Western Montana

Montana Auto Museum - Deer Lodge

bl1899 — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:22:52 +0000

Located next door to the Old Montana Prison is the auto museum. My friend and I stepped in to a large winding display of cars, which had around 150 cars on display. I had been to the Henry Ford Museum a few years ago so I knew what the “momma” of all car museums was like but I found that the Montana Auto Museum was filled with many gems. The Montana Auto Museum is also nice since it saves you from the long trip to Detroit!

The display had many cars to worship that it was hard to choose just which one was my favorite. A few highlights of the exhibit were a 1928 Reo Speedwagon, a classic Ford Thunderbird with a port-hole top, always a favorite of mine, a 1966 GTO, and the 1967 Ford Mustang GT500 fastback, you may remember this one as it had a staring role as Eleanor in the Gone in 60 Seconds movie remake a few years ago. The car even had the stick shift with the nitrous button “go baby go” included on it.

As we walked around we found some of the cars were for sale, most of them around $35,000, which made me wish I had some extra money to take home a true souvenir. I kept my wallet in my pocket however and continued around the museum where I found many interesting things such as wooden spoked wheels, a military dune buggy and the most intriguing, a 1974 Citi Car. The Citi Car is an electric car that was built in Florida. The car had a listing price of $2,988 and this was one of 608 made. It was a rare find and also perhaps ahead of it’s time as hybrid cars are now quickly catching on. According to the sign provided next to the car, it could range up to 50 miles between battery charges, which could be recharged between 400 to 600 times.

The auto museum was a great addition to our trip and can satisfy anyone from a gear head to a common admirer. The museum does have a revolving exhibit so if you are interested in seeing a specific car they recommend to call ahead at (406) 846-3111 to make sure that it is there. A complete list of the cars on display can be found at http://www.pcmaf.org/wordpress/auto-museum-vehicle-list/ .

If you would like to see the Montana Auto Museum they are located next to the Old Montana Prison at 1106 main street. Free admission is granted with your purchase of the Old Montana Prison ticket for $9. The museum is open 7 days a week from 8am to 6pm.

Madison Buffalo Jump State Park - Logan Montana

bl1899 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:05:24 +0000

On our way to Billings Montana we stopped at the Madison Buffalo Jump near Logan. As we traveled down the 7 mile long gravel road to the entrance we were treated to spectacular views of limestone cliffs that surrounded several farms. We arrived at the entrance and paid our fee of $5 to enter the park. We are from out of state, otherwise there is no fee for Montana residents.

We parked in the small parking lot and walked towards the interpretive center. The cliff loomed overhead as we read the history about the buffalo jump. There were seven different signs that each held a bit of history about the buffalo jump and the Indians who used the jump. The jump was used before Indians had easy access to guns and horses. Once a herd of buffalo was located by the scouts from the Indian tribe, the scouts would return back to the tribe and prepare for the hunt. Runners from the tribe would help lead the buffalo to the jump while they were covered in animal skins. The buffalo would get confused and follow the runner, who would lead them to the cliff. The runner would dart out of the way just before the animals fell off the cliff. By the time the buffalo realized they were at the edgo of a cliff it was too late as the animals behind them would push them over the cliff. Any injured buffalos were killed by the Indians waiting at the bottom of the cliff as no animals were wasted by the Indians. The meat was dried and used during the winter months where food was scarcest.

We continued to read about the buffalo jump learning that the jump had arrowheads dating back between 2000 to 200 years ago. This jump, as well as other buffalo jumps became less common in the 1700’s as horses and guns became a more common way of hunting. Archeologists dug up the site and found about 5 feet down bone fragments from buffalo along with artifacts such as knives, stone tools and scrapers. They also found teepee rings at both the top and bottom of the jump. There were paths all around that lead to the top of the jump, however they were only hiking paths, no vehicle path to the top like some other buffalo jumps. We chose not to climb to the top as it was 93 degrees that day and rattlesnake country. Even though we did not climb to the top we still found an artifact, what looked like an arrowhead chip. So even without sweating to death climbing to the top of the jump we found a bit of history, which we left it there as it is against the law to remove anything from the site.

