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Olive Hotel Miles City, MT. This marvelous 100 year old hotel lobby takes you back to the Victorian Grandeur of the late 1890's. This photo shows the heavy oak front entrance door. Note leaded glass in door and other windows in this and the next four photos. Other photos of the Olive Hotel and Miles City Montans are in Gallery Album = "Sights and Scenes from the ZMM book. Go to the Sub Alabum for Part II. (ZMM = Book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Mainenance".)

Lobby, Olive Hotel Miles City, MT. While I was in Miles City MT, I met many people who generously helped me with my Miles City ZMM Research. Amorette Allison, Miles City Historic Preservation Officer, WAS very knowledgeable and generous with her help! She is the source of my information re the Olive Hotel pictured here and other Miles City hotels. See my ZMM Part II Gallery Photos for more information. Here is how I met Amorette. I had contacted Professor Robin Gerber, Miles Community College, through the assistance of Custer County Genealogical Association. When I arrived in Miles City, Robin was a great help with Miles City ZMM related historical information in the Public Library. She helped me research the 1969 Miles City Directory for the location of Bill’s Cycle Shop and the down town Laundromat. However the probable location of the “cast iron bath tub” described in ZMM remained a “real stickler”. No problem! Robin had the answer. “She said lets go across the street, I know a person who might know.”(In this series of five Olive Hotel Lobby photos, the angle of view proceeds from left to right.) (Photo = 104-0492 ......ZMM Page = NA …… WayPt = 103w)

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Lobby, Olive Hotel Miles City, MT. This view shows the rear door leading to the wooden staircase to second floor. The wooden pillar seen at right was also seen in the previous photo and will be seen again as these photos progress from left to right around the lobby.

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Lobby, Olive Hotel Miles City, MT. The main check-in desk is to right of wooden pillar and window. This is where you can sign-in to stay in their "Antique Room". Photos of this very unique "Antique Room" are in the ZMM Part II Album of this Gallery. Click on ZMMquality/Gallery at top right of this page, then Click on "Photos From My 2002 ZMM Trip". The Olive Hotel Photos are at the end of Part I and the beginning of Part II.

Lobby, Olive Hotel. This view shows the remainder of the lobby to right of check in desk. The wooden pillar seen at left was also seen in the previous several photos as I repositioned to make these from left to right around the lobby.
Lobby, Olive Hotel Miles City, MT. More photos of the Olive Hotel and Miles City are here: http://ww2.usca.edu/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album07 Alternatively, click on "ZMM Gallery" at top center (or top right) of this page, then Click on "All 4 Parts Sights & Scenes ZMM. Then click on "album Part II".. The Olive Hotel Photos (also Miles City) are at the beginning of ZMM Part II. (Photo = 104-0494_IMG.JPG)

Antique Room, Olive Hotel, Miles City MT I stayed in this de-light-full and interesting room my first night at the Olive. For more Antique Room Photos at Olive Hotel, go to http://ww2.usca.edu/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album07&id=aad_001.
(Photo = 105-0504 ...... ZMM Page = 083 ...... WayPt = 097)

Mr. Allen Schock Helps Confirm the Location of the 1968 Bill's Cycle Shop. During my ZMM Research, many people generously answered my questions about where to where to find the "sights and scenes" of the ZMM Book and about local history. I had a long and interesting conversation with Mr. Schock, who owned the building adjacent to where Author Pirsig describes Bill's Cycle Shop. Here he generously takes time off from his repair of air conditioners and lawn mowers to talk to me about how the ZMM Book relates to Miles City and Bill's Cycle Shop. He was able to tell me much local history on the same two topics. This is an example of what the ZMM Narrator comments repeatedly: People in the USA heart-land have, and will take, the time to be friendly and helpful. They are "all here" and show no evidence of being in a hurry to get to "somewhere else"! Miles City, MT. (Photo = 105-0525......ZMM Page = 089 …… WayPt = 100w)

Amorette Allison** knew her neighbor next door was great fan of ZMM. After a call, Joe Whalen of the Miles City Books & News, came over to hear about my ZMM research plans. Joe, who aspires to also travel the ZMM Route on his motorcycle, was thrilled to hear about my plans to photograph the sights and scenes of ZMM. The next day Joe asked me to pose, wrench in hand by his BMW. His artistic production appears above. He also presented me with a 8.5 x 11 B &W photograph of this same “now famous pose” of Robert Pirsig, wrench in hand, beside his Honda 305. Also Amorette called reporter John Halbert, who wrote a very nice article about my ZMM Research in the 3 Sept 2002 Miles City Star Newspaper. (**See 5 photos previous)Here is a neat little Internet Cafe'. Great coffie and pastries too! http://www.kafeutza.com/index.html (Photo by Joe Whalen ......ZMM Page = NA …… WayPt = 4 blocks east of 103w)

Fragrant Bushes Located At One Of the Possible Scenes Of Chris and the Narrator's Brush With Death?
This location has a safe place to pull of the highway and park. Although these light green trees were wonderfully perfumed my time here in Summer 2002, the perfume was nearly all gone in September 2006 when I came here again for additional ZMM research.
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(Photo = Summer2006 0335 ….. ZMM Page = 096 ...... WayPt = 105w)