Not All Who Wander Are Lost: Uptown Butte on Foot without a Plan

On my recent trips to Butte, I went to some cool museums, took fun tours, and ate delicious food. I also spent a lot of time just wandering around. The activities are fun for sure, but there is something very alluring about just wandering around a place, looking at things. Butte has an air of … Read more

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Montana Fall Roundup

  Did you know that today is the first day of fall? Of course you do. Turns out, so do the people at Montana’s official tourism regions. Back in the old days, fall meant roundups. the big ranches would bring their cattle in from their summer pasture to winter them closer to home. Today, fall … Read more

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Scots in Montana: Writing the State

Tomorrow Scotland votes on independence, and I have been marking the occasion by reflecting on Montana’s debt to the people of Scotland. There are so many Montanan Scots, and I’ve looked at only a few, please feel free to let me know if you have others that you would like to read about. In the … Read more

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Scots in Montana History: Jeanette Rankin

In a few short days, Scotland will vote on independence from the United Kingdom. This impending referendum has left me musing on the role that Scots played in the history of Montana. Last week I profiled two pioneering cattlemen who helped shape Montana. Today I want to look at another pioneering spirit with Scotch blood … Read more

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Montana’s Missing Scots

I have been thinking a lot about the Scots. Were there Scots in Montana? If so, why did they not leave a lasting mark on the Montana identity? Why, for example, do Montana Universities offer Irish Studies, but no Scottish Studies? Turns out, this is a theme across the West. While many Scots and Scots-Irish … Read more

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Hiking Lolo Peak

Lolo Peak trail doesn’t actually lead to Lolo Peak. The trail switchbacks for 3.6 miles through beautiful lodgepole and larch forests and steep meadows to Carlton Ridge. Along the way, breaks in the trees offer stunning vistas as range after range of mountains tumble away in all directions. To the northeast, the jagged Missions cut … Read more

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