| |
Mountain Majesties in Montana
By Cyd Bus
DAZZLING, DRAMATIC, NATURAL, AND SCENIC.
So it is in southwestern Montana.
Oh sure, there's history, good food, and a variety of places to stay, but the main attraction is the sheer beauty. It's a land where everything seems intensified, in super sharp focus, richer in color, more majestic, more peaceful, and somehow closer to the sky.
Happily for travelers who prefer to avoid crowds, there's plenty of elbow room. Montana may be the fourth largest state in area (145,550 square miles), but, at under a million people, it ranks 48th in population density.
The southwestern portion is one of the state's least populated areas, most of it part of the 3-million-acre Beaverhead National Forest. Uncluttered, wide-open spaces means heaven for active types, with miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking: a vast choice of waterways for fishing, rafting, canoeing, and kayaking; and, in the winter, plenty of challenging mountain slopes for skiing and snowboarding.
or those who prefer their towns to be haunted by ghosts of yesteryear, there are some primo ghost towns. In the mid-19th century, Bannack, fueled by gold found in Grasshopper Creek, was a rousing town of 3,000 residents and briefly was Montana's first territorial capital. Today ghostly, glamorously clad ladies are reported to have been seen walking the hallways of the Meade Hotel, while the cemetery contains the remains of vigilante victims who swung from the nearby gallows.
In 1865 the territorial capital moved to Virginia City, a thriving town of 10,000. Today Virginia City bills itself as a living ghost town with approximately 150 year-round residents and plenty of history. The main street is lined with vintage commercial buildings, such as the renovated 1864 warehouse that now houses the Roadmaster Grille restaurant. Other historic structures have been turned into period-decorated bed and breakfasts, such as the Fish Creek House in Whitehall Montana
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center is about halfway along the almost 4,000-mile Lewis and Clark Expedition Route and is the largest museum dedicated to Expedition interpretation. This Center provides and impressive menu of year round activities and exhibits. At the River Camp living history area along the Missouri River, summer visitors are invited to join in demonstrations of expedition daily life and native cultures. Visitors will see a two-story realistic diorama of the portage around the Great Falls that includes five full-size figures and a 30-foot canoe.
Historic Mining Town right outside Fish creek House
Butte also has something few other cities can claim – a rich and incredible history. Visiting Butte, even today, one can literally step back into time. Butte is also one of only two cities to be recognized as a National Historic Landmark – with more than 4000 historic buildings of one kind or another. Butte is literally teeming full of historic buildings – and makes other "restored" historic towns seem rather lame in comparison. And if all the historical buildings and "ghost signs" aren't enough, there is always the every present old mining rigs (over 40 of them dot the sky in Butte) to help remind visitors what built Butte into the town that it is today.
All aboard for discovery. The Dillon Visitor Center (an old Union Pacific Railroad Depot) has a Lewis and Clark diorama and interpretive displays. Camp Fortunate Overlook near Clark Canyon Dam, Beaverhead Rock north of Dillon and Clark's Lookout are all in the area. (Dillon. 1(406) 683-5511 or http://lewisandclark.state.mt.us/)
Recess for everyone. The Museum of the Rockies is an exceptional not-to-be missed facility. Inside the museum yellow "KidSpace" signs improve a visit by highlighting areas where kids and adults may interact with the exhibits in a very user-friendly way. The Martin Discovery Room was created for young children to make their own discoveries.
About the Author
Cid Bus has been an executive in the Hospitality Industry for 15 years. Also a graduate of the NY Restaurant school,and co owner of a catering company. A competitive long distance trail runner and x-country skiier, they can be tracked down at their bed and breakfast Fish Creek House in Southwest Montana
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/31963.html
| If you wish to add the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/31963.html" as shown above and make it hyperlinked. |
| Some other articles by Cyd Bus | Animal Instincts on Holiday
You deserve a vacation! You've probably worked hard all year and
have been saving up and waiting patiently for a chance to get ...
Head E'm Up and Move'Em Out... Take the Family on a Cattle Drive!
Looking for a rewarding and memorable family vacation idea? A cattle drive may be just the thing. Here in Southwest Montana, right outside our door at the Fish Creek House, you can join ...
The Thrill Of The Catch
If you haven't fished before, you don't know what you're missing. If you did, you would be a fisherperson.
Not only does it bring you closer to ...
Greenhouse Gardening Montana Style
Owning a greenhouse has been a way of providing our guests here at the Fish Creek House B&B with quality, fresh and mostly organic fruits and vegetables. It is important to know that ...
|
|
| |
|
