Aug 8th, 2017

Our new RV Campground is Jim and Mary’s RV in Missoula. Very nice, very clean with lots of lawn and shade. Travel days are always busy because besides getting cleaned up, packed, rollin’ and reset up there’s the grocery shopping and such. The bonus is there’s usually “other shopping” too.

We got settled and headed into Missoula to get JP some new waders and boots since his had seen its last best day. Oh! And we had to get BEAR SPRAY! Yeah, the bears aren’t happy with the wildfires and are venturing into new areas. One Walmart was actually sold out. “Not to scare you” JP says, “You just need to know how to pull the pin and point.” Uhhhhhhhhhh OK then? I paid attention!

After shopping and info gathering at Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse we headed out to Garden of 1000 Buddahs in Arlee. It was a nice drive even with the haze of the fires along both sides of the corridor.  You drive until Siri tells you to turn on what looks like a farm road and then you see a sign that says ENTER AT THE NEXT DRIVE. No sign on the big road, no sign on the property – nothing. I guess if you find it, its because you were looking for it. I’m thinking not the usual tourist attraction, but I found it online and was intrigued.

It rates in the top #1 of the top #5 places we have been on our trip. The Ewam Garden is also a center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies where a Festival of Peace is held every year. It’s all about the union of wisdom and compassion. It appears there are actually 1000 Buddahs plus other statues. The many statues each have a name plate with their name, their parents names and a line that tells their story.

So in the middle of the hills out in the farmland of Montana there is  Garden of 1000 Buddahs. It was an incredibly peaceful, amazing and unusual spot to find in Montana. It has a great website too if you want to book a wedding or plan a stop there. Until then . . .