Montana & Dinosaurs – 150 years in the making

Montana is synonymous with dinosaurs.  Why is Montana such a hotbed for dinosaur fossils. ? Answer, it is atop the Hell Creek Formation, a 300-foot-thick bed of sandstone and mudstone that dates to a period between 66 million and 67.5 million years ago, the time just before dinosaurs went extinct. Stretching across the Dakotas and Montana (in Wyoming, it’s known as Lance), the formation—one of the richest fossil locations in the world—is the remnant of … Read more

Four Indoor Activities to Experience While Traveling in Central Montana

Bright sunshine, warm temps and long and leisurely summer days are what we look forward to all year. Sometimes though it’s great to take a break, get indoors and explore. Here are four fun indoor activities in four different communities in Central Montana. Carousel Rest Area of Shelby Located on US Hwy 2, this carousel, technically the Carousel Rest Area of Shelby, is great for the kiddos, and adults come away with some pretty big … Read more

Spend Three Days Exploring Central Montana After Visiting Glacier National Park

After you’ve absorbed all of the majestic beauty on a visit to Glacier National Park, save some time to explore the region on the eastern side of this national icon. Central Montana has a mix of it all when it comes to geography – mountains, rivers and plains. Day 1 in Central Montana After leaving East Glacier and then Browning, turn south on US Hwy 89 and follow this route that hugs the east slope … Read more

Yellowstone to Glacier Through Central Montana’s Scenic Corridor

Looking for road trip ideas? Visit one or both of Montana’s national parks, take scenic US Hwy 89 between them and you won’t be disappointed. Limited traffic, small town charm, and plenty of things to do all combine for a memorable trip. Let’s start where you exit Yellowstone National Park and work our way north to Glacier National Park. Gardiner is the first town just outside Yellowstone’s north boundary. In about 55 miles US Hwy … Read more

Highlights of the Hi-Line in Central Montana

We’ve heard it called quirky, iconic, historic, scenic, and a step back in time. Those monikers all describe US Hwy 2 as it stretches across Montana for about 650 miles. Locals call it Montana’s Hi-Line since it’s the northernmost route traversing the state from east to west. We call it an interesting and fun drive. Let’s talk about some of the gems along US Hwy 2 in Central Montana. On our western edge, travelers are … Read more

Unique Adventures in Central Montana

The phone rings. It’s my cousin and she’s looking for ideas for a summer vacation. Before I ask what interests her family has, I start blurting out an entire list of ideas. Knowing there are kids involved I immediately think of our our summer dinosaur digs and our six amazing museums on Montana’s Dinosaur Trail. If they are traveling on US Hwy 2 (Montana’s Hi-Line) they could stop at the Blaine County Museum in Chinook and … Read more

Passports for Dinosaur Travelers

Members of the Montana Dinosaur Trail have developed a passport for the fourteen museums on the trail. For $5 you get a very official looking passport with the logo for the dino trail on the cover, a page dedicated to each museum, fun fossil facts about the dinosaur fossil found in each area, artwork depicting each dinosaur, a place for field notes and the passport stamp. Each museum on the Montana Dinosaur Trail has their own unique … Read more

Discovering Dinosaurs – Digs, Displays and Museums

Montana has had some incredibly significant discoveries of fossils, most noteworthy are the dinosaur bones. Fourteen areas have joined together to form the Montana Dinosaur Trail coverning eastern, central and southwest Montana. This past weekend I met with the members of the Montana Dinosaur Trail and I’d like to share some information about a few of them. If you are traveling on US Hwy 2 from the North Dakota border and traveling west you could stop at … Read more

Montana’s Dinosaur

A lot of folks on a Montana vacation don’t realize we have a state dinosaur – yup – it’s the Maiasaura unearthed fairly close to Choteau, MT. I was in Choteau recently and if you are driving towards Glacier National Park on US 89 you’ll go right through the middle of Choteau.The highway actually divides right before downtown Choteau, goes around the stately Teton County Courthouse, then comes back together to take travelers through downtown. … Read more

Making Plaster in the Field

Just think about this – you are out on the plains of Central Montana working on a dinosaur “discovery” and it’s time to make a field jacket for it so it doesn’t get disturbed. A little precious water (no running water here!) is mixed with powdered plaster of paris and you’ve got the stuff to make the jacket. We were west of Choteau, MT with Two Medicine Dinosaur Center and these kids were having so much fun … Read more