Going on vacation, are there any sights to see where we'll be? (Billings: living, auction) - Montana (MT) - City-Data Forum

jtjmom · 05-30-2009, 11:10 PM

Howdy, all!

We'll be going to see the Custer site at Little Bighorn in a couple of weeks, and had considered driving on across to Billings. What if anything is there to view/visit in this area, or should we head in a different direction?

Thanks so much. Looking very forward to the trip!

~D

Mt-7 · 05-31-2009, 05:28 AM

The new Cabela's store would be my first stop

Cabela's -- Retail Stores (http://www.cabelas.com/retail-2/--cabelas--en--content--community--aboutus--retail--retail_stores--billings--billings.html.shtml - broken link)
I am completely serious!
Have fun, you will be surprised at how little the soldiers had for cover, sad to see where they fell.

jtjmom · 05-31-2009, 08:19 AM

LOL DH gets the Cabela's catalog... love the idea!

~D

jtjmom · 05-31-2009, 10:18 AM

How scenic is the drive from Custer's Battlefield on to Billings?

georgiainwyo · 05-31-2009, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtjmom

How scenic is the drive from Custer's Battlefield on to Billings?

This area isn't the most scenic you'll see, but if you come when it's still green out (sometimes that window is pretty small!) it's not a bad drive. If it has gotten hot with not much moisture it's pretty brown! Nice thing is that it's a very short drive. I would also suggest that if you have time you drive from Billings on to Red Lodge (an hour west). It's a quaint little town with some cute shops and if you have time while there FOR SURE take a drive up the Beartooth Pass. It is gorgeous!

Redraven · 06-01-2009, 07:03 AM

Oh, let's see...
The Moss Mansion, a couple of museums, the livestock auction yards, plays, shows, flea market, rummage sales(thurs-Sun), parks, etc.
Just the normal stuff you will find in any town.

MTSilvertip · 06-01-2009, 10:18 AM

Please don't forget Pompey's Pillar and the Pictograph Caves. The Pryor Mountains have the wild horse herds, if you head a little east you have the Rosebud battlefield from the same capaign that Custer was with.

There is the Yellowstone River with associated fishing and boating, If you are in Red Lodge and the Beartooth Pass, you might as well go into Yellowstone Park.

If you come north to Bozeman there is the Museum of the Rockies which is one of the premier palentological museums in the world.

The headwaters of the Missouri at Three Forks, Lewis and Clark Caverns, I guess it is how long you have and what you want to do that will determine what you can see or do.

Lots of fun stuff, good resteraunts, all kinds of wildlife and wilderness adventures, fishing is pretty good in most places, and the Livingston/Bozeman area have an abundance of Blue Ribbon Trout streams.

Take a little time and just drive. You will be amazed at the diversity of climate and scenery between Custer Battlefield and the western mountains. Have fun.

Lagarto · 06-13-2009, 05:47 PM

Go further west from Billings and get to Yellowstone. That is where the state is very pretty! It is really nice if you take the Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone.

AndersonRM · 06-13-2009, 07:15 PM

If I was going to Billings I would continue to Red Lodge, Red Lodge, Montana Gateway to Yellowstone National Park via the Scenic Beartooth Highway and up the Beartooth Pass to Cooke City Cooke City, Silver Gate, Colter Pass Chamber of Commerce. Then on to Yellowstone Park. Coming back I'd go through Cody, Wy. There is the most fantastic Museums at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Buffalo Bill Museum - Cody, Wyoming (http://richgros.com/Cody/BB_museum.html - broken link) This is five museums under one roof. From here you can go east on US16 over to Buffalo and catch I90 east. I'd do everything I could to stay off the Interstates.

On the way back I'd go to Devils Tower just north of Moorcroft, WY. Then east to the Black Hills and Deadwood, SD. Warning...the first week in Aug is the motorcycle rally in Sturgis SD.

jtjmom · 07-05-2009, 07:53 PM

Thanks so much, everyone! Trip was fabulous! We originally weren't going to go as far as Red Lodge, but did so on the advice of a family friend, once we told her you had mentioned it here. Simply breathtaking! We do a mountain drive every year for vacation, and this one by far takes the cake! No matter what direction you look, it's like being in a postcard! We were there during a couple of rainy, stormy days, so I got some really nifty photos! Unfortunately, my SD card in my camera stopped responding, so I think I lost my pictures!

As an aside, yes, the Little Bighorn site is very sobering. Even the horses have a monument. A fair amount of it is on private land, as well.

Thanks so much! I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I love Montana!

~D