Historic
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Sunbeam Mine: Echoes of Idaho’s Gold Rush
I don’t know about you, but anytime we’re on a long road trip we take any and every opportunity to get out and stretch our legs. We love to explore new places and learn new things. If there’s a historic marker along the roadside, you can bet we’re going to stop and take a look! That’s exactly how we found Sunbeam Mine historic site! After taking a dip in Sunbeam Hot Springs, we were on our way to Challis, Idaho to our hotel for the evening. We didn’t make it even 5 miles down the road before we came across this awe inspiring historic site. Not only is the site…
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Sunbeam Hot Springs: Nature’s Spa in the Heart of Idaho
This weekend we made a quick trip over to Central Idaho for some much needed mountain time! While we were traveling from Stanley to Challis, we came across Sunbeam Hot Springs on the side of ID-75. We decided to stop and check it out, and stretch our legs a little bit. Man oh man, it was ABSOLUTELY worth it!! A Brief History of Sunbeam Hot Springs: Sunbeam Hot Springs was once revered by the native Lemhi-Shoshone people for their healing properties. They were used by the tribes as sacred gathering places for centuries. It was later discovered on accident by a fur trader named Alexander Ross who referred to the…
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History Beneath Our Feet: A Family Trip to Big Hole Battlefield
Walking Through History: Big Hole National Battlefield Nestled along the North Fork of the Big Hole River in southwestern Montana, Big Hole National Battlefield marks the site of a fierce confrontation between the Nez Perce Tribe and the U.S. Army on August 9–10, 1877. In a surprise dawn attack, soldiers descended upon a sleeping Nez Perce encampment of around 750 people—men, women, and children. Though badly outnumbered, the Nez Perce fought back vigorously, forcing the troops to retreat and entrench—and even momentarily capturing a U.S. howitzer. The battle ended the following day with both sides suffering heavy losses: between 60 and 90 Nez Perce and roughly 31 soldiers killed . Today, the battlefield’s 3…
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Step Back in History: Discovering Bannack Ghost Town
After spending the last few trips in Washington state, we decided that we should do a little exploring in Montana. On our quest for a real “Wild West” experience we stumbled upon Bannack Ghost Town in Bannack, Montana. And boy did we hit “the gold mine!” The History of Bannack: Tucked away in the hills of southwestern Montana, Bannack Ghost Town is one of the best-preserved glimpses into the Wild West you can find. Founded in 1862 during Montana’s first gold rush, Bannack quickly grew into a bustling town full of hope, grit, and gold fever. At its peak, it had a hotel, a school, saloons, a jail—and even served…
