TravelingScientist.blog

Tag: travel

  • Charles M. Russell Museum

    Charles M. Russell Museum

    Things to Do in Great Falls, Montana, USA

    400 13th Street North. In the Summer from May to September, the Charlie M. Russell Museum is open everyday from 10 am to 5 pm. In the Winter from October to April, open Thursday to Monday from 10 am to 5 pm. Adult admission is $20 with discounts for students, seniors, and veterans, and free admission for active military.

    I was in Great Falls for an archaeology conference, the American Rock Art Research Association annual meeting. On the last day, all the field trips were canceled due to rainy weather and muddy roads that were impassable even with 4WD. So, we all explored the Russell Museum in town.

    Of particular interest to our group was this small boulder with engraved petroglyphs that had been moved to the museum grounds from somewhere south of the Big Sandy area. There is a horned headdress on a human figure and a horned serpent.

    This 1914 Charlie Russell painting, Jumped, is particularly interesting to our group as it depicts Native American paintings on horses in the scene. This conflict and violence between Native Americans and white settlers in a wagon train is more reminiscent of Charlie’s earlier work, than his later work in the mid-1910s. Charlie uses the fading light of day to highlight the action with the background and shadow the foregrounds, providing depth and a sense of gravity to the scene.

    I really enjoyed seeing the illustrated letters Charlie wrote to friends. Quite amazing!

    Another special area was where the museum staff had selected their favorite works by other artists in the collection. Each museum label had a nice explanation of why the piece was important to them personally.

    There were also quite a few Native American items, but most of my photos either didn’t turn out well or I was too engrossed to even take a photo. One exception was this very cool bull boat!

    Another fun treat was the VR station and the children’s play area.

    It was a great morning adventure, followed by a visit to the Celtic Cowboy Pub & Restaurant for a late lunch and watching a World Cup match!

  • Brinton Museum

    Brinton Museum

    Things to Do in Big Horn, Wyoming, USA

    239 Brinton Road. Located about 20 miles south of Sheridan and a short drive west off I-90 and Hwy 87, museum admission is free.

    For current seasonal opening hours, check the Brinton Museum website. In the Summer, the museum is open everyday at 9:30 am to 5:00 pm from May to September. In the Fall, the museum is open Thursdays to Saturdays at 9:30 am to 5:00 pm from September to December. In the Winter, the museum is closed from December to February. In the Spring, the museum is open Thursdays to Saturdays at 9:30 am to 5:00 pm from February to May.

    The Britton Museum has a significant collection of Western Art, featuring Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, Thomas Moran, among others. Click on the gallery photos to see the full images.

    To Honor The Plains Nations on exhibition in the Mars Gallery displays pre-reservation and post-reservation era items from the Bradford Brinton Collection and the Gallatin American Indian Art Collection.

    Bradford Brinton collected American Indian art primarily representative of the Northern Great Plains Indian Peoples and the southwest and northwest coast tribes.

    Later on, the museum substantially expanded its American Indian collections with the Gallatin gift of Crow/Apsáalooke, Lakota, and Cheyenne items.

    A pictographic painted muslin dated 1899 by Stephen Standing Bear (Minneconjou/Lakota) depicting the events leading to the Battle of the Little Big Horn; an Apache Woman’s Dress and Moccasins (1850s); and a rare Blackfeet War Chief’s Shirt and Leggings (1830s) are among more recent accessions.

    Bradford Brinton was a wealthy businessman and rancher who amassed a significant art collection focused on the American West and Native American items. After his death, his sister Helen inherited the Quarter Circle A Ranch outside of Big Horn as her summer home as well as Brinton’s art collection. The current museum was built on the ranch property, plus you can also tour the Ranch House in the Summer ($10).

    There are also tours of James Jackson’s Leather Workshop ($10) and Nature Trails on the property. Below are photos from the amazing temporary exhibition of Jackson’s artwork that was on display during my visit in April 2026. Unfortunately, when I visited, the Ranch House and Leather Workshop were not open for the season yet. A good excuse to return!

    The views and landscape surrounding the museum are just magnificent! And, I enjoyed a delicious bowl of soup and a nice glass of wine at the Museum Bistro for lunch.

    This was a wonderful way to break up a longer drive. Even the drive from and to the Interstate is a beautiful escape.

    Whether you are spending a couple of days in Sheridan or just driving through, the Brinton Museum is definitely worth a stop.

    I also was impressed by the carefully curated items in the Museum Shop. I got a wonderful children’s book and am the proud owner of some new earrings as well. They even have a website to buy items online.