If you would like to visit the Madison Buffalo Jump it is located off of I-90 about 7 miles from Logan Montana. You will turn onto Buffalo Jump Road and travel about 7 miles along a gravel road. The jump is open year round during daylight hours.

Powell County Historical Museum - Deer Lodge

bl1899 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:22:28 +0000

Located across the street from the Old Montana Prison is the Powell County Historical Museum. My friend and I decided to take in a little more history about the area after our tour of the prison. We walked in to the Powell County Museum and were greeted by 3 people, one of them being a former counselor for the prison. He shared some stories about the prison and informed us that we were standing in the old women’s prison after they had moved the women out of the main prison. He also told us about some of the guns in the museum. The gun displays were quite extensive, including several from Germany, England and the United States, many from World War I & II. The display was mostly handguns with a few shotguns thrown into the mix.

We moved into the second room and found a massive, and I mean massive display of salt and pepper shakers. I found this interesting because I have a really bad habit of collecting things and this was obliviously something that would grab my attention. I probably spent more time looking at the salt and pepper shakers than anything else in the museum. After I pulled myself away from the shakers I found a few other displays of furniture from the earlier times, including a classic hand cranked washing machine.

Once we had completed the tour around the museum we went to Cottonwood City, a replica of a 1858 town including a old school house, blacksmith shop, jail, a post office and an old cabin. Cottonwood City is located next to the Powell County Museum. The school house and the cabin were relocated to Cottonwood from near Avon Montana. The cabin was restored by three sisters along with the museum. The sisters filled the cabin with their family’s artifacts to give it a more authentic look. The cabin had a book for visitors to sign, which ironically as we were from out of town, the last people who had signed the book were from our home town, about 7 hours away in Idaho!

If you would like to visit the Powell County Historical Museum or Cottonwood City they are free of charge with your ticket from the Old Montana Museum. The museum is open from noon to 6pm daily and is located at 1106 Main street.

Frontier and Desert John’s Saloon Museums - Deer Lodge Montana

bl1899 — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:03:40 +0000

Located across the street from the Old Montana Prison is the Frontier and Desert John’s Saloon Museums. My friend and I visited the museum where inside we found several displays of things from the old west. Guns, weapons, spurs, chaps and even a collection of Custer’s belongs were on display. The gun collection was not quite as extensive as the Powell County Museum, located just down the street, but still worth the look. The Frontier museum had many displays of clothing showing us how a cowboy would have dressed and some Native American displays as well. Take a look at the floor while you walk around as it is very unique, made of end grain wood blocks. Unlike a common floor where you see the wood cut with the grain. It was unusual, but very pretty.

As I walked around I noticed two swinging doors and what looked like a saloon behind it. I thought this must be Desert John’s Saloon Museum. I wanted to bust through the doors like a cowboy in classic scene from any western movie but I refrained since I did not want to look crazy. Once inside the saloon I found card tables and a wooden bar with a mannequin bartender behind it. As I crossed in front of the faux bartender I nearly jumped out of my skin as he started to speak to me (obviously set to a motion detector) about the bar and how it was moved up to Deer Lodge on the Missouri River from St. Louis. After I gave him the evil eye for scaring me I moved on to the walls that were covered in mostly empty whiskey bottles. An entire room behind the bar was devoted to a collection of more whiskey bottles from all around the United States. It was a interesting exhibit to say the least, just prepared yourself for the bartender when you walk back there.

Another worthy stop is next door to the museums, the Montana State Prison Arts and Crafts Hobby Store. Inside I found a collection of prisoner made merchandise. Although there were no license plates found here. But what I did find was handcrafted items, mostly belts and hat bands. I was in awe of the intricate work. I checked a few prices, mostly between $300 to $500 for belts, yes you read that correctly. I was surprised by the prices but I could tell from the craftsmanship that they were very well made items.

If you would like to take a step back into the old west stop by the Frontier and Desert John’s Saloon. The museums are located on main street, across the street from the Old Montana Prison. The museums are open daily from 9am to 6pm and is free admission with your Old Montana Prison ticket.

