Montana - Big Sky, Bigger Mountains, Biggest Buffalo Burger

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We’ve heard about Montana’s “Big Sky” but always thought it was just a phrase, so we were amazed that the sky really does look big! I’m not sure of the scientific reason for it, but my best guess is it’s an optical illusion. If that’s not it, it must be some hypnotic effect from all the clean, smog-free air…

The following are some highlights from Montana:

Best Meal:

A buffalo cheeseburger with all the trimmings…mmh
Worst Meal:

We were so desperate for lunch on a lonely strip of road that Mike picked the only non-gas station restaurant in sight – a KFC/A&W combo. We were well into summer, and I was craving corn on the cob. The picture on the menu board looked so good that I succumbed to ordering it, only to find that, as usual with restaurant corn on the cob, it was overdone and mushy. Sad thing is that I ate it because I was craving it so badly!
Biggest Surprise:

Deer in the street in Helena. We’re not talking a rural area. It was actually in Helena within walking distance to The Walking Mall downtown. Apparently, it’s a common occurrence, too.
Biggest Twinge of Homesickness:

We had a great time staying with some old friends for a few days, just hanging out. We are very thankful for their wonderful hospitality and were surprised to find that we simply miss being with people we know.
Worst Closure:

Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. They were still plowing snow as deep as the roofs of the bathrooms - in mid to late June!
Most Beautiful Spot:

Glacier National Park. Mountains, snow, Big Sky, creeks, lakes…all the elements are there in a spectacular scene. Check out the pictures.
Best Tour:

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. We took the 2 hour guided tour with the first half hour being a walk up to the cavern entrance. Once inside, the ranger/tour guide made bad jokes throughout the tour, keeping it entertaining as well as informative. The only part I disagreed with was when she explained the formation of the caves by saying, “when the mountains decided to form.” I never realized mountains could just “decide” to form! Personally, I believe that a Creator God made the Earth and everything in it in 6 days. Obviously, some mountains formed from volcanoes and some from the global flood, but none decided to form.
In one portion of the tour, you had to either slide down on your bottom or do a duck walk because the ceiling of the cave was so low. In several other places, you had to stoop to avoid the stalactites. Then the ranger turned off the lights so you could get a sense of the absolute darkness in the cave. Interestingly, Lewis and Clark were never at the caves. It was named after them because when the caves were donated to the state of Montana, nothing was named after Lewis & Clark – that’s just a little different than today!
Worst Memory:

Getting busted at 1 am for having a movie on too loudly in the hotel room. I’m so embarrassed! It was a special occasion, so we stayed up late watching a movie on the in-room DVD player. The movie switched from loud, sporting scenes to softer talking scenes, so we kept turning it up and down, but apparently we didn’t do a very good job of volume control! Now, we only watch movies late at night when we’re next to an elevator or outside wall.
Best Memory:

On a beautiful sunshiny day at Glacier National Park, we got off the trail to explore a creek. It was a fun adventure, and I just love the sound of a babbling brook. It doesn’t get any better than hearing the babbling brook with the mountains in the distance and those you love nearby!
My MT Hike:

Mt Helena. We hiked to the summit with our friends where we enjoyed both the view and a snack of cocoa dusted almonds…mmmh. Then the kids raced the moms down. You can guess who won.
Biggest Revelation: 

Some states do road construction better than others. I’m not saying Illinois does everything right. We all know about the string of governors in jail, but at least in Illinois, they try to accommodate drivers by only closing down half the road while they work on the other half. This keeps one lane of traffic going, whereas in Montana they just ripped the whole road out down to the core for miles! We waited forever to follow a construction vehicle down a gravel mess because there wasn’t even a semblance of a road remaining.
What We Did Miss: 

Little Bighorn Battlefield, Medicine Rocks State Park, Missoula, and many others.  Sorry to our social network friends for not getting to everything.

In Summary: 

Montana, your Big Sky and mountains are incredible! Before we move there, what are your winters like???

- Sheri