by Sarah Kmon
In the frosted emptiness glistening beauty that is Montana in January, there is so much fun, if you just know where to look.
Here are some ideas for late-January, winter travel in Montana…
(Note: I have left out some mealtimes and lodging. That doesn’t mean that I think you shouldn’t eat. But that I know that as a current or future Red Ants Pants-wearer you are competent and capable of organizing your own breakfast or lunch and finding a place to stay.)
Fly into Bozeman on January 22nd. (If you already live in Montana, it would be wise to skip that part).
Drive down Hwy 191 to West Yellowstone.
On the 23rd, take a snowcoach tour of Yellowstone National Park. Take your cross country skis and have the coach drop you off so you can ski through the geysers and meet the coach at Old Faithful later in the day.
On the 24th, Visit the Wolf and Grizzly Discovery Center and then head North on Hwy 287 to Three Forks. Check in to the Sacajawea Hotel. Eat and relax.
On the 25th, continue north on Hwy 287 to Canyon Ferry Lake. Spend several hours iceskating on the smooth, glassy surface, then drive East from Townswend towards White Sulphur Springs.
Check in to the Tenderfoot Motel and Cabins. Eat dinner at the Stockman Bar on Main Street.
On the 26th, soak in the hotsprings then stop in at Red Ants Pants.
In the afternoon head north towards Showdown Ski Area and spend the afternoon shoop-shooping on the slopes of the Little Belt Mountains. Spend the night in Neihart (to the North).
Ski again in the morning (it is Showdown’s 75th Anniversary). Then drive south, past White Sulphur Springs, past Livingston, to Chico Hotsprings. Check in for the night. Soak your tired muscles and enjoy their delicious food.
On the 28th, soak again, before or after your scrummy breakfast in the Chico Hotsprings dining room. Then head back to Bozeman. Eat lunch at Starky’s. Then stroll around downtown Bozeman, buying birthday presents and expensive rugs you didn’t know you needed.
Eat dinner and stay your last night in Montana at the Gallatin River Lodge in Belgrade/Bozeman.
Fly out of Bozeman on Sunday 29th.