Road Trip to Texas: Day 2

We woke up a little later than planned at Silver Slate, around 8 a.m., both of us still feeling yesterday’s drive. After sorting and loading the horses, I had a brief scare when I couldn’t find my phone (I mean God forbid what would I do without my phone?)- a small delay, but enough to throw us off for a few minutes. Once everything was squared away, we finally hit the road, heading west toward the border.

Reaching the border, we were met with a massive wait. Nearly three hours later, we finally inched up to the kiosk. Once at the kiosk though it was speedy, just 15 minutes through, in signed papers, quick glance at passports and done! We headed over to the federal vet, who was thankfully super chilled that we were running late, and also speedy. Just like that, we officially entered the U.S. in Sweet Grass, Montana, and aimed for Billings as our destination for the night.

Since crossing the border meant bringing limited food, our first stop was Great Falls, Montana, to refuel both the truck and ourselves. Navigating the gas station with the trailer in tow turned into quite the task, especially finding a diesel pump. We eventually found one, and then Robin said I must try Arby’s for the first time. I have to say I am not sure it won me over - the beef sandwich was a touch over-the-top. I have never seen so much beef loaded into a sandwich! It was about an inch and a half thick of beef, and that was only a double beef sandwich… just imagine the triple. It was tasty paired with some horseradish source and the curly fries hit the spot perfectly.

From Great Falls, we took Highway 87 southward, winding through a golden-lit valley as the sun began its descent. Ranches with iconic hip-roofed barns and scattered herds of horses and cattle framed the road, capturing a classic Montana vibe. As the sun slipped behind Montana’s rugged mountains, the vast landscape of open ranchlands bathed in the last light of the day.

Night driving brought its own challenges. My attempt at being the navigator was spotty; I nearly missed a turn after dozing off, which could’ve taken us off track. The secondary highway we were on had no shoulders in some stretches, just gravel and ditches. I can’t imagine that made for easy driving, especially in the dark.

As we approached Billings, the sky was clear and full of stars - a moment that made me feel grateful to be out here. Though the two days of driving had taken a toll, especially on my left side which was starting to feel pretty stiff, the scenery and the adventure kept me going.

Around 9 p.m., we pulled into our stop for the night, an “equine hotel.” A friendly lady met us as soon as we arrived, it took a bit more time settling in the horses. The stalls here were large and unfamiliar to them, but eventually, they were content. We plugged in the trailer and whipped up a quick Mr. Noodles dinner before collapsing into bed, ready to take on another day tomorrow.