OGDEN RAPTORS VS OREM OWLS

The Ogden Raptors bat
against the Orem Owlz

For the final night of our trip, we found ourselves in Ogden, Utah to see the Ogden Raptors host the Orem Owlz. This completed our circuit of the Pioneer League. It was our only opportunity to see the Raptors play while it was our fourth time seeing the Owlz.

Ogden is the biggest draw in the league having led the Pioneer League in attendance since they moved into Lindquist Field in 1997. It offers views of downtown Ogden and panoramic vistas of the Wasatch Mountains even nicer than those in Orem. One of the teams co-owners is also the P.A. announcer at the ballpark.

IDAHO-UTAH STATE LINE

The Supreme Commander
Returns to the State of Utah

We left West Yellowstone, Montana this morning and passed through Idaho as we returned to Utah for tonight's ballgame in Ogden. We pulled over for a few quick photos as we entered Utah from Idaho, the last of our state crossings on land. (Our first was in the opposite direction, passing from Utah to Idaho.)

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - DAY 2

Today we drove Yellowstone's "Grand Loop" which is a road that allows us tourists to pass by all the major attractions within the park. While on our loop tour we saw some elk, bears, bison, and a little fella I couldn't identify who popped up while we were photographing an elk. Perhaps he was a chipmunk. If you can tell from the photo, please let me know. We saw the Norris Geyser Basin, Lake Yellowstone, as well as several other lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and hot springs throughout the park

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

The Supreme Commander waits for the
 old man to pack up and get moving

We packed our bags again and left Jackson Hole for a couple of days in Yellowstone National Park. The plan for the first day was to see Old Faithful and then the Midway Geyser Basin featuring the Excelsior Geyser Crater and the Grand Prismatic Spring. We also stopped to have a look at some bison we spotted along the highway. When the day was done, we drove across the state line to West Yellowstone, Montana where the hotel rates are much lower than in the park.

JACKSON HOLE, WY

Swinging in Jackson, WY

We spent the day hanging out in Jackson. We walked around town in the morning then watched the 4th of July parade. In the afternoon, actors put on an old west style shootout in the town square. Shortly after sundown, we came out to watch the fireworks show.

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

A pit stop in the mountains on our way to Jackson Hole, WY.

We left Casper this morning with a destination of Jackson, Wyoming. The name of the town is actually Jackson but it's commonly known as Jackson Hole because it seems to be down in a hole surrounded by a range of gigantic mountains. We passed through Grand Teton National Park on our way to Jackson.

CASPER GHOSTS VS. OREM OWLZ

Mike Lansing Field in Casper, WY

This was a rematch of the first game on our trip in Orem, Utah but this time it's being played at Mike Lansing Field, in Casper, Wyoming. The ballpark sits next to the North Platte River which runs just beyond the rightfield fence.

Mike Lansing is a Wyoming native who was raised in Casper and played for the Montreal Expos and Colorado Rockies. (He was also named in the Mitchell Report as a player who used illegal performance enhancing drugs but the locals appear to have forgiven him.)

SOUTH DAKOTA-WYOMING STATE LINE

After our long day culminating in a visit to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, we stayed overnight in Keystone, a town about three miles down the hill. This morning we hit the road for Wyoming and as is our custom, we pulled to the shoulder for some photos when we reached the state line.

MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, SOUTH DAKOTA

The Mount Rushmore Memorial

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial was an incredible sight. I feared it might not be as impressive in person as it seemed in photos and on TV but seeing it was a marvelous experience. Sculpting on a human scale is difficult enough but to sculpt 60 foot tall heads of four U.S. presidents into the top of a mountain with early 20th century tools requires skill I can't begin to comprehend. The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, was a controversial figure, as were the men whose likenesses he carved into the mountain and the memorial itself. Still, there's no doubt Borglum was an artist of immense vision and talent.

STURGIS, SD

Sturgis is a sort of Motorcycle Mecca. An annual convention for bikers, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, has been held here dating back to 1938. It draws over 500,000 to a town of only 5,000. Some of the motorcycle shops and tattoo parlors in town allegedly earn 75 to 90 percent of their annual income during the week-long rally. There is also a Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Museum in Sturgis.  Luckily for us, the annual rally is still about a month away (held in the first full week of August) so we were able to look around Main Street and not be blocked by half a million bikers and their bikes.

