Montana road trip: Slide show

Our family spent nine days driving through Montana's vast spaces and epic scenery. Here are some photos from our trip.

Montana road trip: We made it!

We did it! Our family drove across Montana, zigzagging up and down the state to hit some of the best spots from the Big Hole Valley to Yellowstone.

We covered some 800 miles, ate nearly a dozen bowls of chili between all for of us, and hiked, canoed, and fished in the state's prettiest areas.

We never saw a moose, but we did stick to our budget of under $200 a day. It was close--so darn close. There were times when we couldn't resist experiences--such as a bluegrass music festival in Livingston that cost $30 for us all to get in. And then there was the irresistible Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. We spent $29 (with the AAA discount) to see one of the world's best collections of dinosaur bones. It was worth it.

Best Western's summer promotion really saved us. We're members of the rewards program and registered for the promotion. If you stay three separate times, you get a free night. You can sign up for the promotion here.

How else did we cut costs?

Here's a quick rundown:

1) We left the SUV at home. We cruised Montana in an economy compact car (Nissan Sentra) that got 35 miles to the gallon. We spent under $100 on gas. If we had taken an SUV, we would have spent about a third more on gas.

2) We lightened our load. We packed light--bringing only a few changes of clothes and doing wash along the way. Carrying 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel efficiency by 1 to 2 percent. If you do have cargo to haul, use the trunk instead of a roof rack or carrier, as using these can decrease mileage by as much as 5 percent.

3) We drank water only. No iced tea, no apple juice, no beers, no way! At restaurants we were allowed to order water only (with a few exceptions—we had to sample Montana beer at Summer Fest in Livingston).

4) We split entrées. We always started by ordering one entree for two adults and one children's meal for two kids. If we ate everything and were still hungry, we ordered more. We never wasted food.

5) We carried refillable water bottles. A family of four can easily spend $20 a day buying water in plastic bottles. We purchased eco-friendly Klean Kanteens, which don't leach chemicals, toxins, or funky flavors. We refilled them at hotels, restaurants, and public restrooms.

6) We found free and cheap fun. We walked to the top of Mount Sentinel in Missoula—a fun, free activity. We road the carousel in Helena—only $1.50. We caught some free live music at Music on Main in Bozeman. We discovered fun, off-the-beaten-path things to do on the Montana Get Lost website.

7) We went for hotel freebies. We bedded down at Best Westerns that offer great value: free breakfast, Wi-Fi, and parking.

8) We dove into the hotel pool. Who needs amusement parks and shopping malls, when you can hang out at the pool, where you don't have to pay admission or buy anything. Ninety percent of Best Western properties have swimming pools.

9) We loaded our iPhone with apps. We used CheapGas to pinpoint the lowest priced gas stations and AAA Discounts to alert us of money-saving opportunities. You can download both applications for free on iTunes.

Montana road trip: Billings

We spent our last full day in Montana driving through Yellowstone. We just hadn't gotten enough the day before and my husband desperately wanted to see the Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls. Due to heavy snow falls the rivers were higher than normal and the falls were dumping remarkable amounts of water. The water would fall down the face of the cliff, hit the river, and then bounce back up. The power of the water was tremendous.
We drove to Billings over Beartooth Pass. These mountains have some of the highest elevations in the lower 48, and this summer they're dusted in more snow than usual. At the top of the pass, people were sledding and throwing snowballs.

We passed through the town of Red Loge, an old mining town that's been gussied up with hanging flower basket, cute boutiques, and restaurants with outdoor patios shaded by colorful umbrellas. An American flag hangs from the front of every storefront and it feels like the Fourth of July on the day we drive down the main drag.


Billings
From Red Lodge, we charged onto Billings, finally arriving at nightfall. Unlike western Montana, the east lacks mountains and trees, but the barren plains are still spectacular, especially on a summer evening when the sky is turning pink.

We stop by Terry Park where sprays of water shoot up from the ground, showering the kids running around in swim suits. The cool water is welcome in this town that gets hot in the summer.
For dinner, we head for Montana Avenue, the old part of town where a passenger train once stopped back when Buffalo Bill Cody hung around these parts. During the 1930's, 32 trains a day stopped in Billings. Then in the 1970s, the trains came to a halt and the neighborhood turned into a ghost town. But more recently locals have embraced the area and it's now the best place for a beer or a steak, or to shop for a pair of boots or a sundress. And there are trains still passing through, though these don't carry passengers.
We had dinner at the Rex, where a chef from Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show once cooked behind the stove. My husband and I shared smoked chicken and the kids were happy with their hamburgers. The steaks looked good but they're way out of our budget.