    The Brinton Museum is a window to the past and the future. Make a detour to visit on your next trip out West!

  • Shiprock

    Shiprock

    Things to Do in the Navajo Nation, New Mexico, USA

    Tsé Bitʼaʼí (“rock with wings” or “winged rock”) is located within the Diné Bikéyah (ancestral lands of the people) in northwest New Mexico.

    Visible for up to 50 miles away, the landmark’s name of Shiprock comes from the formation’s resemblance to a 19th century clipper ship.

    Shiprock is the eroded remnant, or volcanic neck, of an explosive volcanic eruption that happened about 27 to 30 million years ago. It formed when cooling magma solidified inside the vent of a volcano. Over millions of years, softer surrounding rock eroded away, leaving the hard volcanic core and radiating vertical rock walls called dikes exposed. 

    Shiprock is a monadnock  — an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. It rises ~1500 feet above the high-desert plain and has a peak elevation of almost 7200 ft above sea level.

    Because it is a sacred site, climbing and hiking on the peak or driving on the dirt roads leading directly to it are strictly forbidden. Visitors must view and photograph the landmark from nearby paved roads like US Highway 491 or Indian Service Route 13. The formation is 11 miles southeast of the town of Shiprock, which is a good place to stop for fuel and snacks.

    Some of best views are along paved ISR 13 on the southern side of the formation that actually goes through one of the volcanic dikes. That’s where I took these photographs.

    There are small pull-outs along the road shoulder, so you can safely park and get out of your vehicle to take photographs. One of the larger pullouts has a dirt road headed towards the formation, but remember it is illegal to visit without a Navajo guide. If you have the time and want to get closer and learn from a native guide, book with Navajo Tours.

  • Boon’s Family Thai BBQ

    Boon’s Family Thai BBQ

    Places to Eat in Farmington, NM, USA

    Open Monday – Saturday 11 am – 9 pm. 321 Main Street.

    Thai food is one of my favorite restaurant experiences. And, since I live in rural west Texas, not something I am able to get except when I travel or if I make a homemade green curry stir fry myself. This is a great Thai restaurant and, if you are in the Farmington area, I highly recommend a meal here. I saw lots of people getting takeout. Table service was friendly and efficient, plus it’s clean and comfortable inside. This was my second time eating at this restaurant. I had the Veggie Cakes as an appetizer and the Masaman chicken curry for an entree. It was enough food for my dinner that night and leftovers the next day. I LOVE THAI FOOD!

  • Sunsets in Dillon, Montana

    Sunsets in Dillon, Montana

    During a recent fieldwork trip near Dillon, I cherish fond memories of sitting out on our host’s back deck and watching the sunsets in the evenings.

    Dillon is a historic railroad and ranching town in western Montana with a population of about 4,000 people. My colleagues raved about the Patagonia outlet store and also mentioned the Beaverhead County Museum. Bannock State Park is about 30 minutes west of town. During our stay in Dillon, we ate at Sparky’s Garage and the Den Steakhouse.

    All good things to look forward to the next time I’m in town.

  • Newspaper Rock

    Newspaper Rock

    Things to Do in Utah

    Newspaper Rock is an impressive petroglyph site located along Indian Creek in southeastern Utah. On a recent work trip, I was driving from Cortez, Colorado northwest to Moab, Utah. Along Highway 191, I passed the sign for Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument. I had seen photographs of the petroglyphs before but had never visited the real thing. So, I decided to take the 13-mile one-way detour to visit the site. From Hwy 191, you turn west at another popular photo op stop along the highway at Church Rock on UT-211. This road drives through parts of Bears Ears National Monument (managed by the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service) and leads into the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park (National Park Service).

    There’s a small parking area with a composting toilet and map kiosk at the turnout on the right side of UT-211 just after you drive through the trees along Indian Creek. It is just a few hundred-meter walk to the panel protected by a fence railing. In fact, this is one of the few petroglyph sites that I know of that is ADA compliant and is accessible by those with mobility issues.

    When I arrived in the late afternoon, there was no one else there. I could have stared at the panel for hours, but it was getting late and a thunderstorm was moving in, so after about 30 minutes I got back and headed north towards Moab. Most people will be content with a 10-minute look, but I’m an archaeology nerd.

    This panel displays multiple periods of imagery from cultures dating from 2000 years ago to recent times. The older art is attributed to the Basketmaker and Ancestral Puebloan people. The more recent petroglyphs are attributed to the Ute people who still live in the Four Corners area.

