If I had to pick just one Montana
event that is my favorite, this would be it! Every August,
Chico Hot Springs resort located in Pray, MT, hosts a block party and brings in Montana Rose. This part of Montana is known as Paradise Valley -
you only have to drive through this beautiful valley through which flows the Yellowstone River, to know how it got its name.
This is an annual event for us, and for whoever may be here with us. The party is held in the parking lot of the resort
, which is transformed into a dance floor surrounded by picnic tables, hay bales and some of the best food for miles around. T
his is one of those events where just the smell of hamburgers and roasted corn on the grill remind me immediately of Chico.
There are always plenty of characters
there, who show up year after year. Beards, pony tails, cowboy hats and boots are practically
de rigueur for the men, particularly the locals. And, my, how they can dance - not just with one partner either. I almost have a vision of women with dance cards each waiting their turn to dance with each one.
We arrived at the Hot Springs early in the afternoon in order to take advantage of the mineral
hot springs pool. The hot springs are created in the same way as the Yellowstone geysers - molten rock heats the water below the earth's crust and it is pushed up through the rock layers bringing minerals along with it. The water is channeled into the hot pool first which maintains a temperature of about 103 degrees - which is just about as hot as I can stand - and, no, they can't turn the thermostat down!! It then flows to the larger swimming pool which is cooler, because it is larger, but just barely at 96 degrees.
Rumored to cure everything from kidney ailments to skin rashes, the water just feels really good, and I could probably be convinced that it works. This supply of mineral hot springs water is apparently endless. The pool is completely emptied every night, so there is no need for chlorine or any other type of water treatment. Imagine the water bill without this endless supply!
The resort also has a fine dining room and many of the ingredients are grown on
site in Chico's garden. Their desserts, especially, are to die for. I struggled with the decision but finally decided on the flaming dessert, a whole orange which has been scooped out and lined with hard, dark chocolate, then filled with something similar to a Grand Marnier orange sherbert and topped with meringue.
The highlight of our evening was meeting
Alex Gemignani and his fiancee, Erin Ortman.
They were sitting at the table next to ours and quite obviously very taken with each other. As they prepared to leave, we spoke, and they told us they were getting married at Chico in two days. Most of their wedding party, family and friends were there in the dining room. They told us that he was an actor in New York and that she was an acting coach. Alex has a new show opening in October on Broadway - none other than the new Stephen Sondheim musical,
Road Show. He has also appeared in 3 other Sondheim productions:
Assassins (for which he won a Theatre World Award for his portrayal of John Hinckley),
Passion, and
Sweeny Todd. He also played Jean Valjean in
Les Miserables.
Erin grew up in Helena, MT and has lived and worked in New York since finishing college. I'm sure their wedding at Chico was beautiful, and I will definitely follow their careers.
We spent the night at the resort, and
got up the next morning and drove the short distance over to Emmigrant for breakfast at the Old Saloon. They have fabulous omelets, biscuits & gravy, and the "monster" cinnamon roll. Honestly, it's big enough to feed four. It took me several days to come down off my sugar high, but the memories are sure worth the overdose!!
Enjoy!!
It's 6.5 miles round trip and a 1400 foot gain in altitude to 9,200 feet at the top. I hiked this trail on July 10, and there was still quite a bit of snow above 8,600 feet. We stopped at 8800 feet because we were knee deep in snow!
But, the best part was that the cutthroat trout in the lake were very hungry. 
We always stop there for the views of Lone Peak. Monday was a particularly clear day, so we lingered a little longer than usual to enjoy this sight.
The air was so clear that we could see 100 miles all the way to the Tetons. This is truly a Rocky Mountain high.
you only have to drive through this beautiful valley through which flows the Yellowstone River, to know how it got its name.
, which is transformed into a dance floor surrounded by picnic tables, hay bales and some of the best food for miles around. T
his is one of those events where just the smell of hamburgers and roasted corn on the grill remind me immediately of Chico.
there, who show up year after year. Beards, pony tails, cowboy hats and boots are practically de rigueur for the men, particularly the locals. And, my, how they can dance - not just with one partner either. I almost have a vision of women with dance cards each waiting their turn to dance with each one.
site in Chico's garden. Their desserts, especially, are to die for. I struggled with the decision but finally decided on the flaming dessert, a whole orange which has been scooped out and lined with hard, dark chocolate, then filled with something similar to a Grand Marnier orange sherbert and topped with meringue.