Montana road trip: Livingston

In Montana, towns with red-brick buildings dating back to the 1800s and a few guys walking around in cowboy hats are a dime a dozen. Or so we learned on our road trip through this state filled with vast spaces and spectacular scenery and western towns.
But Livingston is in a class of it's own. The western spirit runs deeper here as the downtown is still rough and tumble and set seemingly in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by majestic mountains, sitting right on a rushing river. There's no suburban sprawl here. No chi-chi restaurants. Just a downtown with a few dark bars and stores where you can pick up a pair of Wranglers and the surrounding neighborhoods of trees and bungalows.
We arrive in the evening after a day in Yellowstone. As we drive down the leafy streets, we notice that there aren't any people around. It's eerily empty. And then we drive by one road and notice tons of cars parked. We've stumbled upon Summer Fest, an annual weekend of barbecue and bluegrass. We decide to ignore our tight budget and pay $30 for all of us to get in. It's well worth it. Locals are kicking up their heels to the sounds of a banjo and noshing on barbecue. We stick around for three hours, until after the sun goes down.

Best Western Plus Livingston Inn and SuitesIt's easy to feel right at home at this Best Western, just a few blocks from downtown. The chairs in the lobby are comfy. There's a hot pot of coffee sitting on the counter. And a teddy bear, which my children enjoyed cuddling, sits on the fireplace hearth.

Breakfast is free and the indoor swimming pool is heated.

The signs of Livingston
I fell in love with the old neon signs on the buildings in downtown Livingston. Here are a few photos of my favorites.

Montana road trip: Yellowstone

I'm from California where Yosemite is our go-to national park, and Half Dome and the valley surrounding it are beautiful. But it's really just a drop in the bucket compared to Yellowstone. The park is massive, covering over 2 million square acres, and stretching into Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. It could actually be its own state and is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined. And it's beauty is overwhelming. I knew that it would be spectacular but I wasn't prepared for it to take my breath away.

Here are a few highlights from our day in Yellowstone:


Fly-fishing
As we drove into the park from Bozeman, we followed the Gallatin river. My husband loves to fly-fish and he brought his rod so we stopped several times along the way. The river is higher than usual this year so the fishing wasn't good but this wasn't about catching a fish. It was about getting out on the river.

Elk
A lone Elk grazing in a meadow was our first wildlife spotting in the park. We were so excited we started screaming. My husband pulled the car to the side of the road, and the kids and I got out and watched in wonderment. The animal was so peaceful--completely oblivious to us. She gave us quite a show as she walked across the river.

Elk are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone; paleontological evidence confirms their continuous presence for at least 1,000 years. More than 30,000 elk from 7-8 different herds summer in Yellowstone and you're guaranteed to see one on a visit.

Later, we saw a coyote, an osprey, and lots of bison.

Old Faithful
It's the most most famous attraction in the park. We had to see it and so we followed the traffic that was inching down the road into a giant parking lot, a sea of RVs. We lucked out because we arrived at 2 p.m., and the sign in the visitor center said Old Faithful was tentatively scheduled to blow at 2:28 p.m.
Hundreds, no thousands of people, were gathered around Old Faithful's steamy hole. Everyone had their cameras and iPhones ready to get the shot. A few splashes of boiling water gurgled out. There were gasps all around. "Is she going to erupt?" And one of the splashes grew into a tall spray that got taller and taller.

It only lasted about two minutes. Reports from people around us who had seen the eruption before told us that this was a shorter show than usual and the spray wasn't quite as tall as it usually gets. But we didn't mind. We had seen Old Faithful.




Mammoth Hot Springs
As you walk through these steamy limestone terraces, you feel as if you're on the moon—or some other planet. The springs are different from the other thermal areas in the park. These travertine formations grow faster than sinter formations because limestone is soft. As the hot water bubbles to the surface, the limestone dissolves, covering the area in white chalky stuff.

To read the complete Montana road trip series, click here. To join conversations about the road trip, check out the On the Go with Amy Facebook page. If you want up-to-the-minute updates, follow @onthegowithamy on Twitter.

Montana road trip: Bozeman

We spend the sixth day of our trip exploring Bozeman. Here are the highlights:

1) Best Western Plus GranTree InnThis hotel is right off the freeway and only a couple minutes from downtown. The staff are friendly and helpful and the rooms comfortable and clean. And the indoor pool is heated—and super fun. At least that's what my kids would tell you. They spent the entire morning making up synchronized swimming dances in the pool.

