Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Montana ranges from the flats of the eastern lands to the Rocky Mountains sprawled through the middle. The state is full of expansive skies that take your breath away, hiking trails to leave you breathless, and ski runs that take away whatever air you’ve got left in your lungs!
Anti snow? Visit from May to September. Maybe April, maybe October. Camp, hike, and definitely drive the Beartooth Highway from Red Lodge into Yellowstone National Park. I once had to change from shorts and sandals to jeans and a parka–in August.
Montana was home for ten years and I treasured every long winter that I was there. I miss the daily sunshine and learning (each year) to cross country ski. Luckily, I made friends I’m still close to two decades after leaving Big Sky Country. There are places that implant themselves on your heart. Wales did that to me, the Cinque Terre in Italy left a mark…. And Montana—of all our unique and special states, Montana is the one I visit again and again. I never quite get enough.
Montana has Quirky Little Towns
Red Lodge, the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park, is as western as a western town can get. After living in Southern California, it was fun to get accustomed to cowboy boots and gents tipping hats. Yes, they really do that. And cowgirls? Don’t get between them and a fast horse—they ride like the wind.
Learning about the County.
A picnic with a snowy view. Why not?
Rugged peaks and rushing water.
The hike is a treat, bears are optional.
There’s no place like it.
It’s worth being cold.
In a post office, really?
Art in the middle of … no where?
I’ve ridden horses. Badly–as scars from 17 stitches will show you. Ha! I do still miss my cowboy boots and straw hat. Both serve good functions and are stylish. Maybe I should start a Pittsburgh trend?
*Read about Wales here.