DEADWOOD, SD

The Bullock Hotel on Main St

Deadwood bears very little resemblance to the old black and white photos from the gold rush days and just as little resemblance to the thoroughfare seen in HBO's TV series, Deadwood. The wooden buildings built during the 19th century were wiped out by a string of fires and floods. They were replaced by brick & mortar structures. The rebuilt Deadwood's fortunes dried up with the gold mines only to be revived with legalized gambling in the 1980s. Unfortunately, almost no effort was made to rebuild Deadwood in the image of its glory days such as you would see at Old Sacramento State Historic Park.

BELLE FOURCHE, SD



The locals pronounce it Bel-FOOSH and it's the town closest to our country's geographic center. Belle Fourche is a farming and ranching town of a little over 5,000 residents. If you're a fan of the TV series Deadwood, you might be interested to know that Seth Bullock and Sol Star played a pivotal role in the founding of Belle Fourche. I wasn't able to take many photos around town because we were met by a huge rainstorm when we arrived. We stopped for a brief visit at the Tri-State Museum in Belle Fourche before getting back on the road to Deadwood,

NORTH DAKOTA-SOUTH DAKOTA STATE LINE

The Supreme Commander enters South Dakota

We left Dickinson in the morning and headed for South Dakota. We crossed from North Dakota to South Dakota on US-HWY 85. Before reaching the state line, we stopped in Bowman, ND to fill up the tank at a convenience store with a name even better than the "Town Pump." I'm so easily amused.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK - NORTH DAKOTA

Entrance to the visitor center

Our first destination in North Dakota was Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We stopped by the visitors center for some maps and postcards before heading to the post office and an ice cream parlor in the nearby town of Medora. Then we drove to the part of the park featuring the colorful layers of North Dakota's badlands. Specifically, Painted Canyon.

After a long day on the road and tourning the park, we drove to our hotel in Dickinson, ND for some sleep.

MONTANA-NORTH DAKOTA STATE LINE

The Supreme Commander crosses
from Montana to North Dakota

We crossed from Montana to North Dakota via I-94 on our way to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We also stopped at a vista point near the state line to get some shots of the grasslands near some of the badlands in northwestern North Dakota. North Dakota is the least visited state in the USA so we have defied one national trend just by entering the state.

BILLINGS MUSTANGS VS HELENA BREWERS

This was a rematch of the two teams we saw in Helena four days ago. Dehler Park in downtown Billings is a well designed facility. I think it's the best we've seen in the Pioneer League so far. There would be no doubt about it if they didn't have the view from so many seats blocked by safety netting.

On the other hand, they score very highly for their wide concourse which circles the entire playing field. This allows fans to watch from just about anywhere in the outfield, something most minor league parks (and some major league parks) don't provide.  Dehler Park also had the best ballpark food we've encountered anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.

LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT

The 7th Cavalry Monument on Last Stand Hill

On June 25th-26th, 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn took place between the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment and a combined force of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapho warriors. It was the most famous battle of the Great Sioux War of 1876 and it resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. The battle was fought near the Little Bighorn River in south-central Montana.

MISSOULA TO BILLINGS

We had a five hour drive from Missoula to Billings today. There's no game tonight but after the long drive, I'm glad to have a night to relax at the hotel. We're staying in Billings for two days. The Billings Mustangs will host the Helena Brewers tomorrow night and we'll be going to the game. The hotel in Billings is quite nice and only two blocks from the ballpark.

The only picture I took today was at a gas station where we stopped to fuel up on the way to Billings. Maybe the folks around here don't find it amusing but when I was a teenager in the East Bay during the 70s, the term town pump had an entirely different meaning.

MISSOULA OSPREY VS. BILLINGS MUSTANGS

The grandstands at Ogren Park,
Allegiance Field, Missoula, MT

The Missoula Osprey hosted the Billings Mustangs on a pleasant night at Ogren Park. Since we couldn't buy tickets in advance, we arrived early to ensure we could acquire tickets to our liking. For reasons that weren't explained to us, the gates weren't opened until 6:25 for a 7:00 game. The gates typically open an hour before the scheduled first pitch so we were stuck standing outside the park for about twenty-five minutes.

