Day 1
Arrival in Billings
I arrived in Billings which was the starting point for my 1 Week USA RV Roadtrip with my Dad. We were both flying in from Austin, but had chosen different flights and unfortunately his flight got royally fubared so looked like I would be on my own for the evening. As I was starting to contemplate what I’d do for the night, I came across this:
Bingo. I was set. I called a taxi using the old fashioned row of telephones at the baggage claim and went out to the curb where my chariot awaited and was whisked off to the Dude Rancher Lodge.
This place was everything I dreamed and more in terms of old time cowboy awesomeness, but I could dilly dally for too long since it was already fairly late in the evening and most of the breweries closed at 8 or 9.
Mini Walking Beer Tour
Stop 1: Angry Hanks
I started with a quick tasting at Angry Hank’s which used to be a auto repair garage and they graciously let me try their famous Frost Killer Scottish Ale and gave me tips on where to go next.
Stop 2: Carter’s Brewing
Next I stopped in to Carter’s Brewing and grabbed a seat at the bar and selected my taster flight. Here I got the opportunity to chat with some locals which is aways an interesting experience to get a feel for the local flavor.
Stop 3: Last Chance Pub & Cider Mill
After my 2 beer samplings, it was high time for some food. At the advice of the super cool bartender chick at Carter’s, I headed to Last Chance. It looked to be pretty new and was elegant and beautiful inside. To my delight, they also had a winter vegetable salad with shaved beets and radishes. The picture does not make it look as appetizing as it was. And here, I switched it up a little and got a cider sampler instead of beer. At this point of my mini tour I was done and headed back to Dude Rancher Lodge to crash.
Day 2
Breakfast at Dude Rancher Lodge
By all accounts “Harper & Madison” seems to be the go-to breakfast spot in Billings, but they seem to mostly serve baked goods, and I wanted to start my day right with a hearty cowboy breakfast (plus I had a coupon since I was staying at the hotel) so I got me a hot cup of coffee, some eggs, toast, and hash browns to start my mini tour of ‘Merica right.
Picking up the RV
After my hearty breakfast, I got an Uber to drop me off at Cruise America and checked out my RV. After surprisingly little effort, I was behind the wheel of this behemoth. I mean, I don’t need a special license or driving test to operate a vehicle of this size? Ummm…Ok, well here goes.
I cautiously drove to the airport to pick up my Dad who finally arrived.
Lunch at Uber Brew
Since poor ol’ pops missed out on my awesome mini brewery walking tour last night, I figured it was only fair he get to try at least one of Billings fine breweries so we headed Uber Brew to for lunch and split a sampler since we were about to get out on the open road.
Hasta la vista, Billings
Then it was time to hit the road – Phoenix or bust! First stop Yellowstone National Park.