Admittedly, the most-loved thing about Montana is the great-out-of-doors. I live within an hour of Glacier National Park, plus thousands and thousands of acres of wilderness areas are literately right out my back door, which means endless opportunities for outdoor fun. I certainly don't take advantage of this as much as I should. And definitely not as much as bigskyboys does. She should have her own wilderness reality show. But I love taking day-hikes and I especially love taking the kids to the lake in the summer. What lake, you ask? That depends: I have more than a handful I can pick from that are all within an hour's drive. Pretty dang amazing.
Other loved aspects of Montana: the small-town living. (That's my town in the pic. Can you see my house? It's the one there by all those trees. No, not that group of trees. The other group of trees.) I'm lucky enough to live in a close-knit community of about 2000 people. But even cooler (kinda) is that in the summer, our population more than doubles with tourists and folks who have summer homes here. It's cool because it means that our area has lots to offer since it's such a popular tourist destination. The un-cool is that it gets crowded and not all those tourists know how to drive. One great part of small town-town living is the low crime rate. Our police reports consist mainly of neighborly disputes about chickens crowing too much. We worry more about our children getting eaten by a bear than kidnapped by a stranger. (Don't worry about the bears though; I don't know that I've ever heard of anyone getting eaten down here in the valley.)
Our downtown is called the Village, if that gives you any idea how small it is. It's historic, rustic and charming and known for it's fine dining, great art galleries, and the Summer Playhouse. (Not as in a place for kids to play, but as in live theater.) We are culturally rich here. And speaking of rich, yes, you've got to have some dough if you want to hang out downtown. (Yes, I go down there and buy bronze sculptures for my private collection at least weekly.) But back to that thing about the Playhouse. In the summer, the shows are truly amazing--some of the best live theater you'll see off Broadway. And in the off-months, it's time for children's theater. Let me tell you, it's INCREDIBLE what those kids can do. It's a really unique and life altering experience for the kids that participate in their program.
Now hold on a second; before you start planning your move to Montana, there's a few things you should know. The bad ...
Montana has crappy weather. Sorry to say it so bluntly, but it does. We joke that we have two seasons: winter and road construction. And in my valley, we get lots of precipitation, which means that we don't see the sun all that often. (Except this winter has been uncommonly sunny. I bet the tanning salons are taking a hit this year.) The other sacrifice you have to make in Montana is that there definitely isn't as much to do here as there is in big cities. It's is especially hard on the teen population: you know, the group who has nothing but time and money on their hands. But since pot is legal-ish, I think the teens are doing just fine finding something to do with their time. (You're reading that with sarcasm, right?) And then there's the lack of shopping too. You can walk our entire mall in about three seconds.
But! Since we are done being negative, I will not leave you with a sour note about Montana. Especially since I can never be sour about my home state. If I'm ever bored or sick of the weather, all I have to do is look out my window. I am continually in awe over the beauty of Montana. Each day there is something different to see, whether it be a buck in our yard or an amazing sunset. I particularly love old barns and farmhouses.
So what about you? Do you love where you live? Tell us about it. What are your hometown's best features? Worst? Is it a part of who you are or just a place to hang your hat? Is there somewhere else you'd rather live?
Leave me a comment and you could win an all-expense paid vacation to MT! I'm kidding. But be reassured the prize will be something made-in-Montana.
(Note, none of those pictures are taken by me. I
20 comments:
Don't you know you're supposed to leave people on the sour note about Montana? It makes it so they don't want to move there and then we get to keep that low population!
I'm going to start with your first question- is there somewhere else I'd rather live? YES!!!! We have almost moved home at least twice in our marriage and our every dream and goal involves moving to the Kalispell/Bigfork area. (We've decided we just can't move back to the Bitterroot Valley.) The benefit of that is that we still have parents to visit and go camping in all the pretty places there.
I don't love living in Utah but I've learned to be content with it. I think the only reason I can be is because I know it isn't permanent. So, my favorite parts of my temporary home- food! We have so many different places to go for food here. Like where in the Valley am I going to go to get Sushi and Lobster and Crab when I move home? We'll have to make some trips over to Coeur D'Alene.