OGREN PARK AT ALLEGIENCE FIELD - MISSOULA, MT

Ogren Park at Allegiance Field, on
the Clark Fork River, Missoula, MT

The Missoula Osprey play at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field. Sigh... Another place where they don't know how to pick a name. As far as the team nickname goes, they chose a great one. The osprey is a fish eating raptor sometimes called a fish eagle. It is adept at spotting fish in the water and diving down to pluck them out with their talons. The logo on one of the Missoula Osprey caps has an osprey's talons clutching a large fish. There is an osprey nest atop a pole beyond the right-centerfield fence. I hope we'll be able to see the team's resident osprey take off and snatch a fish out of the Clark Fork River at the game tonight. (The Clark Fork River passes the stadium just beyond rightfield.)

GREAT FALLS VOYAGERS VS. MISSOULA OSPREY

The Supreme Commander in front of
Centene Stadium in Great Falls, MT

Today we rolled into Great Falls, Montana to see an afternoon game between the Great Falls Voyagers and the Missoula Osprey of the Pioneer League. The Voyagers play their home games at Centene Stadium, across the road from the Missouri River, just below Black Eagle Falls.

GREAT FALLS, MT - MISSOURI RIVER

The Supreme Commander at
Black Eagle Falls, Great Falls, MT

The Missouri River (the longest river in the USA) passes through Great Falls, Montana where there are five waterfalls within a span of about ten miles. These are the falls that confounded and delayed the Lewis & Clark Expedition for about a month.

Great Falls is near the upper center of Montana and about a hundred miles from the Canadian border. The waterfall (and dam) pictured here, known as Black Eagle Falls, is a short distance from Centene Stadium where the Great Falls Voyagers play their home games. It was named Black Eagle Falls for a black eagle that built its nest in a cottonwood tree on an island in the falls.

HELENA BREWERS VS. BILLINGS MUSTANGS

Kindrick Legion Field, Helena, MT

The Helena Brewers hosted the Billings Mustangs at Kindrick Legion Field. This ballpark opened in 1932 and went through several renovations since then. It's an old park but a pleasant place to see a game.

At least it would be if not for a pack of drunken men and women who sat in the bleachers on the first base side. Their behavior was appalling. The men cursed and taunted the visiting Mustangs most of the night while the women made numerous sexually suggestive remarks. This coarse behavior was displayed before several young children sitting in the same section. When the father of a couple of the children voiced his displeasure, the drunken men tried to pick a fight with him.

MONTANA STATE CAPITOL - HELENA



The Montana State Capitol in Helena, MT

We arrived early in Helena after our stop in Butte so we had plenty of time to visit the State Capitol in Helena. Construction of the Capitol began in 1896 and was completed in 1902. Montana's government outgrew it quickly so wing-annexes were added with their construction completed in 1912.

The dome is covered in copper with a statue known as the Goddess of Liberty standing atop it. The statue of a man on horseback in front of the Capitol Building is of Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish revolutionary who served as an officer during several important battles of the U.S. Civil War and as Territorial Governor of Montana.

BUTTE MT

The Supreme Commander beside the Butt Trolley?

On our way to Helena, we stopped to look around the historic old mining boomtown of Butte in southwest Montana. There may not be much left in the mines these days but as any ten year old boy or immature middle aged man can testify, the name of this town is pure gold. Don't let Buzz Killington ruin the fun by telling you it's pronounced byoot. We know it's supposed to be Butt, Montana. The Supreme Commander understands this, as evidenced by the photo with the trolly.

IDAHO-MONTANA STATE LINE

The Supreme Commander
steps from Idaho to Montana

We left Idaho Falls this morning on our way to Helena, Montana.  We stopped on I-15 for a photo when we reached the Idaho-Montana state line. We have a stop in Butte, Montana before we reach Helena.

IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO

Idaho Falls on the Snake River
in Idaho Falls, ID

The City of Idaho Falls gets its name from the falls on the Snake River that passes through town. The falls were a short distance from our hotel (and the ballpark) so we stopped there on our way out of town this morning.