2) Sola CafeThis cafe, across from the Museum of the Rockies, is the place to eat lunch on a sunny afternoon. The patio is spacious and filled with several tables—and the food's good, too. Everything here is made from scratch with Montana grown fruits and vegetables. At the counter, you can choose from an array salads, soups, and panini sandwiches. We try a Yellowstone salad made with grass-fed steak and a vegetarian chili served with corn bread.

3) Museum of the RockiesA stegosaurus skull the size of a Ford Fiesta. A frog that glides through the air. Indian arrowheads and weapons. There's so much cool stuff in this museum.

We start in the hands-on kids' area that teaches little ones about Yellowstone. You get to fish for salmon in a stream, identify flowers, camp out in a tent, and even watch Old Faithful blow.

My kids are also intrigued by a special exhibit on frogs, where we learn all about the nearly extinct Golden Frogs of Costa Rica and try to find camouflaged frogs that look exactly like leaves hidden in a large tank.

But our most favorite part of the museum is the dinosaur hall where you'll find the world's largest Tyrannosaurus rex skull in the world and most complete collection of stegosaurus specimens. The kids even get to touch a real dinosaur bone.

The dinosaur program here is overseen by paleontologist Jack Horner, who was the inspiration for the Jurassic Park character, Dr. Alan Grant.

4) Living History FarmThe Tinsley House is part of the Museum of the Rockies and offers the chance to step back in time to 1890 and experience the daily life of homesteaders. Volunteers wear long dresses and bonnets and on the day we visit, they're knitting and baking bread in the kitchen. My daughter was excited about learning how to use a loom.

To read the complete Montana road trip series, click here. To join conversations about the road trip, check out the On the Go with Amy Facebook page. If you want up-to-the-minute updates, follow @onthegowithamy on Twitter.

Montana road trip: Helena to Bozeman

After a few fast-paced days packed with driving and sightseeing we decide to spend a lazy morning at our hotel, the Best Western Premier Helena Great Northern. Our room is spacious and comfortable and its large curved windows look over the town. We take an hour to work and read. When you're traveling, sometimes you have to slow down.

Later the kids splash around in the heated indoor pool. We grab lunch at the nearby Bagel Company and the kids take one last spin on the Great Northern Carousel, just a block from the hotel.

At 1 p.m., we hit the road and drive to Bozeman.

It’s a stormy day and only a two-hour drive so we decide to plow forward and skip stops along the way. But we're actually forced to stop about halfway through the drive when the rain starts falling so hard we can't see through the windshield. And then hail, the size of small pebbles, starts pelting down onto the car. The freeway comes to a stop. Wow! We're stunned. We've never seen weather like this. And then it stops...and we drive on.

BozemanWe roll into Montana's fourth-largest town (pop. 37,000) in the evening, and head right for Main Street.

Art galleries, coffee houses, fly-fishing shops, and even wine bars line the main drag of this Old West town. This is a place where you can pick up a Stetson cowboy hat, and then buy a bottle of French wine. It's chic and stylish but still has that Montana cowboy charm.

On this night, Main Street is blocked off to traffic and food booths, serving everything from kettle corn to wood-fired pizza, have taken over. There's a huge row of bleachers and a stage in the middle of it all. We learn that we've stumbled upon Music on Main, when live bands perform outside on Thursday nights.

The Garage: Soup Shack and Mesquite GrillIt's still an hour before the music starts so we grab dinner at The Garage, a casual spot dishing up burgers, salads, and homemade soups in a former garage. The car theme is carried throughout with license plates serving as the covers for the menus, and all sorts of car parts—from hubcaps to bumpers—hanging from the walls. The kids order mac and cheese, and I try the barbecue chicken salad. The prices are reasonable and the food fresh.

Music on MainBy the time we're done with dinner at 8 p.m., the sun is still shining and a country western band has started to play. There's a fiddler and a guy on banjo and a lead singer belting out the Beatles' "Octopuses Garden" to a bluegrass rhythm. The entire town seems to be gathered outside and many are dancing wildly.
We stay until the end, and on the way back to the car my son spots some horses. The owner asks if he'd like to ride bareback and before I know it my son's on top of a horse and smiling big. "I need a cowboy hat," he tells me.

