrant paintings throughout the church are awe-inspiring, appearing as fresh as if they had been painted yesterday."

In addition, there are two very special paintings of the Salish Lord and Lord's mother (in Native American form) located in the back of the mission. The grounds also feature a log cabin, now a museum, which was the original residence for the Sisters of Providence when they first arrived in the 1860s to start the girls' boarding school.

The Mission Mountain Range is a beautiful backdrop to this "historically interesting" and "artistically dramatic" mission church." 
Phone: (406) 745-2768  Hours: Daily 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. in the summer; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the winter; Sunday Mass - 9:15 a.m.  Admission: Free, donations accepted.
Directions: Approximately 50 miles north of Missoula, just 2 blocks off Hwy 93 in St. Ignatius. Signs are on the highway, and the mission can be seen from Hwy 93.  http://www.rvshortstops.com/2011/06/montanas-st-ignatius-mission.html
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Yesterday:

Ray primed and applied the first coat of paint on the cargo trailer's shelves and their wooden brackets.  He can't finish them today as he is working elsewhere, but he has got them to the point where Jay and I can reinstall them.  Then I can take some pictures.

I just tried to catch up on emails, and getting a few jobs done around the house.

The garbage men came early, so I missed them.  They wanted to get home and spent the 4th with their families, no doubt. 
As I really need to go shopping today, I will just take it with me, as I don't have much garbage, less than a 10 gallon bag for a week.  It can go in the community dumpster where I dump the used cat litter which is already bagged and sealed.  All paper, shredded paper, and food boxes go to the paper recycling.  The rinsed out cat/dog food cans go to the metal man.  Plastic bags either get used as trash bags, go to a thrift shop for re-use, or to the plastic bag recycling.   My drinking water comes out of my Brita water filter jug in the fridge, so no water bottles, and I don't drink sodas.   Any leftover food goes down the disposal, or in the animal traps, so that doesn't leave much.

Misty seems to enjoy being the only dog in the house, and it sure has been quiet around here the last couple of days.