My husband is being stationed in Montana (Billings, Great Falls: rentals, houses)

[kekey]

So i'm pretty new to this i am stationed in fl, and Just recently came from overseas, but my husband got orders to montana i've heard horrible things like there's nothing to do and it's hard to find decent housing is this true can someone help me out bc i'm supposed to be coming there soon....

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by kekey

So i'm pretty new to this i am stationed in fl, and Just recently came from overseas, but my husband got orders to montana i've heard horrible things like there's nothing to do and it's hard to find decent housing is this true can someone help me out bc i'm supposed to be coming there soon....

Been a long time since I lived in Great Falls, but back then -- decent rentals were never a problem. There are a lot of nice houses in quiet older parts of town, plus base housing (don't know if the current AF housing upgrade project has gotten that far yet, but they sure built some nice base housing on Edwards AFB recently).

The schools are great and you won't find a better town for raising kids.

"Nothing to do" depends on your definition of "nothing". Yeah, there's not the constant barrage of nightclubs and "culture" that you'd get in a big city, but Great Falls IS some 60,000 people, and they haven't all died of boredom yet

Let's see... Skiing, boating, hiking, trail riding (horses for sure, probably some ATV trails by now too), fishing, hunting, camping, snowmobiling, picking berries in the fall, leisurely bicycle rides through quiet tree-lined streets, reading in the library, seeing a performance at the Civic Center, hearing big-name music stars at the State Fair, getting an associate degree at the community college, bowling and movies any night at the base or in town, dancing at the J-Bar-T or whatever cowboy bar is the hoppin' place nowadays... cripes, I'm worn out just from thinking about all the stuff to do

[Kristynwy]

Originally Posted by kekey

So i'm pretty new to this i am stationed in fl, and Just recently came from overseas, but my husband got orders to montana i've heard horrible things like there's nothing to do and it's hard to find decent housing is this true can someone help me out bc i'm supposed to be coming there soon....

There is lots to do in Montana if you like the outdoors. Greatfalls is a nice area too, has a little of something for everyone I think, I remember there being lots of shopping and seemed like lots of place to go when I passed through there a few years ago...

Best of luck to you

[JustaSmalltownGIRL]

I lived in Great Falls when I was a kid, and I loved it. We would go to the river every weekend, and boat. We would drive up to the lodge to snow ski in the winter. There's camping around, skiing, and the river. So there's lots of out door stuff to do. Good schools, is a plus also. I really enjoyed GreatFalls and would like to get back there.

[xavierob82]

I spent 4 yrs in the AF (Security Forces) and during tech school I actually swapped assignments with some dumb kid who didn't want to go overseas (he got orders to Germany), and I was dying to go to Europe, and so I traded my Malmstrom for his Germany...after I left the service, I actually found myself visiting Great Falls and man, I'm sure as hell glad I didn't get stuck at MAFB. It was pretty drab and struck me as depressing. The "natural beauty" wasn't much to write home about, either. All I saw were fields of dead grass with flat, nondescript mountains in the distance. No wonder they put nukes there.

[seven of nine]

Ouch

[Redraven]

We lived in great Falls for 10 years (NOT military). the schools were adequate. As for "nothing to do", I guess if you wanted to sit around the house and cry about it, that could be true, BUT...
It is only a few hours to Glacier National Park.
There is the C.M. Russell museum.
There is BigSpring State Park.
There is the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
There is the Ulm Pishkun Buffalo Jump not far away.
The State Capital, Helena, is only about 2 hours away.
Billings is only about 4 to 5 hours away, the biggest city in the State.
Special Services has boats and campers available for rent. (There is a Forest Service Campground next to Wood Lake up in the mountains behind Augusta that is just gorgeous, then there is Copper Creek campground near Lincoln that is great, and...and...)
The State Fair is in great Falls.
in the summer there is a "farmers market" dowtown.
There is boating and swimming on/in Broadwater Bay, part of the Missouri River.
There is the Children's Museum.
At the Civic Center they have plays, and symphonies, and all sorts of events.
I visit the base FamCamp a couple times a year (I have kids and grandkids in GF)
There is a LOT to do, IF you want to get up off your butt and participate!

[darklagerman]

Where in Florida are you? And when does your husband leave?