By the way, this is the same Snake River that daredevil, Evil Knievel, tried to jump over on a rocket powered motorcycle in 1974.

IDAHO FALLS CHUKARS VS OREM OWLZ

The Supreme Commander strolls to the
game through the streets of Idaho Falls, ID

The Idaho Falls Chukars hosted the Orem Owlz at Melaleuka Field tonight. It looked like it would be a good night for the local nine as they jumped out to an early 5-0 lead after two innings. But the Owlz stormed back and won the game 13-6. The Chukars' pitchers were hit hard and they didn't get much help from their fielders who committed five errors. The Owlz had some defensive struggles of their own, committing four errors, including three on one play that contributed greatly to the Chukars' early lead.

MELALEUCA FIELD - IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO



Melaleuca Field in Idaho Falls, ID

When we arrived at Idaho Falls, we went straight to the ballpark to ensure we could find it and to get tickets for that night's game between the Idaho Falls Chukars and the Orem Owlz. The Chukars play their home games at Melaleuca Field which is a short distance from the Idaho Falls on the Snake River.

The ballpark and team office were open when we arrived. The office staff let us look around the ballpark to help us choose seats to our liking. That's when I took the pictures you see in this post. When we returned, we bought some souvenirs in addition to our tickets. Each of bought a Chukars cap. Shannon also picked out a "hoody" sweatshirt, a tee shirt, and a blanket. I bought a tee shirt and a jersey worn by one of their players in a previous season.

POCATELLO, IDAHO

We made a brief stop in Pocatello on our way to Idaho Falls. It's the fourth largest city in Idaho with a population of about 55,000 and it's the home of Idaho State University. After watching the Idaho State Bengals football team play on TV in peculiar Holt Arena, we just had to get a look at it in person.

The Supreme Commander on
the ISU campus in Pocatello, ID

First, we made a quick cruise through Pocatello's historic downtown district, then we drove to the north end to the city to the university. Holt Arena opened in 1970 and it's the oldest enclosed stadium on a college campus in America. It's the second oldest of all as the Astrodome opened about five years earlier. Holt Arena isn't a huge stadium like the Astrodome, though. It's more like an over sized, Quonset hut. Holt Arena seats about 12,000 for a football game and 8,000 for a basketball game. After seeing the success of Idaho State's Holt Arena, in 1975, the University of Idaho in Moscow enclosed its stadium in similar fashion.

UTAH-IDAHO STATE LINE

Entering Idaho from Utah

We pulled off to the shoulder of I-15 as we reached Utah's border with Idaho. This is on our route to Idaho Falls.

PROVO, UTAH - LAVELL EDWARDS STADIUM AT BYU

The Supreme Commander at
BYU's Lavell Edwards Stadium

We saw a ballgame in Orem last night but we stayed at a motel in nearby Provo, home of Brigham Young University. BYU's football stadium, Lavell Edwards Stadium, was visible from our motel so we decided to stop by for a look after we checked out.

Our next desination is Idaho Falls, Idaho, home of the Idaho Falls Chukars. The Chukars will be hosting the same Orem Owlz we saw last night in Orem. We'll have a few stops in between Provo and Idaho Falls.

OREM OWLS VS. CASPER GHOSTS

Groundskeepers prepare the field for play
at Brent Brown Ballpark in Orem, UT

Orem is Utah's sixth largest city, located about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City and adjacent to Provo. Orem is on the eastern shore of Utah Lake and near Mt. Timpanogos of Utah's Wasatch Mountain Range. It is also home to Utah Valley University and the Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League, a farm club of the Anaheim Angels. (No, I'm not buying into that Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim nonsense.)

UTAH STATE CAPITOL - SALT LAKE CITY

Our 2011 Roadtrip started very early this morning. I had to wake up at 3:00 AM as we were departing for Oakland Airport at 4:00 AM. We arrived in Salt Lake City at about 9:30 local time (8:30 Pacific time). With time to burn before tonight's Pioneer League baseball game between the Orem Owlz (yes, it's pluralized with a "z" instead on an "s") and the Casper Ghosts, we stopped to visit Utah's State Capitol on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City.