Have you ever been driving around Montana, looked out the window and thought, as you whizzed by, “Hmm, that’s an interesting plant, I wonder what’s growing out there”? Chances are you have, unless you’re my father or father-in-law and your secret super power is the ability to identity grass species while cruising down the interstate … Read more
I remember taking a family road trip to Glacier National Park as a child. Driving from Helena, MT to East Glacier, we carefully followed US 89 (a route known as the National Park to Park Highway as it connects twelve National Parks, but we will save that for another post). As we followed the trail … Read more
One of the first tourists to Montana was a man named Maximillian of Wied. Or, if you want to be more specific, Prince Maximillian Alexander Phillip of Wied-Neuwied. Unlike the Lewis and Clark Expedition or the fur trappers that followed, Maximillian did not come to explore or make money, he came simply to look around. … Read more
In a creative writing workshop, my wife wrote about growing up on a farm. Later, in the same essay, she talked about growing up on a ranch. This caused considerable consternation in the workshop. “You can’t use those words interchangeably,” people said. “It’s a farm or it’s a ranch. You need to figure out which … Read more
In Christmastime in Montana, David Walter has compiled hundreds of stories and descriptions of Christmas celebrations from the archives of Montana history, and I was perusing it earlier this week. Wait, peruse means to “examine carefully and at length?” Never mind, I wasn’t perusing anything. I speed-skimmed Christmastime in Montana, on the search for blog-postable … Read more
You, dear reader, will never have an opportunity to travel through Montana with my dad [name withheld because he doesn’t trust the internet]. Which is a shame, because it is one of the best ways of seeing the state. References like Names on the Faces of Montana, virtualmontana.com, this blog, and a good Montana Map … Read more