Stay Connected to OneThousandThingsToDo!

bl1899 — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:26:55 +0000

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West Glacier: A Day Off the Beaten Path

Kelsey Crawford — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:33:35 +0000

In the busy summer months, the little village of West Glacier—the western entrance to Glacier National Park—resembles Grand Central Station. It’s easy to spend the day hitting all the “must-see” tourist attractions in the area, but there are equally enjoyable options for fun off the beaten path. Since I spend nearly every summer weekend in West Glacier, I have come up with my ultimate Saturday routine. Next time you’re in West Glacier, consider this one-day itinerary as a part of a longer stay or as a fresh day-trip if you live nearby:

What to bring:
-Bear spray
-Sunscreen and bug spray
-Swimsuit and a change of warm-weather clothes
-Chacos or other hiking/river sandals
-Backpack
-Collapsible or small cooler and freeze-packs
-Water bottles
-Picnic blanket, camping chairs, or Crazy Creek chairs

First stop: Breakfast at Many Friends Café, run by a sweet group of girlfriends out of the Historic Belton Chalet’s dining room. The rustic ambience of the Belton coupled with the fantastically funky menu of breakfast burritos and to-die-for strawberry muffins make this a worthwhile stop. The Belton is on Highway 2 just East of the turn-off into West Glacier.

Then, continue on to the “Old Bridge,” as it’s known locally, for a morning walk. From the Belton, head West and turn right into West Glacier. Turn right again on Old River Bridge Road, which dead-ends at the Old Bridge—the original entrance into Glacier National Park. Across the bridge, there are two mild hiking trails: turn left if you have dogs or a stroller, turn right if you have older kids along and want a bit more of a work out.

After your stroll, take a dip in the deep eddies on either side of the bridge, as long as the water is warm and slow enough!

A shelf of flat rocks along the river make a great spot for some sun bathing and watching the whitewater rafting trips go by. The more adventurous at heart can jump into the river off the Old Bridge at the right water levels, but be sure to ask a local about the best spot beforehand.

Once you’ve had your fill of the river, head back into West Glacier and stop at the little mercantile in the center of town to stock up on picnic supplies. If you need to change out of a wet swimsuit, there are restrooms nearby the mercantile—just ask.

Continue toward the Park entrance, picnic-packed cooler in tow, and be prepared to pay for a day pass or annual pass before entering. You are now on the famous Going-to-the-Sun Highway! When the road comes to a T-intersection, turn left and then take your second right into the village of Apgar (this drive take approximately 10 minutes). Apgar lies at the foot of the incredible 10-mile-long, 1-mile-wide Lake McDonald. Small beaches and lawns with picnic tables near the lake are the perfect spot for a picnic lunch. Small boats—10hp motorboats, canoes, kayaks, and rowboats—are available for rent by the hour at a little stand right on the lake. Browse the tiny shops and enjoy a delicious Huckleberry ice cream cone from the local Eddie’s ice cream stand before heading back into West Glacier, or continuing along the Going-to-the-Sun Highway to explore other areas of the Park.

Museum of the Rockies - Bozeman Montana

bl1899 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:33:30 +0000

On a recent trip to Bozeman my friend told me she had a surprise for me when we got there. As we got closer to Bozeman I saw a sign for the Museum of the Rockies and asked if that was my surprise. Turns out I ruined my surprise and had guessed correctly! We pulled into the parking lot of the museum and walked over to the building where we were greeted by a large metal T-Rex skeleton. I was instantly excited about what I was going to find inside as I am fascinated by dinosaurs and I knew that Montana was a great location to find dinosaur bones.

We paid our fee to enter the museum and saw that there was a living history exhibit outside with a tour that started in about twenty minutes. As we waited we walked around the traveling exhibits, insects and bugs and one of the main reasons we had come, the movie costume exhibit. The room was filled with costumes from Star Wars, Star Trek, even the leather jacket, whip and the holy grail from Indiana Jones. As we walked around, we found treasures such as a stormtrooper’s helmet, Luke Skywalker’s mechanical hand and lightsaber and the Wicket Witch of the West’s hat.