Best Western Premier Helena Great Northern

The Best Western Premier Great Northern is a first-class hotel right in the heart of little ol' Helena (Montana's state capital; pop. 28,000). If an important person--say the President--were coming to town, this is where I'd tell him to stay. He'd fit right in wearing a suit—and a cowboy hat.

As soon as you walk through the door, you're greeted by a friendly hello. The staff at the front desk are professional and willing to bend over backwards to make you comfortable. They're also full of information about the town: where to bring kids, where to eat, what to do.

The lobby is large and divided into cozy sitting areas with comfy chairs and couches upholstered in rich earthy hued fabrics. In one corner, there's a business center with computers where you can check email and print documents for free. Some cafe tables are perfect for small business meetings, or sharing a snack with your kids.

The decor throughout the hotel is stylish and sophisticated yet it includes tasteful touches of Montana's Old West spirit. Artsy collages featuring images of the old railroad that once passed through the town are hung throughout the hotel, and there's a fabulous bronze elk sculpture in the lobby.

We absolutely love our room on the third floor. Large curved windows look over the town. The beds are comfy and topped with fluffy comforters. The room is immaculate, well-appointed, and seems like the sort of place you'd find in the best part of town in the big city. It's certainly a room fit for a President.

Montana road trip: Helena

We wake up early and drive directly from Dillon to Helena. Montana's capital is lively little town (pop. 28,000) with lots of history. We decide to dig right into its storied past and spend the day touring historical sights. Here’s what we did:

1) The Parrot Confectionary, Helena

My kids' eyes get as big as saucers when they walk inside this old-fashioned soda fountain. As soon as you pass through door, there's a colorful display of hand-dipped candies.

But we can't have candy yet. We must eat lunch first. We park ourselves in one of the booths and order four bowls of chili.
This old-fashioned soda fountain looks just like it did in 1935 when it first opened in this location (it first opened in a different spot in 1910). There's a big red Formica counter with stools that spin around, and then several wooden booths. The lunch menu is simple: hot dogs and chili.
A friendly teenage boy carries the steaming bowls filled with huge chunks of steak to our table. There's a basket of Saltine crackers to go with it. We all devour our chili without saying a word. After her last bight, my daughter says, "Can we have some candy?"
It's hard to choose from the dozens of offerings: Turkish delight, raspberry creams, chocolate peanut butter fudge, almond butter toffee. We all decide on "Parrots," which are the same thing as a Turtle with chocolate, soft caramel and toasted pecans.

The lady behind the counter asks, "Do you want a tour of the back?"

My daughter practically screams, "Yes."

In the back we're escorted into a tiny refrigerated room where a woman who has worked at the Parrot for 30 years is hand-dipping chocolates. The time and effort that goes into each piece of candy is remarkable. These bon-bons are truly made with love. We all get a sample, and then another. "That's my favorite place in Montana," my daughter said, as we were leaving The Parrot.

2) Great Northern Carousel, Helena The kids take a spin on this modern carousel featuring Montana wildlife. My daughter hops on a bison and my son a big-horned sheep. There's a dispenser hanging from the wall feeding out little rings that you can grab and then throw into the mouth of a clown. My kids arms aren't long enough to reach a ring, but they keep trying. The rings make the carousel all the more fun for older kids.


3) Montana State Capitol, Helena
Montana's Capitol dates back to 1902 and in 2002 it was restored to its original look. The interior of this neoclassical building is absolutely stunning with stained glass, historical murals, and a barrel vaulted ceiling over the grand stairway. Free guided tours leave on the hour, with the first leaving at 9 a.m. and the last at 2 p.m. My kids ages 6 and 8 seem to find the tour interesting, and they like the stories that our guide tells about the murals of Indians, miners, and Lewis and Clark.


4) Last Chance Train Tours, Helena
The best way to see the town and pick up some history is on board this one-hour train tour. The guides know everything about the state's history but they don't bore you. They keep it fun by cracking lots of jokes. "That's what you call a 'Montana rode-eo'" our guide said when the train went over a big bump in the road.

Here are a few of the places we passed on the tour:

Opulent mansion district featuring homes of Helena's mining millionaires


St. Helena Gothic Cathedral with dramatic 230-foot spires

The Old Fire Tower, built in 1876. One of the few remaining in the U.S.


5) Toi’s Thai, Helena
The food coming out of this amazing little Thai restaurant is what you’d expect to be served at the home of a family living in Thailand. The flavors are intense and the coconut curry chicken that we savor is rich and lemony and far tastier than anything I’ve eaten at the Thai restaurants where I live in the metropolitan city of San Francisco. In the middle of our meal, Toi comes out of the kitchen and says hello to diners. There are only about six or eight tables. It's truly like eating in someone's home.

