A Quick Visit to the Copper Kings

The drive between Missoula and Yellowstone took us to Anaconda, Montana. Anaconda was founded when a "Copper King" built a smelter for the nearby copper mines. In 1919 they built the tallest smokestack in the world. It's still there -- a monolith (phallic symbol?) in the dry rugged outcroppings. Jan took a million pictures of the thing. He loved it.

There is now a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course on the site of the "Old Works." And interestingly, all the sand on the course is made out of mining tailings, which are black.  It's a striking and intimidating image. You can see sand traps in the pictures. You can also see that I had a pretty fun front nine. (I got back to myself on the back. Of course.)

It took us two days to play the course. We got completely rained out the first day (like drenched and freezing kind of miserable) -- so we had to go to the hotel (Fairmont Hot Springs Resort - which makes the best apple crisp ala mode I can imagine) and soak in the hot springs. So that worked out all right.

The next day I worked all day and then went back to the course around 3pm. It was sunny but very windy. Still just beautiful scenery and very fun golf. Well maybe not as fun to Jan. But he came back in the end.

We ate well and rested well and got a big chunk of my work taken care of (so now I really feel free) while in Anaconda. And we saw a llama, which is always good. 

Best vanity plate: IRSIOU.

Garage sale shopper in Anaconda