Lima, Montana

McKenna on the swing.
Copyright © 2006 Barry G. Moses.


Dakota on the slide.
Copyright © 2006 Barry G. Moses.

As we drove to Powder Mountain for Rhonda's family reunion, we stopped in Lima, Montana to sleep over in a motel. The town of Lima is little more than a truck stop on the interstate, with a single exit, a motel, a gas station, and a handful of other buildings. Mountains loom over the treeless, wind swept hills; patches of snow still cling to the highest peaks. Lima seems like a lonely place to me.

The motel has a certain hick-town charm with its yellow and brown spotted carpet, false wood paneling, and portraits of white-tail deer on the walls; like the ones you see on the cover of Guns & Ammo. I could very well imagine folks stopping here on their way to a hunting trip somewhere in the Montana wilderness.

Across the parking lot from our room, the kids played on a vintage looking swing and old metal slide. It reminded me of something they used to build in the late 60s or early 70s.

Funny thing is, the decor of this place may have seemed tacky a few years ago, but may well become something of a prized antique in another generation or two.