Western Montana has some of the finest scenery and least-traveled roads in the lower 48 states, or anywhere else for that matter. Formed by the jagged Rocky Mountains and separated north to south by the massive Continental Divide, Montana is ruggedly beautiful. For eons, the relentless forces of nature have torn, uplifted and eroded the land. Volcanoes have spewed molten lava, glaciers have carved the verdant valleys, and wind and water have sculpted the terrain to create the breathtaking landscape we see today.

My reward for hiking up the hill to Helena, Montana's timber-framed fire tower is a glorious view over the city in the warm light of late afternoon, encompassing the dome of the capitol, Last Chance Gulch, the twin spires of St. Helena Cathedral, and the minaret of the Civic Center.

Heads still awhirl from a day of amazing sights in Yellowstone National Park, Kathy and I exit the West Entrance and suddenly enter the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. Even though the shadows are lengthening, we decide that it's better for us to push on past this crowded tourist trap and end the day by letting the Wing reveal a bit of Big Sky Country before we retire.

Loneliness must have come to the rolling hills of southern Wyoming just to get away from it all. It liked what it saw and settled down. And we can feel it trying to grab hold as we cross the treeless landscape, rolling along over the smooth surface of Highway 191. The empty miles continue to spool away in easy bends that tempt my throttle hand to urge us over the next rise toward anything that might resemble home. But out here all traces of civilization have vanished and only the occasional notice from a pronghorn antelope bears witness to the passing Gold Wing.

Sprawled just north of Flathead Lake in northwest Montana, Kalispell is a terrific spot for a shamrock base. To the east, you have the magnificent Rockies and Glacier National Park; north and west, the rambling peaks of the Salish and Cabinet Ranges; and then the 28-by-15-mile lake and the Mission Range to the south. Mountains, lakes, and great roads - what's not to like? Four days, four leaves of the Shamrock.