It was time for the living history exhibit and we went outside with our guide who was dressed in traditional 1800’s clothing. The tour started with the Tinsley house, built in 1889. We walked around the house finding the rooms set just as they would have been when the house was being used by the family. The kitchen was fully functional and one of the guides was making bread in the wood heated oven. We stepped outside and found a hand pump well as well as a blacksmith shop with a blacksmith inside demonstrating his trade inside a sod roof building. Pay attention during the blacksmith demonstration and you may win the handmade trinket that you just watched being made if you answer his question correctly. The living history exhibit is open 9-5 daily from May 24th to September 7th.

After our tour of the living history was over we moved back into the museum and found what I had been waiting for, the dinosaur exhibit. Several rooms were devoted to the displays but in my opinion the best find was the tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, which was not a cast of the bones, but the real McCoy, the actual bones that were found! There was also a T-Rex skull, which was noted as the largest and most complete in the world. We spent a lot of time roaming around the rooms finding the different bones and skeletons while we learned of these mysterious giants. This was by far the most interesting part of the museum for me and I know my friend thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

Just before we left we found the Raymond Loewy exhibit, another traveling exhibit. Walking around the exhibit I found many of his designs that I recognize, such as the grey hound for greyhound bus line, logos such as Shell, Canadian Dry ginger ale, Lucky Stripe and the US Mail logos to name a few. It was an interesting exhibit and worth the stop to see how the simplest things you see everyday are created. The exhibit is located upstairs in the “loft gallery” from April 19th to September 28th 2008.

If you would like to visit the Museum of the Rockies they are located in Bozeman Montana on 600 W Kagy Blvd, near the Montana State University. Admission during the Summer, May 24th to September 1st is $10 for adults and $7 for children 5 to 18 years old. Winter admission begins September 2nd with reduced prices of $8 for adults and $4 for children. Summer hours are 8am to 8pm and Winter hours are Monday-Saturday 9am - 5pm and Sunday 12:30pm - 5pm.

Lewis and Clark Caverns - Whitehall Montana

bl1899 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:31:20 +0000

Although Lewis and Clark did not discover the caverns, they did cross near the location of the caves on their expedition. It was David Morrison along with a hunting group who discovered them in the early 20^th century. Morrison gave tours of the caves he discovered, however a disagreement with the Northern Pacific railroad emerged over who was the rightful owner of the land. The railroad took Morrison to court and later won, turning the land over to the federal government. Morrison still continued to give tours by cutting the locks off the gate to the caves put there by the railroad until 1932 when he died. In 1937 the government gave the land to the park system and became Montana’s first state park.

My friend and I had both been to the caves before as children and were now returning about 20 years later. We stayed in the campground located about 3 miles down the road from the caverns. I remember as a child that I begged my parents to sleep in the cab of the truck since I was terrified of rattlesnakes, a native species to the area. Now that I am an adult I decided to put my fear aside and camp in a tent. Everything turned out fine and I never saw one rattlesnake. The campground is a handy place to stay, since it is so close and only costs $15 a night. They also have showers available which is a must for me while camping.

We woke up early to take the 9am tour of the caverns. I was surprised by the amount of people who wanted to take the tour as we got there around 8:30am and the first tour was almost full with 30 people. We wandered around the tourist information center as we waited for our tour to start and found historical information about the caverns. Once it was time for our tour to meet we all gathered in front of the ticket window and began our 3/4 of a mile hike up the hill to the beginning of our adventure. Luckily we had gone early in the day as the weather only got hotter as the day progressed, so we had dodged the heat by going early in the morning.

We arrived at the mouth of the caverns and waited for our guide to arrive. Once she got to the caverns she informed us of a few rules and a bit of history about the caves. As we stood inside the entrance she asked if anyone felt uncomfortable being in the caves. No one seemed uncomfortable so we continued on our tour. We climbed down a stairwell into a cave room and the guide asked again if everyone was OK. We had two people leave our tour as they felt they could not continue. We moved along to the different rooms learning about the stalactites, stalagmites and columns. The guide was very informative and both my friend and I remembered the stories and “jokes” that were told along the way of the tour. It was nice to see that the charm of the tour had not changed. Both my friend and I remembered the tour a little bit differently from our childhood as we both did not remember all the ducking and crouching we had to do as we walked around the caves and the beaver slide, where you actually slide on your bum. The slide felt a lot longer when we were younger, then the about 3 feet that the slide actually was. We attributed our memories to us being a lot shorter, so it did not seem as though we were ducking as much.

