One of the most underappreciated and understated attractions in all of Montana is the official Montana State Library in Helena. It’s a free place to visit, but the truth is, you’re likely only to go there if you have serious research needs in the Big Sky state… but maybe you should reconsider it just the same. Continue Reading

This is kind of an easy one. There’s a hotel in Helena we really enjoyed, and it was the Hampton. It doesn’t charge crazy rates, but the building is new, the amenities are nice, and the people there are just plain great. It’s a mid-range place in town, and it really is awfully nice. Continue Reading

A neat place you might want to visit, and one that’s surely off the off-the-map is the Canyon Ferry Dam Visitor’s Center. It’s off the map because they lost their funding, and although it’s still technically open, it’s barely open at that. But for those of us that catch them at the right hours of the right days (and with advance notice,) it’s a great place to visit. Continue Reading

When you think of touring the old west, your mind might not immediately jump to “cathedral”, but there is one in Helena, and it’s huge, beautiful, historic, and free to pay a visit. Located near the state capital downtown, it’s a great place to get out of the sun and enjoy a bit of splendor.The Cathedral of St. Helena was constructed at the turn of the century during the episcopate of Bishop John Carroll as an outstanding example of Geometric Gothic architecture, patterned after the Votive Church of the Sacred Heart in Vienna, Austria. Continue Reading

Easily the most relaxing, interesting and amazing cruise we’ve ever taken (and we’ve taken quit a few0 was one offered just north of Helena. It’s called the Gates of the Rockies cruise, but don’t let the nautical name fool you, it’s Montana through and through. Continue Reading

One of the more fun things we did was taking a tour of the State Capital building. We weren’t super jazzed about it before we went, but once we parked for free and wandered in, we found a security dude who gave us a guide to the building, and he was nice as all can be, and he pointed us in the right direction. Continue Reading

Easily the most memorable experience we ever had in Montana anywhere, and I do mean anywhere, from all time, was the Gates of the Rockies tour when we happened upon some real life smokejumpers fighting an early season brush fire. Continue Reading

Since 1954, the folks at the Last Chance Train Tour in Helena, Montana have been offering a unique insight into the inner and outer machinations of the storied city of Helena, Montana. I’d like to say this was a unique insight offered only to travel writers, but anyone can enjoy this tour, though it often books solid days or weeks in advance, so book it early if you’re interested. Continue Reading

Well, it’s not quite “in” Helena, but it’s located just a quick drive south of Helena, and although the drive isn’t long, the payoff is more than worth the time it takes to get down there. It’s a fantastic botanical garden, and the people there are great, but really the thing is that it’s not expensive and that it is just plain amazing. Continue Reading

We were staying just a few blocks from the Pizza Hut in Helena when we gave up on our crazy day of covering the music festival and decided we just wanted a slice of something we knew and loved. We went to Pizza Hut at the very minute they were slammed, and even though absolutely everything went wrong, the staff handled everything in absolutely the right way. Continue Reading

For years now, IHOP has been the clearest face of Pancake Day, a quasi-holiday dating back at least 1,000 years. At first I thought this nationwide fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network was little more than an easy-breezy publicity stunt for this house of pancakes, so ostensibly international. I was dead wrong. This is a serious charity drive, and it serves the children well, as the results surely show. Continue Reading

If you’re ever in up-city Helena, Montana and think you might be lost, there’s a good chance you are, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t good things to see. By “up-city” I really mean “up-hill” and I know because even though we found a cool little park to revive us, we were already worn down by our uphill trek.
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We’ve seen so many carousels from coast to halfway-to-the-other-coast, and this one is as good as any, but better in a number of ways. Sure the one at the San Francisco zoo is the oldest, and the one in Missoula is the most unique, and the one at the roving carnie-fest was the scariest, but this one is unique for many of its own reasons, not the least of which is the ice cream parlor it hosts, and struggles to outshine.
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Let’s pretend for a minute that this whole publication is more than just an exhibit in meta-journalism, and that we are in some modest ways permitted to actually make comments on the world in which we live, though by such tools most subtly or humorous we must employ. We’ve been critically lambasted for doing so in the past, but pretend for a second we have a message to send, and that we can do it within the confines of a review of Pixar’s new film Wall-e.
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If you have an occasion to go through Helena, Montana, and I can’t see too many reasons why you would, but I’m not here to judge, only to help you make the most of your time, you should spend at least a few hours at the Exploration Works Museum. It’s as great as any of its kind of place, far better than most, and the location just can’t be beat.
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A study released last December refuted the effectiveness of the “Montana Meth Project”. With the 2009 Legislative Session approaching, MMP will soon be fighting for its fat slice of the budget pie to continue radio, television and billboard advertisements, even though the presence of which have only witnessed an increase in meth use among teens and adults. Continue Reading

This coming Tuesday is National Pancake Day. Sure, it’s only marked on the most comprehensive of every-holiday calendars, but it happens every year, and it’s a day for win-win benefit all around, so maybe you need to gear up for a hot breakfast this Tuesday, February 24th, and get ready to chow down… for the children.
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Helena, MT – Montana is officially the third state to allow assisted suicide, according to ruling by Helena District Judge Dorothy McCarter. She moved to allow the practice in December and again in January, dismissing a request for an injunction during an appeal. Judge McCarter decided in December that the terminally ill patient Robert Baxter can self-administer lethal drugs provided by a physician. Continue Reading

Stark shadows portend shortened days as winter settled in. Blizzard and below zero temperatures have been predicted, and have been seen. The Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine near Helena smartly stockpiled dry gravel for shipping to home miners during the winter, so though the roads may be impassable, you can leave that hassle to UPS guy. Continue Reading

One of the must-see attractions in Montana is the Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine. Don’t take my word for it, they’ve been featured everywhere from National Geographic to the Discovery Channel, and those are tough customers to please. It’s a short drive from Helena, and worth your visit, even if you aren’t an aspiring prospector.
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