Trip Reports: June 24 to July 11, 2004

by Ted & Sylvia Blishak

The American Orient Express
Lewis and Clark Epic Journey

Sunday, July 4, 2004

Great Falls, Montana

Helena, originally called Last Chance Gulch, is the capitol of Montana, and has a population of about 10,000 people who live in a remote, wild-west area surprisingly rich in architectural diversity. The town’s early settlers made fortunes in gold, and vied to see who could construct the most elaborate and unusual homes. They hired architects from the east coast as well as from Europe, and the tasteful results sport brick, sandstone, granite, Tudor, Gothic, and shingle styles. The singular community center is built in the style of a mosque, with a 125-foot minaret competing for attention on the city skyline with the Cathedral of St. Helena.

On our stunningly scenic motorcoach trip along the Missouri River from Helena to Great Falls, passengers notice a railroad track parallels the highway. “Why doesn’t the American Orient Express take us to Great Falls?” a passengers inquires. We are told that these rails are approved for freight only and not maintained well enough for passenger trains.

Lewis was thrilled to see the enormous waterfall, the Great Falls of the Missouri…900 feet wide and 80 feet high…

So says our daily program, but a dam just upstream above the falls has re-routed most of the water to a hydro-electric plant, reducing the flow over the falls to a token trickle and eliminating the wilderness aspect that impressed Lewis so much. However, portaging around the falls delayed his party for over a month. Having developed “museum fatigue” by the time the bus reaches the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, we elect to walk down the steep trail to river, attempting to see the banks of the Missouri through Lewis’s eyes.

Today’s activities include a narrated boat excursion on the Missouri to what Lewis called “The Gates of the Rocky Mountains”, where high granite cliffs on each side of the river give the optical illusion of blocking your path, then suddenly seem to part as one approaches. This is part of the haunting, unusual countryside where the plains suddenly meet the Rockies. Mountain goats and their kids scramble high above the river on nearly vertical cliffs. A mule deer and three spotted fawns eye our boat, then leap behind a tree.

Mountain Goats- if you can find them!

Returning to our cruise train, we retrace our path across the Continental Divide, then are switched to a 44 mile segment of the former Montana Western Railroad, recently purchased, but not yet upgraded by, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. We rock and roll at 28 mph to Silver Bow, where we join the Union Pacific Railroad for the remainder of our journey, our next stop being Idaho Fall, Idaho, crossing the Continental Divide twice again in the process.

During a late dinner in the Jasper dining car, which is festooned with American flags, we notice several passengers heading for the Rocky Mountain piano lounge car dressed in bathrobes. They say, “Haven’t you heard about the pajama party? Come on in when you’re finished eating.”

We were admitted, even without robe and pajamas. Onboard pianist and vocalist Bonnie Hackett was leading a sing-along -- an old-fashioned, pre-TV activity that all of us enjoyed. Soon she was asking for requests for patriotic songs to celebrate the Fourth of July. Everyone joined in (even the teens knew the words) for “America the Beautiful”, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, “God Bless America”, and “My Country ‘tis of Thee.” No fireworks, but what a great way to celebrate Independence Day!

Finally we stood to sing the always-thrilling “Star Spangled Banner” as the American Orient Express rumbled on from Helena to Idaho Falls.

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