We are up early and have packed to the car for our journey to Hampton In Butte, MT. This is a stopping point before we get to our destination of Jackson Hole Wyoming. Marlon found this place to eat breakfast this morning called Sykes. This place is on our way to the next hotel. For over 100 years, Sykes has served the Flathead Valley through its diner.
We parked and saw a group of men coming from the diner. I'm sure they meet every Saturday for breakfast.
We had to wait but not long. The place was packed! Coffee on the weekend is only 10 cents. Check out our bill for only 10 cents a cup. Where else can you get coffee that cheap? I ordered something I have never ever had before!! A Reuben omelet! It came with a huge order of crispy hashbrowns and the biggest homemade biscuit I have ever had. I took half the biscuit with me for a snack later. 
I could not eat all this omelet it was so full of meat and cheese. I'm sure I will never have this again as it's my first time to ever see this type of omelet on a menu before.
We left this diner and started out towards Butte MT. It is early and the road we are traveling runs along a mountain. There is a huge river that is running alongside the road. 
We have more beautiful mountain views. The CA smoke is starting to clear giving us a better view of the mountains. It rained last night and it helped clear the smoke.
We found a pull-off and drove down by Lake Seeley Montana. The sun is starting to come up and the glow of the sunrise on the lake is so peaceful and beautiful.
We have more beautiful mountain views. The CA smoke is starting to clear giving us a better view of the mountains. It rained last night and it helped clear the smoke.
We stopped for some coffee at Jitterbug Java. This coffee shop was inside a bigger owned store called Grizzly Claw Trading Company. It was in the town of Seeley Lake off Highway 83. The place was full of artifacts, and crafts made by local artists. I bought a labradorite stone encased in sterling silver. The stone was on a sterling silver chain. I feel very happy with my purchase. Marlon had given me money before we came on the trip and told me to buy what I wanted. :-) 
I'm a happy camper as I sip on my coffee and so pleased with my purchase. We have traveled another hour and there is a historic stopping place. We stopped to find out what makes this location historic in the Little Blackfoot Valley.
The story of the Beaver Slide
The Little Blackfoot Valley is filled with lush hay fields. :-) We saw lots of rounded haystacks and commented on the strange lodgepole structures standing in many of the fields. This contraption looks like a cross between a catapult and a cage is a hay-stacker that actually acts like a little of both. It was invented in 1910 in the Big Hole Valley. The device is called a Beaver Slide, which revolutionized haying in Montana. It helped keep the wind from blowing the hay away and cut stacking time considerably,
To work the Beaver Slide, a large rake piled high with hay is run up the arms of the slide which is the sloping portion of the Catapult. At the top, the hay dumps onto the stack. The side gates keep the stick in a neat pile and make it possible to stack higher. The sides were added to the system in the late 1940s.
One more stop along the road to Butte MT. This place was a nice place to get out and stretch our legs. Can't get enough of this beautiful scenery.
We have reached our destination where we will stay the night and then get back on the road to Jackson Hole WY.
