Details:
Your customized tour begins at
Virgelle
(pronounced Vir-jill), Montana, a remote homestead-era Ghost Town along the Wild and
Scenic Missouri River, just 75 miles from Great Falls. You enjoy a warm
Montana welcome at the
Virgelle Mercantile Bed
& Breakfast
where you settle into turn-of-the-20th century style accommodations, and
relax on the north porch as the sun sets in the Big Sky.
Or choose an authentically restored
Homesteader's
cabin,
where you watch the sunset from your own private porch. Either way, you
find a welcome basket of refreshments at your disposal. In the morning,
awake to a hearty breakfast like Baked Stuffed French Toast with Chokecherry
Syrup, Fresh Fruit Salad, Bacon, Juice and Coffee at the Mercantile. After a
leisurely breakfast, we take you 1 mile to Coal Banks Landing where
your boat and its captain
await. After a brief orientation of the craft, you find yourself on the wide
Missouri for a 48-mile cruise through the White Cliffs to Judith Landing.
Along the way, you are treated to a riverside lunch, guided hiking, and a
wealth of information about the early days in the area from the captain. At
Judith Landing, you can enjoy the local charm of a country store while the watercraft
is secured. The Judith Landing
Store is headquartered in a log cabin, built on-site around the turn-of-the-20th
century, and managed by folks who have lived in the area all their lives.
Then it's off to Virgelle.
The drive from Judith Landing to Virgelle has a fascination of its own. The
road leading out of the Missouri Breaks at
Judith Landing is a portal for spectacular scenery and breath-taking vistas.
You'll marvel at the wildlife, geologic formations and the rural lifestyle
of the local residents. Back at Virgelle, you are once again greeted with
a smile and a comfortable space to relax and enjoy the evening. Experience
a home-cooked supper, prepared just for you at the Mercantile like Whiskey-Glazed
Ribs, Lemon-Roasted Potatoes, Strawberry spinach salad and Corn-on-the-cob. Complete your
meal with a special dessert and a cup of freshly ground coffee...
In the morning,
wake up to another hot, homemade breakfast cooked-up especially for you.
Enjoy the company of friends around the table as the Mercantile crew serves
you with style. Take your time and soak up the sunrise before you ride out
on your next Montana touring adventure.
Includes:
-48-mile Guided River Cruise
-2 nights
lodging at Virgelle Mercantile
-All meals (2 breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 1 Supper,
and Refreshment Basket)
-Transportation to and from the river
-All arrangements
for a hassle-free adventure.
Price: $450/Person (4-person minimum)
(Note: Persons wishing to participate
in this river cruise can click on the hotlink at the bottom of the page to
submit their request for reservations on one of the dates presently listed, or to
request
a new listing for a different date.)
As of today, we are
looking to fill these dates with ShareRide partners:
June 8-9, 2008: On-river June 9; A
retired couple from Oregon seek two others to join them on a White Cliffs
Cruise. This is our premium option and includes 2 nights in the Virgelle
B&B, all meals, river cruise, overland shuttle, and guide. The following
is from the keyboard of these future passengers on our boat:
My wife, Christiane is a German native from Berlin, who I
somehow convinced to join me in the U.S. in 1966. I was raised in
Washington state before serving in Germany as a totally incompetent
specialized mechanic for the Army. Christiane and I are now both retired
school teachers, in our early sixties. She taught High School Language
Arts, German, and French, and I taught middle school American Studies for
most of my 35 year career. In the last decade I morphed into our schools
"computer guy", eventually becoming the IT manager for our school system.
Two daughters, one son-in-law, four grandchildren, and one old and
increasingly grumpy Dachshund named Max complete our immediate family.
We retired nearly 6 years ago, and have enjoyed it
immensely! As our reservation noted, we will be arriving at Virgelle on
our friend Harley Davidson. During the past five years we have ridden
nearly 40,000 miles from one end of the U.S. to the other. Rides include
the complete Alaska Highway in 2006, and Oregon to the Mississippi River
in Wisconsin, and then down the river to Mississippi, and then home again
in 2007. We love the rides, the opportunity to see this great nation, and
to meet the people along the way.
We are not typical outdoorsy types, we do not hunt or fish,
but we love seeing new sights and meeting new people. We hope our "tip
over the canoe" adventure on a small river in northern Germany some years
ago was our last ship wreck,... but we will be happy to help haul the jet
boat from the sandbar if needed!
If anyone would be interested in learning more about us and
our adventures, we would invite them to visit
http://www.sbk-family.us and click on the Archives link near the
bottom of the page to meet us and share some of our biking adventures.
[This is our extended family website which I "maintain"...]
This trip is full.July 21 & 22, 2008:
On river July 22... A couple from Yakima, WA, in their mid-50's, has
booked a White Cliffs Cruise. The gentleman is an elementary principal,
enjoys the great outdoors, is an avid snowmobiler, enjoys country music,
enjoys his grand son, loves cats, plays guitar and writes music, and loves
to travel and see the countryside. The lady, a second grade teacher, loves
to read, enjoys her book group friends, enjoys spending time at the book
store, plays piano, enjoys her grandson, and also loves cats. The White
Cliffs Cruise is booked for July 21 and 22 with the river trip on the
22nd, so the trip is a definite go. They are looking for another twosome
to join them. The cost to each party will be $450 and includes 2 nights
stay at the Virgelle Merc with all amenities of the Cruise package
(breakfasts, lunch, dinner etc.) as well as the day trip thru the White
Cliffs.
UPDATE: This Cruise has been joined by a lady from San Francisco. There is
one remaining opening for a single passenger.
September 11 & 12, 2008: On river September 12... A
couple from western Montana seek up to two others to join them on a White
Cliff Cruise. Both of them are interested in Lewis and Clark history,
local landscapes, and the white cliffs in particular. This is a premium
river trip package, which includes two nights in Virgelle Merc B&B, all
meals, overland shuttle transportation, and the guided one-day river
cruise through the white cliffs. The cost to each party is $450.
-Let us add your profile
and dates here, if you would like to share the cost of a future trip with
others... You can request a space on a trip by filling out our
guest book. Be sure to include the words 'White
Cliff Cruise' in the comment section. We will get back to you as soon as
possible.
Submit your
request to join a trip here...:
For more information about
the captain of the boat, go to
www.missouribreaksriverco.com
Call or
email us for details and answers
to your questions. |
