Whats in Montana?

[lilypad]

I was up near Havre, Montana for about 4 months, and really enjoyed the area. People were so friendly and I liked seeing all the little towns. On weekends I would travel in any direction and see so much beauty! And Montana has the most beautiful place on earth, Glacier National Park. It was spectacular! If you want wild night life, probably is not the place for you. But if you love nature and like being "active" in a good way, there is so much to do outdoors. I love hiking and camping, so there was no problem finding something to do.

[mthawki]

Beav,

You summed it up in one sentence,

"if you're a city person (like me), you will not find what you're looking for in Montana."

People move to Montana and choose to live here because they don't want to live in a huge city with it's myriad of problems such as crime, gangs, pollution, traffic, etc. Why you and Bronco think small towns have cornered the market on drinking and drugs is beyond me.

People live here for wide open spaces, recreational opportunities and a simpler way of life. To you that's boring and that's fine because it's not your bag. You did however choose to come to a Montana board and start shooting off your mouth about how terrible of a place this is and claim you didn't expect anyone to take offense. You're incredibly naive Beav and feel free to take your tripe back to the Oregon board because you have nothing constructive to offer here other than starting a pi$$ing match.

[montanamom]

Montana is a beautiful, peaceful place with lots of wide open spaces, and gorgeous scenery. I feel pesronally safer here, and feel that my kids are safer here than anyplace else I've ever lived (we are in the Stevensville/Bitteroot Valley about 30 miles outside of Missoula). It is not congested like other places, and there is very little crime, and absolutely no "GANG" mentality. I have heard theres a meth problem, but haven't seen it first hand. That being said, if you are not really into the outdoors, nature, and peace and quiet, you will probabaly be board if you are expecting things to be going on right around you all the time for you and the kids to do. You have to go out and LOOK for things to do, especially if you are not really an outdoor enthusiast. Get your kids more involved in school activities, join a church and get involved, volunteer at a food pantry or the local library etc. We go into Missoula every weekend to try a different restaurant, or I take the kids to the great skate park they have there near the college. There are lots of little bars with great local entertainment, and theatre productions at the college, but there again, you have to look for them. "Taste of Home" magagine just did it's Cooking School road show here and I made sure I got tickets early - it was great, and completely sold out! We just had Elton John and James Taylor perform here, and last year the Rolling Stones, but you have to jump on those opportunities, because they don't happen that often here and are a really big deal (and sell out quickly) when they do. You have to appreciate the fact that you are here enjoying a sense of safety and quiet, and lots of unspoiled beautiful space, but there is a trade-off for that, as I've said before. You will not have the amenenties and entertainment constantly going on like you are used to in other states and cities. You have to drive a long way between "towns". Lots of people here take trips to Seattle or Spokane, or Portland, Oregon to get their fill of shopping, city life, etc. I notice that the people who have always lived here never seem to express a desire to leave though, or ever seem to feel like they are "missing" out on anything. There is probably more to do in Billings, since that is apparently the only real "city" in the state, but I have never been there.

I have to admit though, I sometimes feel I've had a little TOO much peace and quiet here, but I think that's because I am no where near retirement age and still want to see and do more things that are only available closer to big cities and more populated areas. But this sure is a great place if you are ready to retire or "get away from it all" for awhile, de-stress, and just relax and "breathe".

[Elkman]

Hey Montanamom, can you give me a truly good view of what the weather is like where you live. Realistically speaking. Seems I see all sorts of answers and I never have a good idea of what I would expect if I moved there that is.

[orygun]

Funny. We were bored in Spokane, Washington and keep saying how much there is to do here in Montana! The kids love it here. The great outdoors. The beautiful scenery. The peace and quiet we have here.

Oh, but the wind rips our heads off and the cold! It is SOOOO cold here. In fact, I have a heater on for my cats it is so cold. And the fires in the summer, the smoke gets SOOO bad. So for people wanting clean fresh air and tons to do, don't come to Montana. Boring, cold and smoky.

[montanahogrider]

Last week I just about spilled my beer on myself when a loud noise went off just in front of my house! It was a police siren stopping a tourist for driving too fast. He got a warning. It had been at least two years since I had heard one and that was in Bozeman! Yes things are quiet here, eat yer heart out New York!