Beartooth Highway

One of our favorite drives ever is the Beartooth Highway between Cooke City and Red Lodge.  The road goes up and over the Beartooth mountains, winding through miles of tundra and fabulous scenery. As you go northeast from Cooke City, you're in the forest, and eventually come to Lime Creek valley and the "Top of the World."  This isn't even the highest point on the highway, as you continue to gain elevation for many more miles. As you go over the double passes on the top, one at 10,947' and the other at 10,350', you have 360˚ views of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains.  Glaciers can be seen on the north slopes of every mountain over 11,500'. 

We drove this highway Thursday and Friday, going to and from Red Lodge for my birthday stay in Red Lodge.  

Rocky Fork Inn, Red Lodge

I've always wanted to stay in a nice bed and breakfast for my birthday.  We've tried several times, but until now, we hadn't had a great experience. This year we decided to try it again. We contacted Kathy at the Rocky Fork Inn in Red Lodge, and she was able to put us in the Romance Room.  We drove over the Beartooth Highway, and made it to Red Lodge in time for lunch.  We checked into the Inn around 1:30, and enjoyed a nap before going shopping and out for dinner.

This experience was everything I imagined a bed and breakfast should be.  The rooms were elegant, large, and comfortable. The bed was a queen-sized pillowtop. We had our own private deck overlooking Rock Creek. The breakfast was fabulous:  egg and ham bake, fresh biscuits with butter and jam, fresh raspberries and strawberries, yogurt, and coffee.