    There’s both camping within Bears Ears National Monument and also the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, further along UT-211 past Newspaper Rock. I’ll also say that I passed a really cool glamping operation at the intersection of Hwy 191 and UT-211 called Glamping Canyonlands that I am definitely going to check out the next time I’m in the area. And, you are only about 50 miles south of Moab. I can only imagine that the stargazing here is amazing.

    Check out this really cool 3D model of the site on Ancient Art Archive‘s website.

  • Waterfalls of Great Falls

    Waterfalls of Great Falls

    Things To Do in Great Falls, Montana, USA

    I recently had a work conference in Great Falls, Montana. I make it a point to go do a few adventures anytime I travel for work, especially when it is a place that I have never been to before. I didn’t have a lot of free time, but I carved out a few hours to visit the CM Russell Museum and drive out to Black Eagle, one of the waterfalls for which Great Falls gets its name. I do have some great food recommendations as I did get to go out for lunch and dinner several different days.

    Near the town of Great Falls, there are five waterfalls along a ten-mile stretch of the Missouri River. Traveling along the river west to east: Black Eagle Falls, Colter Falls (submerged), Rainbow Falls, Crooked Falls, and the Great Falls (Big Falls). It took Lewis & Clark 33 days to portage all five falls. As a 7th grade kid, I was fascinated by Lewis & Clark and read much of their journals – so visiting one of the falls was extra special.

    I visited Black Eagle Falls, which are the closest to town just north of the city grid. My photos were taken from the Black Eagle Falls Dam View on the south side of the river along River Drive. But, if you have more time, you can cross the river and take North River Road to a parking area near the Black Eagle Plant Powerhouse. From there, you can cross a suspension bridge to Black Eagle Memorial Island to get more up-close views of the falls. There are also walking trails along the river on the south side of the river that go for several miles to view many of the waterfalls.

    Just upstream of Black Eagle Falls along Giant Springs Road is the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Giant Springs State Park. I was disappointed that the interpretive center was closed on Mondays. I’ll have to come back!

  • Tim’s Chrome Bar

    Tim’s Chrome Bar

    St. Louis, Missouri, USA

    4736 Gravois Avenue. Opens at 8 am; closes at 11 pm on Sundays, midnight on Wednesdays & Thursdays, and 1 am on Friday & Saturday “nights”. And, completely closed on Mondays & Tuesdays.

    Tim’s Chrome Bar is a funky 1970s-designed space with a Scooby-Doo vibe. We had Sunday brunch across the street at Das Bevo before walking over for drinks. But, I will say Tim’s menu items looked intriguing (things like Crab Rangoon Nachos, Groovy Spud – loaded fried mashed potato?).

    The bartenders were friendly. And my mezcal margarita was so delicious, I ended up getting a second one!

    Their Facebook and Instagram highlight Sunday afternoon bingo and comedy events. If I was a local, this would be a regular place for me. [I didn’t take enough photos myself, so these last several are “borrowed” from Tim’s social media page. You can see how cool this place is!?!?!]

  • Bevo Mill

    Bevo Mill

    St. Louis, Missouri, USA

    Das Bevo at 4749 Gravois Avenue is open 5-9 pm on Wednesdays to Fridays, 11 am – 9 pm on Saturdays, 10 am – 2 pm on Sundays.

    For a work trip, I flew into St. Louis recently and had a half day to hang out with a good friend for a morning adventure. We ended up at the Bevo Mill for Sunday brunch.

    There was someone setting up for live music, but we were there pretty early and enjoyed visiting in a unique environment over cocktails. I had an odd, but delicious combo of a slice of carrot cake and a potato cake appetizer. My friend had the Das Big Ass Sammie which was a large biscuit with a chicken schnitzel and a side of cheddar potatoes.

    This is a historic beer garden built by August Busch Sr. in 1916. Apparently, Busch toured Holland for a year seeking authentic artifacts and studying Dutch windmills. The “mill” is named after an Anheuser-Busch non-alcoholic malt beverage produced by the brewery during Prohibition.

    Then, we went across the street to Tim’s Chrome Bar!

  • Ballroom Marfa

    Ballroom Marfa

    Things To Do in Marfa, Texas, USA

    Art Galleries

    Ballroom Marfa at 108 E San Antonio Street is open Wednesdays to Saturdays 11 am – 6 pm; Sundays 11 am – 3 pm. Free changing exhibitions by modern artists in a restored 1920s ballroom. Shows are site-specific and site-inspired commissions by this non-collecting contemporary art museum.

    Be sure to visit the permanent sculptural art installation of Prada Marfa 26 miles west of town. Also, there’s a parody art installation of the “World’s Smallest Buc-ee’s” between Marathon and Sanderson that is worth stopping for a photo op.