Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Today we drove north from Cody, WY into Montana so that we could visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield. On the way, the first town in Montana we came to was named Belfry, just miles over the border. We looked for a population sign but found none. We looked for a grocery store and saw what might pass as the local establishment. We weren’t looking for the local Belfry school, but came upon it when we turned to follow Route 72. There, in front of the building, was the school motto: “Home of the Bats.”

I did not make this up.

Moving north we finally came to the first interstate we’d seen in over ten days since leaving Rock Springs, WY and heading north to Jackson. It felt strange to drive at seventy miles an hour; in no time at all we reached Billings, MT. Our guidebook noted that Billings has doubled its population every thirty years and finally reached 100,000 people in 2007. This makes it the largest city in a 500 mile radius.

But we didn’t stop. Our destination was Hardin, MT, which is the “city” closest to the entrance to the Little Bighorn Battlefield and clearly home to less than 100,000 residents. Our guidebook also noted that the best restaurant there is the Purple Cow. However, when we arrived at our motel we asked the clerk for a recommendation. She said to eat at the Four Aces, which is what we did. If you think broasted chicken is a gourmet meal, you would not be disappointed at the Four Aces.

I’ve noticed that, as the weeks pass, our culinary criteria decline. Of all the things on this trip that have not be impressive, I would say the food ranks Number One. Broasted chicken is all right, but it didn’t live up to the clerk’s high praise.

Earl has already decided we’re eating at the Purple Cow tomorrow after we spend the day at Little Bighorn. I checked the guidebook one more time for its recommendation. Basically, it said the Purple Cow was so popular because it is the best restaurant within a 200 hundred mile radius. I guess the guidebook didn’t visit the Four Aces. Since we will have visited both, we can make an informed decision. And perhaps I’ll share our findings.