I love traveling to remote places with lots of character. Sometimes those places are close to home. On May 8, 2025, Dave and I took a quick trip to Billings, Montana. We spent our first night in West Yellowstone, at the "Grizzly Building" of the Kellie Inn.
Barbecue is the obvious choice in a rough Western town, and we found a great place.
In a striking loss of self control, I ordered a half rack of spareribs and a side of mac'n'cheese. I did resist the onion rings and fries!
The crowd surged into this great fast casual place.
Why Billings? One reason was to visit its LDS temple, as part of my goal of visiting ten new LDS temples each year. Dave said that the Billings Temple was one of his favorites. It sat on a hillside above the city and had a skylight cutting through the main temple areas, making them light and airy. And, of course, the temple was beautifully landscaped.
After our temple session, we spent the afternoon exploring Billings. The Moss Mansion was the home of one of Billings' pioneers who made good through his deals as an investment banker. He started the first dial telephone company and founded a local newspaper. He developed the light and water company and assisted other Billings citizens with a variety of businesses, including a toothpaste factory and a meat packing plant. With a partner, he ran 80,000 head of sheep!
The Moss Mansion had dozens of rooms, designed luxuriously and in different styles. It reminded me of the McCune Mansion in Salt Lake City, built around the same time.
I love visiting local museums, to learn about the history and culture of the area, and to see how the local artists portray their countryside and its people.
The art in the museum reflected the West, with many images of cowboys and Native Americans.
Fort Missoula was used as a detention camp during World War II for stranded Italian seamen and Japanese internees. An exhibition at the museum displayed art from that time, including both photographs and paintings.
We finished our day in Billings with a visit to the small but lovely Dan Walt Gardens. Billings has roughly the same climate as Salt Lake City, and particularly the climate of our home at 5200 feet in the High Avenues. I recognized most of the shrubs and flowers from my yard and/or the well-stocked nurseries in Salt Lake City. I spent an hour of inspiration. Dave and I then drove south, through beautiful mountain scenery, to spend the night in Bozeman and then drive home.
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