Thanksgiving is not about the food. It should be about thankfulness, and family, and friendship. But it is about those things in the context of a feast. A joyful celebration culminating in sitting around a table, and eating food together. It doesn’t have to be lavish or excessive. It can be–if you have twenty-ish people, … Read more
Something about the crisp autumn air beckons exploration. Maybe it is our attempt to hold onto summer, with it being just warm enough to wander without a coat, or the deep colors of fall that beg us to connect, or the roads which are craving use before they become coated in snow and ice. For … Read more
It’s September, and it was an especially dry summer. That means that in the west, there is only one appropriate topic of conversation. Wildfires. They’re kind of hard to miss. Northwestern Montana has some of the worst fires, but Southwest Montana has its fair share. At the moment, there are about nine fires in Southwest Montana. … Read more
“With more small craft breweries per capita than nearly anywhere else in the country, Montana is demonstrating that there’s no limit to what we can accomplish when we combine our world-class work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit with some of the finest grains on the planet.” ~Former U.S. Senator Max Baucus Not surprisingly, breweries in Montana … Read more
Montana’s historic landscape has been colored by a myriad of cultural influences.For instance, as the first settlers in the area, the Native American people have contributed immensely to Montana’s history and laid the foundation for today’s society. With the Homestead Act of 1862, Agriculture became the cornerstone of our economy and remains the largest industry … Read more
With summer quickly drawing to a close, it is time to decide on that final excursion. The kids will be heading back to school in the next few weeks, and the weather – knowing Montana – is about to change drastically. Living in Montana, our summers are filled with camping, hiking, fishing, boating, and road-trips, … Read more
As far as plants go, camas is rather famous in Montana, despite the fact that it is not very widespread. http://fieldguide.mt.gov/RangeMaps/RecencyMap_PMLIL0E040_FS.jpg Bread made from camas root was essential in the diets of Western Montana’s Indian tribes, and saved the Lewis and Clark Expedition from starvation. Like the buffalo, the grizzly, or the bitterroot, the delicate … Read more
As Montana is home to some of the most famous mammals in North America, it can be easy to overlook the birds. But that would be a mistake, because Montana has safari-level birdwatching opportunities, and for some reason, the really amazing birds (eagles, vultures, swans, cranes, etc.) are way easier to find than the famous … Read more
Spend five minutes in Montana (or even on this site) and you’ll figure out that rocks are crazy important. The rocks of Montana have shaped the last two centuries of the state’s history. The gold rushes in Bannack, Alder Gulch, and Helena were some of the most important episodes in Montana history. The copper mines … Read more
With April coming to a close, it is time to start planning your Southwest Montana summer adventures. May I offer two words of advice? State Parks. From popular city-side swimming holes to only-accessible-on-dry-days-with-four-wheel-drive ghost towns, Montana’s more than fifty state parks celebrate the state’s diverse landscape and history. Southwest Montana’s state parks offer a cross-section … Read more