My favorite things in the Valley- no people! (at least compared to SLC), I can drive five minutes behind my house and civilization disappears all together, low crime rate, the views, I could go on and on. And as a teen, I think I found plenty of activities that didn't get myself in trouble. You just have to have an imagination. Home is very much a part of who Steve and I are. Montana is part of our identity. The only thing I think I wouldn't like about living at home would be everyone there has my last name now. That kinda sucks. And I could not raise my kids in the Valley. Hence, Kalispell! We can live so close to each other! What fun! Ok, I promise I'll get off my soapbox now.
You have described our hometown perfectly. Love Bigfork! The population in the summer drives me crazy though! We, as a family sure do stay local to our home, backyards and local lake in the summer. To many people for this girl. I find myself remembering the 70's, early 80's Bigfork, come summer. Would I move away from here? Yep, my first choice would be Philipsburg, Montana (would never leave Montana). Love PBurg! Small, small town, history, scenery, just like Bigfork, only smaller. Until I can convince my 3rd generation, native Bigfork husband that Pburg is the place to be. I still and will proudly call Bigfork HOME!
In a Saari State
We are in that state no matter where we go! Too bad we had to move away from Bigfork and move to a flat, high desert. There are no mountains to navigate by and the hills are covered in wind turbines. I can never see a sunset, there are too many houses that block the view. Oh whoa is me, my lot in life for the next three years is to be a mere six hours from paradise.
Montana sounds pretty great. I bet I could really learn to love it. Speaking of Kalispell (Jessops), I have an aunt and uncle that live there--Ron and Claudia Cattron. Do you know them? I've never been there, but it sounds like my kind of place! I love the rural areas, as long as I don't have to drive to far to get where I need to go.
I've lived in lots of different states. Every place has its pros and cons. I think if I could pick just one place to live forever, I might pick Idaho, for two reasons--I have tons of relatives that live there (Boise area), and because it's farmlands remind me of where I grew up in Nevada (Reno area...Fallon to be exact). I love the dessert of Nevada. LOVE it. I wish there were more reasons for me to visit there. I did enjoy the green stuff that surrounded our homes in Oregon and New Jersey, but green isn't any more beautiful to me than brown dessert views that allow you to see for miles.
If I could create my ideal place to live, it would have farms for the beauty of them and the fun places to play, a university (for hubby to have a job), mountains because they're so awesome to look at, and Oregon weather--mild summers and rainy winters. Snow is allowed as long as it stays for no more than 2-3 days at a time, and big city scenes are okay as long as I don't have to drive through them just to get groceries.
Maybe I could be a city planner in my next life? : )
JazznJenna- I don't know them. We've never lived in Kalispell, so I only know a few people.
Jenna-Yes I know them! You've got great family lines! We miss Chad and Lynnette. What a small world this internet is! And I've heard so many people say that they love the desert, but I'm more that kind who loves dessert. Ha! And a city planner? Can I apply for that job too?
Jessops: Oh, how we would love to have you be our neighbors! One of these days it's gonna happen. And our valley really is prettier than the Bitterroot, but don't tell your family I said that.
Edgertons: I don't think you could ever move; not when you have a school named after your ancestors. That's got feel pretty cool! I love Philipsburg too though.
saarik: Well HI! So glad to see your name! Yes, you are in a Saari state. You make me laugh. We're anxiously counting the years down until you come back.
I've lived in 13 states, and each one was the best while I was there. Growing up in the military, you have to decide to make the best of it no matter where you are...even Great Falls, MT. The best part is the friends I've made. I keep in touch with friends from all over the country and from as far back as fourth grade.
I love living in Arizona. I think the desert is beautiful, and the weather is pretty nice...for a few months. I think it's 70 degrees today. Lovely, but makes me shudder to think what the temperature will be in a few months. I love that people want to come visit us, seeking relief from their miserable winter weather, and invite us to visit during our toasty summers.
Moving is too much work. I'm happy to stay put (with some travel to exotic places thrown in).
