Joyous Solstice! Merry Christmas! Hurrah for Hanukkah! Winter Greetings! I didn’t send a letter with our holiday card this year, so I am using this forum to do just that. Consider this your winter greeting card from me for whatever…
Wilderness is American
One of the things I thought about a lot while hiking in Europe was how wild the United States is in pockets. I loved rambling through the alps and along the U.K. coast, but it wasn’t the same as walking…
Here’s What You Can Do in Montana in Spring
A few years ago I was interviewed for an article in NationalGeographic.com about the five must-do local activities for outdoor enthusiasts visiting Montana in spring. Living in Montana, I never liked spring. While the rest of the northern hemisphere is…
Wild Ice Skating
In the opening to “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Snoopy skates onto a pond and grabs the hand of a child and skates with a bunch of them in single file. He slides on the ice on his belly. The children…
Winter weekend: Seeley Lake offers fun on and off the ice
Nestled into a valley between the Mission and Swan mountain ranges in western Montana, Seeley Lake is one of the more scenic spots in a spectacular state. The Mission Mountain Wilderness is on one side, the Bob Marshall Wilderness on…
Running Bear Pancake House a West Yellowstone favorite
In the early 1960s two schoolteachers from California vacationed in West Yellowstone. Like many people who explore the conifer-filled mountains, beautiful Hebgen Lake, and stunning Yellowstone National Park, the Thompsons wanted to stay. In 1964, they bought property where the…
Back on the Horse: What It Means to be a Westerner
There used to be a website called New West, which I would occasionally write for. It closed up shop several years ago, but recently this essay –Back on the Horse: What It Means to be a Westerner–popped up somehow. I…
California to DC via Montana
We are wrapping up an incredible ten days. We’ve been in three time zones, six airplanes, a subway, a taxi, a rental car, and my sister-in-law’s SUV. We’ve spent the night in a casino on the California/Nevada border, my brother’s…
Things To Do in Livingston, Montana
Livingston is known for its winter winds. Cold air rushes up the Paradise Valley from Yellowstone National Park, tosses trash cans around, catches plastic bags in trees and knocks over small children. But there is much more than wind in…
An Interview with Montana Banksy
Montana Banksy on secrecy, inspiration, the Livingston, Montana art community, and why the ephemeral rock art will continue. Don’t you love finding something special and creative? Something that makes an already gorgeous place that much more interesting? Me, too. I’ve…