PAGE 86
FavoriteRidesandDestinations . com / ridermagazine . com
THERE ’ S A REASON OUR NATIONAL PARKS are preserved : they are special , magic , even extraordinary . Yet in the most popular , swarms of tourists can be as oppressive as the heat of summer . Many memories of these places consist of fighting motorhome traffic jams , jostling for souvenirs and eating cheap hot dogs that have been on the warmer too long . On the shoulder season , however , crowds thin , parking spaces open up and the animals emerge from hiding and show themselves .
Today gambling is legal in Montana , and I ’ m a gambling woman . When I moved here last winter , I naturally indulged in some video poker ( Jacks or Better is my game ) in the mini-casinos that grace every intersection . I ’ ve also been known to bet on the ponies from time to time .