Big Sky, Montana

A year ago I made a trip to Montana. A glorious road trip starting in West Yellowstone and ending in Great Falls. Not a long trip as the crow flies but it was a circle trip that had me flying into Idaho Falls, ID, driving to West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Bozeman, Butte, Fort Benton, and finally Great Falls, MT. It was a fun trip of exploration and sightseeing. On the day I left West Yellowstone, I drove an hour north to Big Sky. This small town is a beautiful place to visit and, during the height of summer tourism or winter skiing season, it must be a busy place. The day I visited, however, was quiet with very few people. I will admit that was a little surprised though.  It was a gorgeous afternoon, albeit a little chilly, but still beautiful weather to wander around and explore.

When I first arrived to Big Sky, I parked my car behind a little complex thinking there would be several stores to explore and that I couple spend the next couple hours exploring the town center. I was correct about being able to visit some stores and explore the town center, but it only took me about 45 minutes tops. Don’t get me wrong. The city center is beautiful. Huge mountains surrounded the town, brilliant blue skies boasted white puffy clouds. I was entranced with the gorgeous buildings all designed to look as though they were made of wood. I wandered through several stores and debated doing a wine tasting. I drifted in and out of a couple of art galleries and took in the beauty of the art. I even visited the small local grocery store to snag some road trip snacks and ended up with a new tube of delicious smelling huckleberry hand lotion.

Not ready to hunt up my next hotel and too early to get dinner yet, I decided to explore the area a bit more and took my car up the mountain, on a winding twisty road. Gorgeous views greeted me at each bend in the road. Breathtaking vistas and hikes called to me. Had I been better prepared, had it been earlier in the day, I might have answered the call to take a hike. Eventually I hit the end of the road and at the end was a massive ski lodge. I could only imagine when the ground is coated in white that it would be a very busy place. But at that moment, with the sun beginning to set, green mountains around me, and trees just beginning to show their colors I virtually had the place to myself. It was a beautiful moment and a lovely place to be. 

After a bit I climbed back into my car and headed back down the twisty roads to Big Sky town center and parked again. I decided on a small pizzeria and was lucky to snag a table by the window. I enjoyed a fabulous margarita pizza while watching the sun lower in the sky and the clouds drift across the sky. It was a quiet, relaxing, and perfect afternoon. One day, I hope to return to Big Sky. This time though, I’ll be better prepared. Those hikes are still calling my name.