The caves were a lot of fun and brought back great memories from my childhood. If you are interested in going to the caverns they are located 13 miles east of Whitehall Montana on Highway 2, or about 35 miles east of Butte Montana. Cave tours are from 5/1 to 9/30, starting at 9am to 4:30pm, or 9am to 6:30pm from 6/15 to 9/1. The tour consists of climbing several stairs which can be slippery and some bending and ducking as you traverse the caverns. The tour is $10 per person and about 2 hours long. It is also a cool 52 degrees so you may want to take a jacket.

Hiking Mount Helena

BozemanJack — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:20:45 +0000

Like Bozeman’s M trail, Helena has a similar brief hike up nearby Mount Helena. While the M trail has two options for hiking up the mountain, Mount Helena features several options of varying degrees of difficulty and length. Also unlike the M trail, Mount Helena borders the city limits, offering spectacular views of the city below (rather than the countryside).

Having never hiked up Mt Helena, I decided that I finally wanted to give it a shot before I left Helena last weekend. Access is easy - take Park Avenue down to the Reeders Village subdivision. Drive up a hill into some beautiful newly-constructed mansions, and the trailhead will be at the opposite end of the subdivision. Here you’ll find a parking lot and an extremely useful map. Considering all the various routes you can take up the mountain, looking at the map before hiking is suggested! Looking at the map, you should find a trail labeled the Prairie Trail - this is the route I opted to take.

The Prarie Trail is the most gradual incline of all the trails, but it’s also the longest (although still only two miles in length). And I can’t speak for the other trails, but the Prairie Trail was also incredibly beautiful, winding its way through both forests and open land with scenic views of the town below.

It just gets more beautiful as you ascend! On your way up, there will be tons of photo opportunities, and in certain instances there will be very short (as in, a hundred feet at most) spurs that leave the main trail and allow for even more spectacular views.

Being the type of person who loves heights and the views they provide, I loved this hike. It’s short enough that it’s the sort of thing you can do after you go to work, and even have time to spare. I know I can’t wait to hike it again!

All aboard the Last Chance Tour Train!

BozemanJack — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:20:17 +0000

If you live in the Helena area, chances are you’ve heard about the Last Chance Tour Train during commercial breaks on television. You’ve probably seen it driving through town, twisting and turning through the streets of downtown Helena. But I’m always surprised at how few locals have actually ridden on the train, and trust me, it’s an enjoyable ride for locals and tourists alike.

With the extended family from both in-state and out-of-state descending upon Helena, we decided to check out the tour train. Firstly, it’s important to know that tours only depart on the hour, so schedule yourself appropriately, or you’ll be waiting with nothing to do for a long while. You’ll be buying tickets in a stand outside the Montana Historical Society at the corner of 6th and Roberts - near the Capitol building. Prices are $7.50 for adults and slightly less for children and seniors.

The tour will take you first around the immediate Capitol area, past various state government agency buildings - and your tour guide will point these out. You’ll then enter a residential area and go past the current Governor’s Mansion. This new(ish) Governor’s Mansion struck me as looking like a small version of a Holiday Inn, and the tour guide concured with that opinion! Fortunately, you’ll then enter the old Mansion District and pass two of the old Governor’s Mansions. Old is definitely more beautiful than New, in this instance.

Your train will make its way past the Helena Cathedral before entering the downtown area. To me, downtown Helena is one of the most beautiful downtown areas in the state. All activity seems to die off after dusk, but the architecture and the hills make it gorgeous, in my view. Downtown Helena is, as your tour guide will tell you, located in the historic Last Chance Gulch - historic for its mining history.

And that is what was most interesting about the tour, to me - the history! Helena really is a gem, full of history, being one of the oldest towns in Montana. The tour guide told us all sorts of stories about how Helena became named as such, how it became the capital, and how it managed to survive while most of its fellow mining towns died off over time. All in all, it comes highly recommended by all of us!