They were sitting at the table next to ours and quite obviously very taken with each other. As they prepared to leave, we spoke, and they told us they were getting married at Chico in two days. Most of their wedding party, family and friends were there in the dining room. They told us that he was an actor in New York and that she was an acting coach. Alex has a new show opening in October on Broadway - none other than the new Stephen Sondheim musical, Road Show. He has also appeared in 3 other Sondheim productions: Assassins (for which he won a Theatre World Award for his portrayal of John Hinckley), Passion, and Sweeny Todd. He also played Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.
got up the next morning and drove the short distance over to Emmigrant for breakfast at the Old Saloon. They have fabulous omelets, biscuits & gravy, and the "monster" cinnamon roll. Honestly, it's big enough to feed four. It took me several days to come down off my sugar high, but the memories are sure worth the overdose!!
"Winter gets you here, but summer keeps you here." Winter is entirely about snow and snowsports - for me, downhill skiing, and for Jim, snowshoeing. And, for both of us, watching the snow covered mountains, reading, cooking and eating.
not in the recent past.
These classically trained musicians are really pushing the outer limits of Irish music. To me, they are to instrumental music what Stomp is to dance. Each of the four musicians are strong solo caliber performers who understand each other and play off each other to create a thrilling and delightful experience. Click on this link to hear and see some of their music.
of the total Big Sky experience than sitting out under the big blue sky with friends, listening to live music, sipping a glass of wine, munching on cheese, fruit, crackers and watching the moon rise over these spectacular Rocky Mountains - absolutely nowhere else I would rather be in the summer.
We have 2 more weeks here in Montana, one of which will be shared with Marci and Ryan. I hear Ryan has been busy getting his flies tied and that their friend, Bill, will also be here, fishing rod in hand. 
In 1804, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and the Corps of Discovery set out from St. Louis to explore the Missouri River and find a water connection to the Pacific Ocean. Little did they know that the drainages from the massive Rocky Mountains formed the headwaters of the Missouri in Montana, some 1,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
Park in Three Forks, some 20 miles west of Bozeman. It was here that Lewis & Clark found the confluence of 3 rivers that formed the headwaters of the Missouri River. They named the rivers the Jefferson, the Madison, and the Gallatin for Thomas Jefferson who commissioned their journey, James Madison who was Secretary of State and Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury. 
for a round of golf at The Old Works. This golf course is a Jack Nicklaus signature course and is built on a Federal Superfund cleanup site. Anaconda, named for the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., which was active from the late 1800s until 1959, was home of the largest copper smelter in the world during this time. Ore was transported by rail from neighboring Butte (25 miles to the east), which was once the largest source of silver and copper in the United States.
which towers 585 feet on a hill over the golf course. In its heyday, the smelter could process 1,000 tons of ore an hour. The golf course itself is built on the site of the original copper smelting site, thus the name Old Works, which was built in two phases - the Upper Works and the Lower Works. The site was chosen because Warm Springs Creek provided enough water to refine the ore, unlike dry and arid Butte.
For instance, the slag left over from the mining operations is used in the sand bunkers on the course, making the sand bunkers black, in stark contrast to the usual white sand bunkers found on other courses. The course, from some of the elevated tees on the front 9 holes, is a strikingly attractive black and green pattern.
a bed and breakfast housed in the former church rectory for St. Paul's Church. This historic building has been beautifully restored in Anaconda's historic district. We enjoyed sitting out on the patio before dinner in downtown Anaconda, and after a good night's sleep, we were sent on our way with a good breakfast.
this last photo. Ever wonder where to the find the road to Opportunity?? Well, I found it as we left Anaconda. I didn't follow the road to Opportunity, but now I know where to find it should I have the need in the future.
Portland Bridge Pedal yesterday. Don't they look great? Not sure if this picture was made before or after the 15 miles, but as active as they are, they could easily look this good after even more than 15 miles.
I firmly believe that our willingness to try new things, go where we haven't gone before, is what keeps us young at any age. Congratulations, Linda!
Toini grew up in Norway walking 6 miles each way to school everyday and hiking in the mountains. Into her 7th decade, she can still hike all day over challenging trails, does her own gardening and landscaping (including rock gardening) and can absolutely wear out anyone trying to keep up with her on snowshoes.
Marty, now into his 8th decade, played defensive wing for the Detroit Redwings during the 1950s. He spends most of the summers and winters here in MT and is one of the best skiers on the mountain. Still the consummate athlete, he works out most everyday, including beginning each morning with 300 sit-ups.
