Fort Benton, MT is located on the Missouri River about 40 minutes from Great Falls. It was once dubbed the World’s Most Inland Port because of all the steamboats that landed there. You’d be hard pressed to visit Fort Benton and not know how proud this town is of it’s history. This past week I had a chance to take a guided tour of the Old Fort. Our tour guide was named Burnt Spoon and … Read more
I’d like to say I know how to put up a tipi after this past week. Let’s just say I’ve got a general idea of how it needs to be done. We watched one go up at River Camp behind the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, MT. There were a few struggles but all in all, it’s pretty amazing to see it going up. There were some center poles in place when … Read more
A couple of gals (grandmas) from northeast Montana plan to treat their grandkids to a road trip to visit as many stops along Montana’s Dinosaur Trail as they can. They’ll be doing daily updates as they travel along the trail. We’ve dubbed their trip “Driving’ With Dixie” since Grandma Dixie was the lead organizer for this great road trip. Dixie, her sister and a several grandkids plan to start their trek in southeast Montana, Ekalaka … Read more
I always feel that summer officially begins when Memorial Day weekend rolls around. Communities throughout Montana’s Russell Country take this cue, as all of our seasonal museums and visitor attractions open up at least by Memorial Day. This past weekend I spent some time in Chinook, MT and took in the Memorial Day services there. Community pride shines through as speeches remind us that there is truly a reason for this holiday, aside from getting a 3-day weekend. Through … Read more
The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, MT will celebrate International Migratory Bird Day Saturday, May 16th. From 9am to 5pm there will be activities that should entice just about anybody. There will be two guided bird walks, one at 9am, one at 11am. I know the lady leading these walks and she will teach everyone something! Bring your binocs and, of course, some good walking shoes. A 98 minute film titled “Winged … Read more
White Sulphur Springs, MT hosts an impressive list of cowboy poets and pickers May 8-10. The gathering is called “Motherin’ Up”. Daytime sessions are free to the public and poets rotate each hour starting at 10am. Attendees will be able to hear performers from Montana, Canada, and North and South Dakota. Saturday evening’s performance is $12. A nondenominational cowboy church service begins at 9am Sunday. Concessions will sold by local 4-H clubs and you’ll also … Read more
Central Montana’s pride, The Bair Museum near Martinsdale, opened for the season May 1st. This coming Saturday FFA students from Plenty Coup High School will raise a tipi and then lead Crow Indian cultural events on the museum grounds.Tipi raising begins at 11am and is open to the public. Traditional Indian tacos and beverages will be available at the Martinsdale Community Center, just a mile away, after the ceremony. When you arrive at The Bair … Read more
Ground squirrels, locally called gophers, are considered pests by farmers and ranchers because of the hundreds (seems like thousands) of hazardous holes they dig. This Saturday, May 9th, in Choteau, MT there will be a gopher shooting contest sponsored by Wings and Wild Things in an effort to keep the gopher population from causing more harm. The contest starts at 9am Saturday in Choteau. Hunters need to check in with Wings and Wild Things gun … Read more
It was a great weekend for car collectors, for people who just like to admire really cool cars, and for those who just like to get outside and attend an event. Cruisin’ The Drag was held Saturday in downtown Great Falls, MT. Central Avenue was blocked off for about 8 blocks and over 500 car entries lined both sides of the streets. From jazzed-up muscle cars to unique things like a hearse turned motorhome, there … Read more
I recently helped show off one of our great visitor attractions to several international folks traveling through northcentral Montana. Our plans were to visit First People’s Buffalo Jump State Park about 15 minutes from Great Falls, MT near the small town of Ulm. When this tour was planned a month ago I wondered what kind of weather we would have. Springtime in Russell Country typically guarantees a variety of weather so I knew we might … Read more