I LOVE Montana too! When I was an all-knowing teen I swore I would move to California and live out my days in sunshine and luxury... now I cant wait to get back where there are more cows than people. Montana is gorgeous, has plenty of outdoorsy family things to do, and no big cities! Hooray. But I could do without all the cold as well. Yuck
First things first… Love everything you said about Montana Lori. Montana is and always will be home to me. I must admit that the first couple weeks I worked with Matt I was a little skeptical of the Big Fork environment. But after the rough year ish of living in the Folkman camp trailer I pretty much fell in love with the place and miss it every passing day. I can’t wait for the right opportunity for Nic and I to join you in the Big Fork area!
Now, on to Utah. I am now approaching 5 years in the grand state and feel that 5 years is a long enough time to be qualified to give a decent description of the place.
The Good: Everything you need is pretty much within a ten minute drive. Definitely do not miss the days of having to drive clear down to Missoula to get anything more complex than a shovel or tastier than Kentucky fried chicken. Meanwhile Here in Utah, straight across the street of my house I can find everything from Wally World to Joe’s Crab Shack, Massive theaters, guitar shops and much much more! I also must say there is some pretty darn good looking back country in the state and amazing versatility. I also have very much appreciated all of the work Utah has to offer.
The Bad: People! Traffic and traffic ights! More People! Waiting lines of every kind! Some More People! Even when you do make it to the back county, there is still LOTS OF PEOPLE. And then, last but not least, there is a whole heck of a lot of people here! The very first thing that struck me as odd when I moved here is how you are ALWAYS being watched. The second you step out your front door, there is at least someone who is watching you. Bit different from having to drive a few miles just to find someone willing to look at you in Montana.
The Beautiful: I love the red rock in Utah, it makes for some really pretty scenery. I have also found quite a few places in the Wasatch and Uinta mountains that resemble the Bitteroots quite well. Beautiful! The only problem with the beautiful scenery is that even if you hike 15 miles up into nowhere in Utah, you are still going to have to ask the ugly guys that fallowed you up to move to get out of your picture. Always people!
-Oh Montana, how I miss you
Oh, no wonder...now I remember that Lynette was the one that introduced me to your blog! Through facebook, I believe. We'll both have to thank Lynette next time we get the chance :).
Well I would like to live somewhere that's warmer than it currently is. It was three degrees as we drove to seminary this morning. I generally like Northern Nevada. I really don't like the wind. Soooo not good for someone with a wig. :(
The beautiful: The mountains and skies. I don't mean to brag but we have some of the COOOOOLEST sunrises!
Oh, so I was reading Generations in my spare moments and The Reporter's name is Juliet HAMBLIN and she was talking about Dan Wilder in 1994. I was like "Hey, that's my surname AND my birth year! Crazy!"
I think the Jessops are in this one to win something from MT. Huckleberry pancakes or syrup if I'm the winner, please!
I'm with Devree on the wind thing, but even still I LOVE WHERE I LIVE!!!!!!!
I guess I'm blooming where I'm planted, which is good because not much else does around here!
I love living so close to the Sierras and having endless options for views and adventures all seasons of the year. I love living by mountains that get snow and in a valley that gets it sometimes but not for long. I love how I went skiing in the mountains with my girls on Friday and then left from my house on my bike to go mountain biking in capris on Saturday & then played kickball and ultimate frisbee that afternoon with mine & other families (& going to the temple in the middle of all that on Friday night). I love where I live!
It's sunny 307 days of the year (note my wrinkly eyes) and we are close to bigger things - San Francisco can even be a day trip.
Sure, there are things that aren't so great here, vice types of things, but I don't allow myself to focus on the negative. It wastes my time and energy and doesn't help me in any way.
And the people here are AMAZING! I always refer to this place as having deep inner beauty and it's all due to the wonderful people God picked by hand and planted here.
So after the acquired appreciation of the beauty of my immediate surroundings, I would say that living here is like living in MT in the summer. I really don't know if I could do a winter there. It was in the 30s today and I wore my winter coat all day long in my house (but still went hiking in the sunshine!).
But my heart will always have Montana in it! It really is God's country. I've just got to endure the wilderness for a time like the Israelites Moses led (is my term 40 years too?). If so, I'm glad I love it so much!
As Lori said, here at the Bigskyboys home we certainly do our best to get lots of good fresh Montana air. I love it here and everything it has to offer. Even crappy winters. At least it keeps people from moving here permantly. The key to winter survival- get outside, even if it's only for 20 minutes a day. Breathe that fresh air!
