Short trip to Billings, any must sees? (fit in, rent)
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We will have two full days to be out and around in Billings, coming from Texas. Anything we just needy check out or anywhere to totally avoid. It will just be me, my husband and our young baby so kid attractions aren't important this trip. We are planning to relocate very soon to Billings. Thanks in advance!
I'd recommend you check out the various parts of town. At the airport you'll be on top of the 'rims' and have a great view of the city. You can drive/hike along the top in a park. Downtown is straight down 27th, the road that leaves the airport down the hill. If you turn left from the airport you'll end up in the Heights area. From Downtown you can take Grand or Broadwater out to the west end. If you get on I90 take the central exit (can't think of the mile or true exit) and go south just a bit. You'll find River Front park, a natural park along the river. There are a couple of colleges which you can get to along Rimrock road. Downtown there are a couple of museums (art and history). The shopping is along main street in the heights and out on the west end along 24th, King Ave, and Shilo road.
If there are specific things you'd like to see let me know and I can point you to them.
I'd recommend you check out the various parts of town. At the airport you'll be on top of the 'rims' and have a great view of the city. You can drive/hike along the top in a park. Downtown is straight down 27th, the road that leaves the airport down the hill. If you turn left from the airport you'll end up in the Heights area. From Downtown you can take Grand or Broadwater out to the west end. If you get on I90 take the central exit (can't think of the mile or true exit) and go south just a bit. You'll find River Front park, a natural park along the river. There are a couple of colleges which you can get to along Rimrock road. Downtown there are a couple of museums (art and history). The shopping is along main street in the heights and out on the west end along 24th, King Ave, and Shilo road.
If there are specific things you'd like to see let me know and I can point you to them.
Mtnlady
Thanks so much! We're staying in the Crowne Plaza, it looks like its right down town too.
Yep, the Crowne Plaza is one of the taller buildings in the state. While there's not a lot of shopping downtown anymore, there are a few places to poke around. You'll be near some good restaurants too. The art museum is on 27th and 4th, and the history museum is on 28th and 2nd or 3rd, so in walking distance.
It's really hard to get lost in Billings. Downtown is laid out on a diagonal grid and to the west is on a north/south grid. If you forget where you are just go north our south and you'll find a main street to get you going.
The heights and lockwood (to the south east) are a little more meandering, but there are major cross roads there as well.
I'd recommend you check out the various parts of town. At the airport you'll be on top of the 'rims' and have a great view of the city. You can drive/hike along the top in a park. Downtown is straight down 27th, the road that leaves the airport down the hill. If you turn left from the airport you'll end up in the Heights area. From Downtown you can take Grand or Broadwater out to the west end. If you get on I90 take the central exit (can't think of the mile or true exit) and go south just a bit. You'll find River Front park, a natural park along the river. There are a couple of colleges which you can get to along Rimrock road. Downtown there are a couple of museums (art and history). The shopping is along main street in the heights and out on the west end along 24th, King Ave, and Shilo road.
If there are specific things you'd like to see let me know and I can point you to them.
Mtnlady
There is shopping downtown. Some nice stores, mainly for women, but others also. Also, most of the nice restaurants.
Shopping in the Heights? Surely, you jest.
Also, downtown Billings isn't laid out on a "diagonal grid", whatever that is. It's a perpedicular grid--like graph paper. Streets are cosecutively nymbered and run N-S; Avenues run E-W. Be careful, there is a HUGE difference between "X Avenue North" and "X Avenue South"; and North X St and South X St. BTW, there is no 5th Ave. North; skips from 4th to 6th (5th Ave N would be where there was a railroad track years ago; now abandoned). If you get lost in downtown Billings, look for the Rimrocks; they're on the North of downtown.
To save time... if you find yourself caught in the circles of one-way streets downtown, just get on Interstate-90 and then get off at each exit and explore the parts of town those exits go to. The interstate saves some time in getting around to different sections of town below the rims.
Above the rims, in the Heights, if you fly in and rent a car at the airport, you can explore the Heights up there before going down to your hotel. If you are driving up from Texas and enter town from the interstate, to get to the Heights from your hotel downtown, go on the one-way street 4th Ave North and it will take you up to where the traffic merges going north up to the Heights on the top of the rimrocks. Going back downtown from the Heights, take 6th Ave North, the one-way street you will see to your right going back down the same hillside you went up.
A good city map where you can see the one-way streets and major arteries is a must to have when you visit.
Go to Ziplocal Local Business Advertising USA: Online, Mobile, Print Directory and Yellow Pages and enter Billings MT in the map search and you will get a map of Billings streets... there is a ziplocal Android and iPhone app you can load on your mobile phone. I think you have to join the ziplocal web site. They should have Billings in the app, as they publish a phone book for Billings.
You could contact the Chamber and ask them to send you a city map and info before you leave Texas. Part of their job is to help visitors and new residents of Billings. http://www.billingschamber.com/site/area-maps/ the phone number to call and email address for a map mailed to you is on that page.
I think mtnlady meant that part of Billings, the downtown older area, has streets that are a grid that is diagonal to the grid of streets west of downtown.
We didn't really go site seeing, and as everyone has said Billings is different city/town than in Texas, and even Mississippi..but of course we LOVED it.
From the airport we drove downtown..like from one side to the other. Then we went to our hotel, the Crown Plaza. After that we drove around town and went to eat at Crackerbarrel, and then we drove around some more. I had mentioned Acton before, so we "drove to it". Then we went to Candy Town and just drove around some more. We pretty much just drove around and ate. We went to walmart to see how the local people are. Met no one rude, saw kids acting up but actually getting corrected, had no weird looks (even though my husband was asked if he was in the rodeo..because well, he looks like it. But it was in nice ways, even in Texas he gets jerky remarks..but I mean, he dresses how he feels and wants) or just anyone that acted like we wouldnt fit in. And even someone you may consider "bad" in Montana, would be much better than in Houston (I hope that makes sense and doesnt come as offense). We drove all around. Saw the library and all the downtown places and the hospitals and such. I tried to explain to some friends here in houston how it is, but they couldnt really "get" it either..its like so many have said you have to see it and actually be there to see how the town is.
So, basically we spent a majority of the trip just driving. My husband could figure his way around everywhere after the first day without the gps. I dont know the names of roads, but like I said we went to walmart, passed best buy and went out that way. Ate at Famous Daves and drove around on that side. Someone mentioned before to drive Shiloh road..we did.
Friendly people, clean city, the enviroment feels safer (we walked around downtown to get something to eat at 9pm, I would NOT do that here..). My husband just feels at peace there, and thats where we want to set our roots. He traveled all over seas as a kid growing up and lived between Texas and Mississippi..and now that we're in Texas for the past 6 years we still havent felt at home or settled.
We're in love. And will hopefully be there by the new year. :-)
(Sorry HappinessIs that it's taken me so long! Its been busy at home and I'm finally having a minute to sit down and type it all out.) Thanks so much for all your info and support everyone.
I expected once you'd get there you would see that you just have to drive and walk around and be there, and you'd experience a good "feel" of the place.
Thanks for giving us the update!
Sounds like you'll fit right in.
Welcome to Montana!!
H.I.
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Short trip to Billings, any must sees?
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