Best places to stop in MT in cross country drive (Billings: living, restaurants)

[sammer1]

Which would be the best (most scenic) of these:

1. Billings
2. Bozeman
3. Butte
4. Missoula

Thanks

[NYMTman]

Bozeman. It's got a really quaint main street and gorgeous mountains visible from town. Lots of nice restaurants. Bozeman is the most upscale and touristy of the towns on that list, followed by Missoula.

[happiness is]

Enter Bozeman at the Interstate Hwy East Main Street exit and drive through the old downtown, stop and look around main street. Go up to the Museum of the Rockies if you have time - from Main street, go south on Willson Ave to Kagy and you will find the museum.

[bongo403]

I agree that Bozeman and Missoula would be your most scenic options of the ones listed. What kinds of things are you hoping to see? Is it scenic drives you're most interested in, or seeing the local culture? Butte isn't very scenic, but it has some interesting local history and culture. There are a number of beautiful scenic drives off of the I90 corridor if you want to stop and explore or take a side trip that will take you off of I90 for a few hours of your drive.

[ElkHunter]

I guess it depends on what you want to see.

[sammer1]

I'm looking for a nice town to stop in. Sounds like it's gonna be Bozeman. Thanks all

[popcorn247]

Red Lodge!

[nature's cathedral]

On your list Butte is actually the most interesting to stop in. I wouldn't call the food good but the history is fairly cool compared to the others. The river walk in Missoula is nice, but Montana isn't about cities. There is no city in Montana that compares to the Beartooth, Glacier, Madison, Mission, Big Hole, Bitterroots, etc.......

[ElkHunter]

To me, the beauty is in the mountains, the forest, even the open plains. I don't much like towns. But Butte is nice if your just looking at a place to stop for the night.

You are in for a beautiful drive considering it's I-90. If you wanted to get off the beaten trail, there are even better places to see/visit. I would visit Red Lodge, or Kirby, Busby, etc... That's where you'll see the real scenary. haha

I've traveled up I-90 to Billings a thousand times. It was really getting old. Then last year, we went by team of horses and sheep wagon. Up through St Xavier, the back roads. I didn't realize there was that much beauty in Montana. But I had to get off the beaten trail and I had to open up my mind. It's there. Don't let the Interstate ruin your idea of Montana. Take some time and hit some back roads. Think about the life there and the dedication some of them old codgers have. Middle of nowhere, carving out a living. Today, many would love that life.