It’s hard to believe that it’s now been just over a month since we were hauled into Billings, Montana.
We knew when we were stranded on the side of the road that we were looking at a lengthy repair, and that definitely factored into deciding what shop to ask Coach-Net to have us taken to. Billings was not only the largest city nearby, it’s the largest city in Montana (some would even say, it’s the only city.. everything else is considered a town.).
The population is just over 100,000 – still a small city in our book, but large enough.
This has proven to be a wise decision – as Billings has offered us a lot in terms of entertainment and keeping busy. We’re located in the area of town called The Heights, which is a bit more industrial than other parts – but it’s not at all difficult to get downtown, or even over to the trendier West End where all the big box stores seem to be.
But even so, the Heights has basic shopping for groceries, hardware and household stuff. Just about every fast food joint imaginable (not our preference for dining), and even a few locally owned restaurants that we’ve become fans of. McCormick’s Pizza & Grille in particular has become a favorite – never would I have imagined I’d find awesome gluten free vegetarian pizza in Montana!
If we want more eclectic dining options, it’s downtown or over the rocks we go!
Also nearby is access to several hiking trails, which is helping us keep active.
There’s the Heritage trail a couple blocks over, Two Moon County Park with paths along the Yellowstone River and the Swords Park trails up on Rim Rock leading the Yellowstone Kelly’s gravesite. We’ve worn a path in all of them.
One of the first things we do when we arrive in a new town for a while is seek out what’s going on in the local community, and mark events on our calendar so we don’t forget. We quickly became tuned into a Symphony in the Park, Roller Derby, Brew & BBQ Fest and other live music events around town.
It’s been fun getting out and doing non-bus things!
And one of the biggest benefits of Billings is its proximity to Yellowstone National Park. We kept hearing how it’s cooler up in Red Lodge, and how amazing the Beartooth pass is.. so this past weekend we decided to do some motoring in the Mini!
Originally we thought we’d just make it to the top of the pass, but the scenery was so beautifully addictive that before we knew it we were 30 miles inside the park. That made for a very long day.. but so worth it for the break from the heat and bus projects!
Our Social Calendar Stays Full!
One of the most surprising things for us however has been the number of amazing people we’ve been able to meet up with while here! Our social calendar has not been lacking.
Almost immediately upon landing, we were contacted by a local who read about us – and were invited out to a private tour of ZooMontana. It’s a fabulous little zoo laid out within the natural environment, and we really enjoyed the opportunity to make local connections.
As I’m afraid I’d get someone’s name wrong, I’m not even going to try to name-names of all the awesome folks who have stopped by – but instead, I’ll present you with this collage of those we remembered to get pictures of (which means yes, there were even more!):
We’ve had locals – either friends of friends, or folks who found us on their own, invite us over for dinner or out to coffee.
The timing of our breakdown also coincided with two major rallies happening down the interstate in Gillette, WY. First the big FMCA gathering, and then the Escapee’s rally the next weekend. And of course, summer is a time when many are doing as we were and exploring the northern states. This has had fellow full-time RVers criss crossing through Billings, and many of them writing to ask if they could stop by!
Heck yeah… we love meeting up!
On top of that, as we’re living at a diesel shop – we’ve made friends with other stranded diesel-pusher RVers who have been our neighbors for a night or two (thankfully, no one else has needed as extensive repairs as us.)
Sometimes staying still has the advantage! Never would we have imagined the social mecca that Billings would be for us.
But we will make special mention of our friends Forrest & Mary, who we spent a month camped with earlier this year back in Cedar Key. They were down at the Escapees Rally, and then decided to head to Billings for a few days to hang out with us. It’s been super special to have friends stay around for more than a few hours – and we’ve enjoyed hikes, meals and exploring local stuff with them.
As if all of this isn’t enough to keep us busy – we’re actively involved with our engine rebuild and spending a lot of time in the shop with our mechanics. We just absolutely love Interstate PowerSystems – and their willingness to let us in the shop and learn is priceless. Our heads are full of diesel knowledge, and we’re making friends here too.
And since we’re still anyway and have access to a shop full of tools, we’ve been tackling a bunch of non-engine bus projects. We’ll update separately with some of what we’ve been up to. When Zephyr pulls out of here, she’s going to have had a lot of updating!
Oh yeah, and that work thing too. We’re getting in our work hours, and actually we’re in the midst of some major transitions.
This isn’t even remotely close to how we had planned our July – which was to start off attending a conference in Portland, and then heading south to where we were in the finalizing paperwork of volunteering to host the lighthouse at Cape Blanco (just down the road from where our online buddies Nina & Paul are hosting another lighthouse).
While we sure are missing the cool temps, ocean breezes, finally meeting Nina & Paul and the amazing experience of volunteering … we definitely feel we’ve found the silver lining in this basket of lemons, and have been making the best of it.
What’s the current bus status?
The engine is actively being put back together as I type, and all of the ancillary systems that are being rebuilt are arriving back to our work area.
We’re anticipating that by the end of the week the shop will be putting the engine on the dynometer for a full round of testing and breaking in. And then next week the shop will try to cram everything back into our engine bay… and hopefully we’ll be back on the road soon after!
And we have no clue where we’re heading from here, but it’ll be anywhere but Billings!
Wow! Great experience shared! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog.
You have set the standard high for marooned RVers. You’ve gone well beyond simply making the most of it and actually turned it into an enriching experience. Lotsa lemonade coming out of this batch of lemons. :))
I have been worrying about you guys, like I would worry about my own kids. So glad to see that you have been keeping busy and that so many wonderful people have been around for you. Checking frequently for updates and will be doing the happy dance for you once you get back out on the road!
You certainly are making the most of your time in Billings. What a great way to deal with your situation. We should be passing through Billings in about a week and a half (Sunday July 28). For your sake I hope you are not still there, but if you are perhaps we can get off I-94 and visit a bit. I have e-mails for you and I have Chris’ phone number, so we will contact you to see if you are still around and at loose ends.
If we’re still stuck in Billings by then, seeing you guys again would add to the silver lining!
Just curious – was the Portland conference WDS? I was there. 🙂
Yup – we contemplated making the drive out in the Mini. But it was just too much.