You may have crashed a party before, but have you ever crashed a whole town?
I wanted the girls to have a full Montana experience. Included in that were small towns that are scattered around the state. I love going through the little towns, some of which only have a Post Office, maybe a bar, and possibly a general store of sorts.
Two Dot Bar & Grill 
We took the back roads that wound behind Porcupine Butte and along Lebo Lake. As we came into the town of Two Dot, the street was blocked. I stopped, then whipped onto a side street (the only choice), took a left, and another left, and back onto the main highway. Two Dot is a big town. It has a population of 67. There is Two Dot Hwy., Main St., Second Ave., Third Ave. and Park St. I parked in front of Two Dot Bar and Grill. That’s where we planned to grab a bite to eat. We walked in and noticed the place was relatively empty, but the street life was hopping. I struck up a conversation with the girl behind the bar. They weren’t serving lunch because of the street dance and fund raiser for the Fire Department. About that time, a guy walked in, heard the conversation, and invited us to go to the Fire Hall. They were serving burgers as their fundraiser. The music had started and soon the dance would be underway. The girls weren’t too sure about crashing a dance and fundraiser and the whole town of Two Dot.
Lebo Lake
I was hungry and didn’t have any misgivings about being party crashers. As I accepted his invitation, the girls looked hesitant. Their eyes said, “no,” but their bellies said, “yes.” From our accents, it was obvious we weren’t from there or from anywhere close. The guy was kind and volunteered to buy our lunch. We must have really looked like damsels in distress. “That’s okay. We’re good. But thanks anyway.”
An old place in Two Dot
We got our plates and drinks and found a seat at the long tables in the fire hall. The guy kept eying us. It was clear he was a bit confused. How did three southern belles (as was obvious from our accents) end up in Two Dot? You only end up there on purpose or because you’re lost. It wasn’t long before he made his way to our table and said, “Do you girls know where you are?” “Yep. We’re in Two Dot.” “Do you know where you’re going? Do you need directions?” He assumed we were lost or had car trouble. “Nope. I know where we’ve been and I know where we’re going. We just came from Melville and will eventually go back to our little cabin on the Boulder.” He was still puzzled. I questioned him about where he was from and asked if he had family in the area. His grandfather was the mail carrier for years and drove that same road we had taken through the countryside. I asked his grandfather’s name. Ahhhh… Olson … “Was he the one who had a piece of property up Melville Lane?” It was. He was surprised when I told him that my grandfather had a piece of property in the same area, but he and Olson had swapped properties many years before. The guy’s eyes got real big. He finally understood that I really did know where we were, where we were going and a bit of his family’s history to boot! Small world!
Be careful about assumptions and beware of party crashers – especially those with an accent.