After getting back from our 20th anniversary in the Maldives, Shae, Truffles and I moved on to the 46th state of our road trip – Montana.
We spent three weeks there, but we got a little unfortunate that for the first 10 days or so of that we were both sick and so didn’t have much energy to explore the state as much as we might’ve liked.
However, we did get to enjoy quite a few things while we were there, so here’s our best and worst things from Montana.
Favorite Accommodation We Stayed At
Stephen – This is a toss-up between the Element Bozeman which was an excellent hotel downtown and the Vacasa property we stayed at in Whitefish.
Shae – Oh, man we stayed in some good places in Montana. I think, other than being sick during the stay, I liked the accommodation in Whitefish the best. An honorable mention to the DoubleTree in Missoula since it had a little patio door and was walkable to the cool library there.
Favorite Meal
Stephen – We had kitchens in all of the places we stayed at in Montana, so we didn’t eat out much while we were there. While it wasn’t the best BBQ I’ve ever had, I did enjoy The Notorious P.I.G. BBQ in Missoula.
Shae – My favorite “meal” was definitely the Huckleberry Pie and ice cream we had at the Huckleberry Patch outside of Whitefish. But my favorite drinking place was, hands down, Speakeasy 41 – where you enter through a hidden door behind a bookshelf.
Most Disappointing Meal
Stephen – There wasn’t a disappointing meal, but most of the beers I had at Last Best Place Brewing in Bozeman were mediocre.
Shae – The overall experience at Last Best Place Brewing in Bozeman wasn’t great so I’d probably pick there too.
Favorite Free Activity
Stephen – Exploring Helena by foot. Montana’s state capital has a really cute downtown area with a lovely historic area.
Shae – It might sound kinda dumb, but I’d have to say using the Missoula Public Library. It’s a fantastic, 4-story library, that has all kinds of services and opportunities for the community to access and I spent several days there working.
Favorite Paid Activity
Stephen – Driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. It wasn’t an expensive paid activity though; we already had a National Park pass and we only had to pay $2 for the timed ticket to access the road.
Shae – I mean, yeah, the road was definitely the best overall. But I think I have to give a shout-out to Big Horn County Historical Museum. There were cool buildings to see from the history of Montana and a neat museum to explore as well.
Favorite Pet-Friendly Activity
Stephen – Montana was surprisingly dog-unfriendly for being such an outdoorsy state. However, Helena’s breweries were a nice exception as there were quite a few pet-friendly ones.
Shae – Yeah, there wasn’t enough for our pupperina in Montana for sure. I’d pick the Huckleberry Patch where there was a little dog park for her to play at or Speakeasy 41 where she was able to come inside and relax with us.
Least Favorite Activity
Stephen – Being sick for so long. We’d been particularly looking forward to being in the Whitefish area, but a day out in Glacier National Park was the only thing we felt well enough to do there.
Shae – Ugh, being sick was definitely the worst. I think I’d have to pick going to Last Best Place Brewing though because it really wasn’t an enjoyable time.
Favorite Hike
Stephen – I’d been looking forward to hiking, but again – being sick meant we didn’t have the energy for that. Walking all around Helena was probably the closest we came to a hike.
Shae -Yeah, sigh, we didn’t hike. You have to be able to breathe to hike and I couldn’t do that for weeks!
Favorite Quirky Thing We Did
Stephen – There wasn’t anything particularly quirky, although I guess the mythical creature exhibit at the Museum of the Rockies with its mermaids, dragons, etc. might count as quirky-adjacent.
Shae – I was going to say seeing the World’s Largest Buffalo but that’s in North Dakota… after so many states and so many “world’s largest” things it’s hard to keep track. The quirkiest thing I did was go to the Pin and Cue in Whitefish to do our laundry because it’s a laundromat/bowling alley/bar/restaurant/arcade/pool hall/casino and all laundromat experiences are definitely improved with a glass of wine.
Favorite Memory
Stephen – Some of the views at Glacier National Park.
Shae – Meeting my friend Michael in person in Helena. I love making new friends and meeting online friends in person when we travel around.
Funniest Moment
Stephen – Hearing about Shae’s adventures when she went paddle boarding on Flathead Lake.
Shae – Being on my adventures on Flathead Lake.
Thing We Most Regretted
Stephen – Being sick.
Shae – While being sick was bad, I most regretted not having my camera for Montana. It ended up broken during our overseas trip (turns out water and cameras don’t mix) and so I had to send it off to Nikon to be repaired. Thankfully I got it back in time for Yellowstone.
Something We Missed And Want To See
Stephen – Some of the hiking trails at Glacier National Park. Having said that, shortly after our visit apparently a hiker got attacked by a bear on one of the trails we’d wanted to hike, so maybe we dodged a bullet paw.
Shae – I’d very much like to hike more in Montana and see a bit more of the Bozeman area.
Our Biggest Surprise
Stephen – How non-dog friendly Montana is. Missoula particularly wasn’t pet-friendly when it came to dogs being allowed on patios at breweries and restaurants, but the state overall wasn’t anywhere near as pup-welcoming as we’d expected it to be.
Shae – I was shocked at the strict drinking rules in Montana too. Rules about breweries vs. bars and pours and amounts you’re allowed and then no dogs allowed at many places like Stephen mentioned above.
My Montana Drinking Game Would Be…
Stephen – Take a drink every time you see something huckleberry-flavored. We’d encountered that in Washington state, but there were even more huckleberry food and drink items in Montana.
Shae – Take a drink when and where you can because of the strict pour restrictions at breweries and distilleries.
Summary Of Montana In 10 Words Or Less
Stephen – A pretty place, but not as amazing as anticipated.
Shae – A place I’d like to hike more before passing judgement.
Montana Cities We Visited In Order From Favorite To Least Favorite
Stephen – Whitefish, Bozeman, Helena, Missoula & Billings, although the first three could potentially be jumbled up and I’d have a hard time arguing about the different placing.
Shae – Whitefish, Helena, Missoula, Bozeman and then Billings but I don’t have strong feelings about my order either.
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