Big Timber, Mont.: Clouds hover over Big Timber, Mont. in June while we attended the Pleasure Way rally at a campground just south of town. The town is small with a population of about 2,000 and is the county seat of Sweetgrass County. The ranching and western lifestyle are evident throughout Big Timber. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Pleasure Way RVs: Pleasure Way camper vans line up along the Boulder River at the campground in Big Timber, Mont. The calm water in the pond creates a reflection of the vans under clear skies at a previous campout. The rally is limited to about 25 vans, which makes it easy for attendees to meet and discuss RV travels. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
One of the unexpected benefits of our RV travels is the people you meet along the way. We have learned a lot talking with “locals” as we move about the country.
We have also been happy to meet up with other RVers at rallies or just simple campouts. Some rallies feature RVers who travel in camper vans like we do to those who travel in large Class A RVs which resemble a tour bus.
Another popular type of rally is a “brand specific” rally. For example, we own a Pleasure Way RV. A Pleasure Way rally would mean participants must own a Pleasure Way to participate. Winnebago owner may have a Winnebago rally, etc. The benefits of these rallies besides meeting fellow owners is education. RVs are complex vehicles and there is always something new to be learned about your specific RV.
One rally that we have enjoyed the most is a Pleasure Way campout that takes place in Big Timber, Mont. every June. The first campout there was organized by a local who lives in Big Timber who thought others might enjoy a weekend in the little town.
The organizer expected a hand full of participants but was shocked when over 20 vans registered for the event. That was in 2016. It grew to over 40 vans by 2018 before being scaled back to about 25 vans. Organizing the event became difficult as it grew and the size of the campground was not large enough to accommodate that many vehicles without being over crowded.
We did not know about the first gathering but we learned of the 2017 event and signed up. We have been every year since except for 2020. There are a few repeat participants who come back every year and we enjoy “catching up” with each other and hearing about their travels. There are always new faces each year making the mix of old friends and new friends an enjoyable campout.
Big Timber, Mont. is the county seat of Sweetgrass County and is located in south central Montana between Bozeman and Billings in Sweetgrass County. This is cowboy and ranching country and evidence of the ranching lifestyle is apparent throughout the town of about 2,000 residents.
While Big Timber is in the valley, the Crazy Mountains sit just a short distance west of town and the Beartooth Mountains are visible to the south. The rolling hills of southern Montana are a beautiful fresh green when we visit in June every year and the rivers are running high as a result of the annual snow melt off. The Yellowstone River travels through the town and the Boulder River flows from the mountains south of Big Timber before flowing into the Yellowstone River.
In addition to gathering with other Pleasure Way owners, we have come to love the small town western atmosphere of Big Timber. We enjoy shopping at some of the same local stores and dining at the local restaurants every year while in town.
Our rally each June coincides with the Sweetgrass Festival, which is a county festival and a gathering of locals as well as many visitors who enjoy visiting the area. There is a rodeo on Friday and Saturday evening, which features participants from Montana and much of the western U.S.
There is a car show and craft show on Saturday morning in downtown Big Timber and the Sweetgrass Festival parade takes place on Saturday afternoon. The car show is unique in that in addition to some beautiful classic cars, there are always a few John Deere tractors showing as well as working ranch pickups that take a day off for the show and parade. Many of the cars from the car show are seen again in the parade.
These are the events that make RVing special. Every year we get anxious as June finally comes around because we know the trip to Big Timber, Mont. is near. Our reservations for the 2024 Pleasure Way campout are already made. We can’t wait to visit Big Timber, visit with friends, and meet new Pleasure Way owners.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Gathering: Several attendees at the Pleasure Way campout in Big Timber gather in front of a local gift shop. In addition to unique gifts the store also sells homemade pies by the slice, which we must try every year. Across the street is an old style drug store, which has an old fashioned soda bar which serves great ice cream, floats and other delicious but not so healthy treats. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Car Show: The Pleasure Way Campout coincides with the Sweetgrass Festival every June. Shown are attendees at the car show on Saturday morning of the festival. In addition to beautiful classic cars, one will see John Deere tractors and working ranch pickups at the show. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Festival Weekend: Downtown Big Timber, Mont. is a busy place during the Sweetgrass Festival weekend. The weather was cloudy and cool at the festival this year but all events took place with just small rain showers. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Festival Parade: The Sweetgrass Festival parade takes place on Saturday afternoon of the festival weekend. There are a variety of participants in the parade who shower youngsters along the route with candy. In honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Big Timber Rodeo, Pleasure Way participated in this year’s parade with two camper vans. Other participants seen here are owners of cars seen earlier in the day at the car show. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com