The ANTecdote
Fun-Packed Early March Weekend Getaway in Montana
by Sarah Kmon Fly into Bozeman March 8th, get in the car and drive to White Sulphur Springs. I know you have been sitting in a plane all day, but do it anyway. Check into the Hotpsrings Spa and Motel, where you can soak in the evening and again in the morning. Eat breakfast on the 9th at Dori’s. Then come and see us at Red Ants Pants. We will be so very happy to see you. After you have told us all about yourself, drive south from White Sulphur towards Livingston. Walk around downtown Livingston and stretch your legs. Stop in to Chadz coffee shop. Then drive further south to Chico Hotsprings Resort and Dayspa. Soak in the heavenly waters at Chico, eat a delicious meal in their restaurant, and then dance your new Red Ants Pants off to Montana Rose, who are playing there that night. The next day, drive to Red Lodge. Every year, Red Lodge hosts the Ski-Joring National Finals. Spend the next two nights in Red Lodge and soak up the crazy atmosphere of Ski-Joring. Photo courtesy of Merv Coleman. One place to check out while you are in Red Lodge is Sam’s Tap Room. Drink hot cocoa in the snow, smell the horses’ sweat, experience the brief panic when you realize a skier is sliding full speed towards you unable to stop, before they turn at the last minute and jump an obstacle. Some homework for you – find out why the skiers slide effortlessly over the snowpacked surface, but the horses have traction even though they are wearing metal shoes. Go. Tweet us (@redantspants) or facebook us the answer. But ONLY if you went to Red Lodge to find out. On the 12th, fly home.
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A Week in Montana - Late January
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.
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How to Spend a (very) Long Weekend in Montana in Early January
by Sarah Kmon Montana has a reputation of being horribly cold, inhospitable and uninhabitable in Winter. Well that’s true. But you don’t have to be an abononinmabible snowman to enjoy it. If spending four days in Montana in early January floats your boat, here’s what you can do. Fly into Bozeman Airport on Thursday, Jan 5th. (If you already live in Montana you can skip that part). Drive down Hwy 191 to the 320 Guest Ranch. Check in. Eat dinner in their enormous dining room then freeze your tootsies off on a moonlit sleigh ride and singe your eyebrows around their gigantic bonfire. Next morning, get some exercise. Go snowshoeing around the ranch or cross country skiing at Fawn Pass in Yellowstone National Park. Eat lunch at the Bugaboo cafe, just near the yellow light by the turn up to Big Sky on Hwy 191. In the afternoon drive up to Belgrade and check into the Gallatin River Lodge. Relax. Settle. Take a nap. Eat dinner in their dining room (their food is fantastic) then get yourself gussied up and head to Bozeman. Ten foot tall and 80 proof are playing at the Crystal Bar on main street, and they are awesome. We know, because they played at the 2011 Red Ants Pants Music Festival. We were there. Saturday the 7th head towards the Bridger Mountains and shred some sick powder on the gnarly slopes of Bridger Bowl (dude). In the evening, eat dinner at Blackbird. Then head back to the comfort of the Gallatin River Lodge. If you got a jacuzzi in your room, use it. Sunday morning head back to Bozeman. Tour the historic downtown. Buy a strange oil painting of a horse. Eat the best lunch in town at the Bozeman Coop, amongst cowboys and hippies. Once you are done, head back towards the ski hill but keep going on towards White Sulphur Springs. If you need directions you can call us (406-547-3781) or tweet us (@redantspants) and we’ll help you out. When you get to White Sulphur Springs, check into the Hotsprings Spa and Motel. They have a new wing and a new pool. You can get into the new pool, heat up your tired skiing and snowshoeing muscles and get heavenly sleepy in the hot water under the chilly air. Eat dinner at Dempsey’s. Early Monday morning, soak in the hotsprings one last time, then stop at Red Ants Pants. We don’t open until ten so you have plenty of time to check out of the Spa. Once we’ve talked your ear off, and Nellie… …has showered you with kisses, you must head back to Bozeman to catch your flight home on Tuesday morning. See? It’s very simple. P.S. we are not a tourist information or booking center. You have to do all that by yourself. We just make pants. Good ones. P.P.S The rules are that you have to come and visit us. Those are the rules.
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Women Are Building California
Cari all smiles with her new pants! We just wrapped up a busy weekend in Oakland, attending the 9th Annual Women Building California conference. It was a whirlwind weekend in the Bay Area–between the conference and our stints at playing tourists in the big city. We were so happy to connect with some pretty darn tough, hardworking (and, we might add, very fun-loving) women. This was our second appearance at the conference. Last year we made the trek all the way down to Los Angeles (and yes, in case you were wondering, it was a shock to us Montana gals!) to attend the conference and meet with all different tradeswomen. This statewide conference is unique in that it brings together all the different types of trades–from pile drivers to electricians–under one roof to celebrate, educate and inspire working women. In the trades, women only make up 2% of the workforce. And last year, we were so thrilled to show these women that finally there’s a company that makes workwear just for them! And by women too! We had so many wonderful supporters, so at this year’s conference, it was incredible to reconnect with familiar faces and also meet new women working in the Bay Area. But, it was a true eye-opener on the status of our economy and job front. So many of these women are not working. They’ve been laid off in the last year. Quite a different one year makes. And, of course, these women are determined to not allow the recession to knock them down. So, these women are looking at other ways to stay engaged–they’re attending classes on green building and their positive outlook on the job front is guiding them into leadership positions with their unions. These women are smart, and talented and they know that in order to ride out this difficult time, they have to stay positive and stick together. Fun times and friends at the reception And we were more than impressed with the support they’ve shown Red Ants Pants for the past two years. As much as we hear on the news or read in the newspapers about the millions who’ve lost their jobs, sometimes it’s overwhelming to hear the tough news, but after a weekend spent around these women who’ve faced adversity in so many ways, and now to have lost their jobs, we’re confident it’s their attitude and strength that will rebuild the economy and most certainly with these women, rebuild California. The conference took place during the day so at night, we took full advantage of exploring the city. And luckily, the conference ended early on Sunday, so our dear new friends Rachel and Robin played tour guide and showed us San Fransisco. We first met Rachel, an electrician, at least year’s conference. And not only is Rachel one hell of a fun lady to be a round, she’s also made a RAP first. Have you heard about our ‘Where’s Your Ant Challenge’? The ‘Where’s Your Ant Challenge’ refers to the single ant label sewn on each pair of pants. And the ant is sewn in a different location on every pair and if you find your matching ant on a women (or man) wearing their RAPs, then you get a free RAP t-shirt. As much as we love getting to know our customers, we also think it’s important that our customers get to know each other too. Connect, it’s a good thing. Rachel showing off her matching ant Well, Rachel found a matching ant. Just not with another person. But herself. Rachel loved Red Ants Pants so much that she bought a second pair and guess what? Yep, matching ant with her second pair. Matching ants aside, Rachel and Robin were quite possibly the best tour guides and we ate and walked around the city, thankful that RAP has taken us to so many wonderful places around the country and introduced us to so many wonderful and beautiful people too! For two women who really, really enjoy small towns, we did manage to have a good bit of fun in Oakland and San Francisco! And now, Tour de Pants rolls on north to Ashland, Oregon to meet with local farmers. See, work–either working with your hands in the dirt or pounding nails is a good, good thing.
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