To read the complete Montana road trip series, click here. To join conversations about the road trip, check out the On the Go with Amy Facebook page. If you want up-to-the-minute updates, follow @onthegowithamy on Twitter.

Montana road trip: Hamilton to Dillon

We wake up early on our third day in Montana because we have a packed itinerary. Our plan is to continue our drive through the Bitterroot Valley along Highway 93, and then drive over Chief Joseph Pass, crossing the Continental Divide. We'll then cut through the Big Hole Valley along Highway 43, before hopping onto 278, which will take us to Dillon, where we will spend the night.

Here are a few highlights from our day:


1) Blodgett Canyon, Hamilton
Hamilton locals refer to the box canyon just outside of town as a little Yosemite. And as we walk the Canyon Creek Trail, which follows a rushing river, we understand why. Granite peaks loom overhead. Not Half Dome, but still impressive.


2) Spice of Life Eclectic Café, Hamilton
This funky café housed in a 1909 historic building was initially a bank, then a rollicking bar, and now it's one of the best places in town for lunch and dinner. The menu is eclectic, as you'd expect, and you'll find a bit of Caribbean, Thai, Japanese, and Italian cuisine. My husband and I split a Jamaican jerk chicken salad and a bowl of black bean chili. The kids opt for a fruit plate off the children's menu.


3) Sassy Sewing Company, Hamilton
After lunch, we stroll down Main Street. My daughter spots this store selling handmade doll clothes for Barbies and American Girl Dolls. Susan Raye White is the amazing woman behind this shop and she sews at least one new dress a day. She shows us a wedding dress that’s a copy of the Kate Middleton gown. She plans to have it on display at the county fair. My daughter uses her spending money to buy a few things.


4) Lake Como, outside Darby
This pretty little mountain lake framed by snowy peaks has a soft, sandy beach that’s a popular swimming spot with locals. There’s also a hike that takes you around the lake and past a waterfall. Since we spent the morning hiking we opt for an afternoon swim.


5) Big Bear Taxidermy, Darby
Animal trophies are a dime a dozen in Montana and hang in restaurants, saloons, hotels, even the airport. But when you walk into this tiny storefront where the walls are covered in moose, deer, and bear heads, you feel the power of these beautiful animals. Dozens of deep, brown eyes are staring right at you, and it’s a rather arresting feeling.
I ask the taxidermist about a stuffed mountain lion that appears humongous. “Are mountain lions really that big?”

“Well, that’s an especially huge lion,” he tells me.


6) Big Hole National Battlefield
Over 125 years ago U.S. soldiers sneaked up on a Nez Perce tribe camped next to the Big Hole River. Gun shots were fired and almost 90 Nez Perce, mainly innocent women and children, were killed. Thirty soldiers and volunteers also died in the brutal battle. This National Battlefield was created to honor those who died.

In the visitor center, exhibits and a movie tell the story of the battle. The video brings my daughter to tears and she insists that we hike down to the battlefield where tipis made from sticks honor the Nez Perce.


7) Bannack State ParkFrom the Battlefield we drive through the Big Hole Valley, a broad stretch of land with jagged peaks marching along either side. We stop at the ghost town of Bannack.
Bannack was founded in 1862 when John White discovered gold on Grasshopper Creek. As news of the gold strike spread many prospectors and businessmen rushed to Bannack hoping to strike it rich. In 1864, Bannack was named as the first Territorial Capital of Montana. For years it was hopping, but the population started dwindling in the 30s and 40s and then completely disappeared in the 50s. What remains is a row of some sixty buildings, and you can step inside most of them.


8) Dillon
We roll into this little town at about 8 p.m. We'd read that it was named one of "America's Prettiest Towns" in Forbes magazine in 2010, but unfortunately we're unable to explore since it's so late. We drive around and notice the beautiful University of Montana Western campus. We drive by a Patagonia outlet (random place to find one) and downtown's main drag of red-brick buildings, and then grab dinner at Papa T's. Video games line one wall of the restaurant and the kids have fun playing PacMan (only 25 cents!). And then we fill up on pizza, piled high with fresh veggies.

To read the complete Montana road trip series, click here. To join conversations about the road trip, check out the On the Go with Amy Facebook page. If you want up-to-the-minute updates, follow @onthegowithamy on Twitter.