Awe the fresh crisp air of Montana...vs the low stinky dark, wreched smog that lingers. It is like raw egg, every where you wipe it just gets messier!
I am with Steven on this one. People, People and more people. I detest that my back yard, side yard and front yard have at least two neighbors each. Don't peole know its not healthy to have so many together.
I am learning that the longer I am here and more crowded I get the less content I am. So in making hte effort to be content I do enjoy the versitility (is that a word) of the state of UT, to food, being so close to BYU for plays and Education Week.....and that my husband has work close.
I love Montana. I didn't even know where Montana was before I married my husband. Never figured I would be here, but I love it. As soon as I saw that Flathead Lake over the Polson Hill I was sold. Lori you gave a perfect description of it.
I originate from Las Vegas Nevada...and although I consider myself a small town Montana girl now, growing up in the city had an advantage or two. One of them being restaurants. My brother just went home to LV and was texting us pics of him eating at the familiar restaurants that I really miss! Another great thing about LV is that it was in a valley, so it was surrounded by mountains and red rocks. We also were within a 40 min drive to the Lake and 3 1/2 hours to my 2nd favorite place Disneyland. My first favorite place was within a 40 min drive too..the temple. I miss having a temple close by!
I am so grateful to be a Montana resident now! I do get a bit nervous in the summer with the bears and mountain lions roaming about...but we have a big dog and hopefully he will keep them away from any of my scrumptious looking children!
I love that last picture with the barn! MT is BEAUTIFUL for sure!
I do miss it but I decided long ago that I need to be more than just content with where I am living. I need to love it. It's miserable otherwise. So I made the choice to love it here in Utah. I do wish sometimes for more good ol' golden sunshine and yes, there are lots of people but it's great to have neighbors really close that can pick up kids from school for me, or do pretty much anything you need at the drop of a hat. I have really enjoyed the community and neighbors here. It's great to have places close by for my kids to play. SO, for us now Utah is home but I am determined that no matter where we go as long as I have my kids and husband with me we will make it home and enjoy it!
We have fallen in love with Montana. We came there for the first time almost three years ago and we are always anxious to get back. Thanks for these lovely pics!
Sally: GF was a very good thing, because you met me.:) And I'm sure in another month, I'll be wanting to be in Arizona.
Rowleys: I too thought I would be a city-slicker when I left home.I made it six years before I had a nervous breakdown. I'd rather see cows than people any day.
Steven, Steven, Steven: A boy on the blog!!! I'm so glad we didn't scar you for life when you were up here camping out with us. We can't wait until you finally make it up here permanently! I loved your comment. It was like you were right here, chatting in my ear.
Jenna: Yay for Lynnette! That girl's got a halo.
Devree: Your comments ALWAYS make me smile. I will never complain about wind blowing my hair in my face again, because at least it doesn't get blown off my head. And hello twilight zone--it's like you are part of my book's spirit. Or something like that.:0
PaulaShawn: I DON'T like where you live, because it's not here!!!
Bigskyboys: does it count double time if I roll my window down and stick my head out for a second while I'm picking kids up from school?
Bakerfam: The problem with UT is the complete lack of buffalo. Am I right?
Livingstonslifeinmt: Why is it that MT is so much better than father up north? I HOPE you never like it there (don't get any fancy ideas on your trips!).
Anne: Great attitude. And the other plus of UT: no dirt roads to make your car dirty!
Rick and Emily: welcome to the blog! Glad you fell in love with MT: that means we can be friends! (Anyone who doesn't like MT is my mortal enemy. JK.) Hope you get to come back soon.
Did I get everyone? I've been a bit spacey lately: the cold weather must have frozen a section of my brain.
You could seriously write a tourist pamphlet. I have to agree about Montana. Our 1 trip to Montana has turned into cousin camp every year since we love it so much. So nice to have a sister there, that way we don't have to pay the taxes on a summer home. Or the Mortgage payments! :O
Team C: You're baaacck! I missed you. The only problem with your cousin's camp is that it's not long enough. Can you stay the ENTIRE summer this time please? (Your sister won't mind, I promise!)
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