The Schlicht Family: Off the Beaten Path

Have you ever driven down a road, a road that you have driven many times in your life and never gone off the beaten path? I am sure there are quite a few of us that do. I finally talked Mike into going off the beaten path, along Interstate 90. There are so many things that we drive by but don't really see. Montana is such a big, beautiful place with so much to see, so why not see it? We are going to be going off the "beaten path" a lot more often!

On this day, we went to the Old Montana State Prison which was built in 1871 and was still housing inmates until 1979--when the new prison, which was built 3 miles west of the town of Deer Lodge opened and the inmates were transfered to the new facility. What I found amazing about this prison may be odd to others. Right behind the prison is the railroad. I don't think there is more than 50 yards from the back wall to the rails. Don't you think that would be a "quick get away" if the inmates knew the times of the trains passing by?

The buildings are very old and very cold. I can only imagine what it was like when it was up and running. I felt like I needed a big winter jacket on just to keep the cool wind off of me!
Outside view

Inside the prison grounds. The cement slab on the right was a school/gymnasium area. It is now an uneven slap of concrete. The sidewalk was poured in the 1920's and was crumbing in some areas and uneven in others. (don't I look like a tourist here?)

Inside the cell block. I like this picture-I guess it is the "lines" as Walker would say! Also reminds me of the "Cell Block Tango" on the play/movie Chicago

I found this interesting, the barbed wire on top of the sandstone walls.

This is the visiting area

This is the only view that I want behind bars!

Poor thing! What did you do get put in there? Doesn't look as innocent as some people may think, right?

Here he is, Tourist Mike. He loves taking his pictures!

This is the "Galloping Gallows". It currently is inside the theatre building. When we were here, a young girl kept asking her mother what that sound was...it was pigeons cooing. I wanted to tell her it was the spirits of the people who were hung by the gallows...but didn't have the courage to do so. I didn't want to get smacked by her mom, which is something I would have done to somebody if they said that to my kids

This is an intercom! Funny isn't it!

Along the roadways.....there are more mountain ranges that I ever thought! I guess I was to busy looking in front of me or just off to the side of road without looking beyond everything.

I so love all the mountains of Montana

These are the "Crazy Mountains" I think the one on the right looks like a volcano that had lost it's cone.

Hard to take a pretty picture doing 75 down the highway without everything getting blurry!

Peaking through the trees

The Beartooth Mountains

More Crazies

Of course some of the sandstone Rimrocks of South Central Montana

Rock peaks through the Bozeman Pass

The Beartooths from afar. I wanted so much to go up the pass! I bet they haven't even plowed it yet! There looked like there was a lot of snow "n 'thar hills"

Now some other pictures....Mike is posing on the afghan that I finally finished. It measures 6 ft x 8 ft. Big enough for a spread on our bed.

My brother Jonnie's daughter, Emi (9) She is standing on my mom's crutches

Evan getting "Auntie Terri Loves".

Jace getting ready for bed.

Walker was goofing around and had me laughing real hard! She is so CRAZY!

She kept trying bugging me, I can't remember exactly what she was doing here, but I got her in a headlock...must you forget little girl...your mom has BROTHERS that she roughed house with!