Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Greetings from Giant Springs State Park, Great Falls, Montana


From Retiring Guy's postcard collection

Giant Springs saw 428,930 visitors in 2016, up 2 percent from last year. Montana State Parks saw a total of 2,659,529 visitors, up 7 percent from 2017.

 1954 photo by Retiring Guy's dad

While living in Great Falls from November 1952 until July 1957, our family made frequent visits to Giant Springs.   Back in the day when family drives were a popular form of recreation, we didn't have a whole lot of other options in the immediate vicinity.  By a wide margin, Gibson Park was #1 on our destination list.

What I remember most from these visits is the gurgling, churning, noisy water rushing hypnotically under the concrete walking bridge.  Note the absence of any type of guard rails, even though the water is shallow.  

It's surprising to me that railings have never been installed here, considering that child safety seat laws have been in place in all 50 states since 1985.  Not to mention bike helmet laws and the declining percentage of children who walk to school. 

Guard rails, of course, would seriously detract from the park's appeal. Perhaps this issue has already been debated and set aside.

Getting there from 112 8th St. N.

Map is from the 1956 Great Falls Telephone Directory (arrows and text box added)

Other greetings:
Hollywood Boulevard.  (5/22/2017)
Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles.  (5/21/2017)
Brown Derby, Hollywood.  (5/20/2017)
Southern California.  (5/20/2017)
Mojave Desert (Joshua trees).  (5/20/2017)
Rose Hill Motel in Mena, Arkansas.  (5/20/2017)
Will Rogers Ranch.  (5/20/2017)
Grauman's Chinese Theater.  (5/18/2017)
Hollywood Boulevard.  (5/18/2017)
Barstow, California.  (5/17/2017)
California.  (5/14/2017)
Parklabrea Towers, L.A.  (5/14/2017)
La Jolla Children's Pool.  (5/13/2017)
Los Angeles.  (5/11/2017)
Laguna Beach, California.  (5/10/2017)
California.  (5/9/2017)
Los Angeles.  (5/9/2017)
California.  (5/8/2017)
Pomona College, Claremont, California.  (5/7/2017)
La Jolla, California.  (5/6/2017)
Hope, Arkansas.  (5/4/2017)
Bakersfield, California.  (5/3/2017)
Little Rock, Arkansas.  (5/1/2017)
California.  (4/28/2017)
Little Rock, Arkansas.  (4/19/2017)
Superstition Mountain, Arizona.  (4/15/2017)
Tucson, Arizona.  (4/12/2017)
Phoenix, Arizona.  (4/8/2017)
Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah.  (4/8/2017)
Dothan, Alabama.  (4/5/2017)
Mobile, Alabama.  (4/5/2017)
Anniston, Alabama.  (3/29/2017)

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