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Old 09-04-2014, 01:02 PM
 
78 posts, read 128,946 times
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Hello,
We will be driving from Colorado to Canada. We have scheduled a one day "layover" in Helena, will be there on the 19th. What would be your must see/experience if you had one day there? We enjoy the outdoors, history, architecture, quirky hometown kind of things, art, hiking, etc. Throw me your best ideas!
Thank you!
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Old 09-04-2014, 01:08 PM
 
Location: Lost in Montana *recalculating*...
19,743 posts, read 22,635,943 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dittoCO View Post
Hello,
We will be driving from Colorado to Canada. We have scheduled a one day "layover" in Helena, will be there on the 19th. What would be your must see/experience if you had one day there? We enjoy the outdoors, history, architecture, quirky hometown kind of things, art, hiking, etc. Throw me your best ideas!
Thank you!
What do you like to do? If I had 1 day I would have to take the Gates of the Mountains boat tour. It's a fantastic trip!
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Old 09-04-2014, 01:15 PM
 
14,798 posts, read 17,673,639 times
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Originally Posted by Threerun View Post
What do you like to do? If I had 1 day I would have to take the Gates of the Mountains boat tour. It's a fantastic trip!
Good suggestion!
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Old 09-04-2014, 06:03 PM
 
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We just spent a day in Helena! We wanted to see two places, the Capitol building and the museum (across from the Capitol), and since it was a Sunday, we thought the museum would be open, but the Capitol would probably be closed. It turned out to be the other way around. The Capitol is a very impressive structure, with its dome, paintings, and statues. But the museum was closed on Sundays! we had been looking forward to seeing items from Montana's history, so that will have to wait until next time. If you're interested in history, I'd plan on seeing both.

I didn't know there was a boat tour, but we drove through the Gates of the Mountains area north of town, and it is gorgeous.

Last edited by Clark Fork Fantast; 09-04-2014 at 07:28 PM..
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Old 09-04-2014, 10:54 PM
 
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
2,308 posts, read 4,120,376 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dittoCO View Post
Hello,
We will be driving from Colorado to Canada. We have scheduled a one day "layover" in Helena, will be there on the 19th. What would be your must see/experience if you had one day there? We enjoy the outdoors, history, architecture, quirky hometown kind of things, art, hiking, etc. Throw me your best ideas!
Thank you!
You did not ask, but I will offer a suggestion for your 1st night stop-over (out of the Denver area):.............stay at PINEDALE, WY

It's 450 miles from Denver to Pinedale, WY (via I 25 north to I 80 west to Rock Springs, WY....then take #191 north out of R.S. to PINEDALE, WY.

Next day It's 425 miles from Pinedale to Helena., Hwy191 west out of Pinedale to the junction (Hoback Junction) with Hwy#26.......stay on #26 to junction with I 15 northbound at Idaho Falls, ID.......Stay on I 15 north to junction with Hwy 287 (just outside of THREE FORKS, MT).....and then stay on 287 north on to Helena.

I've taken this routing many times over the past several years and found it to be the most scenic and best over-all way to go......plus PINEDALE is a great little town.

EDIT:>>>>>>Almost forgot, my opinion for a motel is :>>>The Log Cabin Motel..a nice clean facility and won't break the bank......but I would make a reservation ahead of time..........it fills up quickly.
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Old 09-04-2014, 11:07 PM
 
78 posts, read 128,946 times
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Thank you for the suggestions thus far. I will certainly look in to them!

We've already booked lodging in Rock Springs, due to a short travel day when we first depart. I'll check out your route suggestion though, it sounds intriguing.

Thank you!
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Old 09-04-2014, 11:47 PM
 
Location: Lost in Montana *recalculating*...
19,743 posts, read 22,635,943 times
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Gates of the Mountains is a real gem. The tour is maybe an hour and a half and pretty cheap. I missed kayaking in the Gates this year..
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Old 09-05-2014, 07:45 AM
 
Location: Where the mountains touch the sky
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You missed the tour trains that go around town and tell the history of sites along the gulch and capital complex, but a couple places to see are the Benton Ave. Cemetary which has graves of the pioneers and miners that were the first to come to this area.
You can walk Last Chance Gulch where the original gold strike took place, lots of historic buildings. On the south end, Reeders Alley is where the mule skinners would winter, and just across the street and further south was Helena's Chinatown.

The Chinese in those days weren't allowed to own gold claims, so they dug tunnels from the floors of their shacks to mine. Many years later when developers started building condo's on the site, they had some real problems because the heavy equipment started the tunnels collapsing. Whole area was unstable .

You can visit the Montana Club which was a club for the mine owners, the only qualification to join was that you had $1,000,000, (a heck of a lot in the late 1800's). Because they were miners they still wanted to visit the houses of pleasure, but because they were the upper crust they couldn't just be seen walking in through the front door, so they had a tunnel running from the club to a popular Ladie's "home" where several single women lived.

At one time, there were more millionaires in Helena than any other city on earth.

You can walk around the mansion district and tour the original Governor's mansion, the Myrna Loy Theater which at one time was the Jailhouse.

The Capitol Building is open to the public, the Historical Society Museum, or you can visit some of the nearby ghost towns like Elkhorn.

Quite a bit of stuff to do and see, but I would agree that Gates of the Mountains is a must on any itinerary.
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Old 09-06-2014, 09:25 AM
 
Location: Eastern Montana
606 posts, read 1,977,287 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MTSilvertip View Post

The Chinese in those days weren't allowed to own gold claims, so they dug tunnels from the floors of their shacks to mine. Many years later when developers started building condo's on the site, they had some real problems because the heavy equipment started the tunnels collapsing. Whole area was unstable .

Silvertip, that reminds me of the 1969 movie Paint Your Wagon! LOL Goldfever!!

Anyone who hasn't see the movie definitely should. A singing Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin sharing the same wife. There are no words!

Paint Your Wagon (1969) - IMDb

One of my all time favorites!
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Old 09-07-2014, 01:32 AM
 
Location: Airports all over the world
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If you are walking along Last Chance Gulch downtown stop in at The Parrot Confectionery. They have an old fashion soda fountain. They also sell tasty chocolates.
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