Western Montana is a great place to visit in summer, far from the crowds and even further from the humidity. Here's some of what's scheduled --
Native American Pow Wows
The pounding of the rawhide drum and centuries-old dances performed in authentic costumes, bright with beads and feathers. Two of the largest Pow Wows in the USA are in Glacier Country -- North American Indian Days in Browning, hosted by the Blackfeet tribe, and the Fourth of July celebration in Arlee, hosted by the Salish and Kootenai tribes on the Flathead Reservation. Both are weekend-long celebrations, full of magnificent dancing, singing and traditional native games, welcome visitors from across North America.
Each time I attend a Pow Wow, I am entranced by the dances -- especially the youngest children and the most senior tribal elders. And I am wowed by the beauty of the costumes -- the skill and patience that produces incredibly complex and beautiful beading and stitching. And, of course, turquoise and silver jewelry. And fry bread. Click here for more information on western Montana’s native tribes and their cultural events scheduled this summer.
Fourth of July in Bigfork
Bigfork is a quaint artist’s town, surrounded by stunning mountains and perched on the shores of Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, where it's easy to spend a day floating or fishing, or both. Fourth of July celebrations include a parade and children’s carnival, a golf tournament and the weekly farmers’ market for homemade foods and fresh local produce. Stick around for a play at the nationally renowned Bigfork Summer Playhouse, right on the waterfront. For more on Bigfork vacation, click here.
A fisherman's dream
Only a few miles west of Missoula, the towns of Superior, Alberton and St. Regis offer rustic Western charm, world-class fishing and whitewater rafting — in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains. Fly-fishing on the mighty Clark Fork River might be the best-kept secret in Montana., Stay at The Hole in the Wall Ranch in Alberton, where you'll sleep in a rustic ranch cabin and go horseback riding out your back door, cast your line on the river for rainbow and cutthroat trout, or explore the nearby Bitterroot Mountains on foot.
Missoula
The city is at the confluence of the Clark Fork, Bitterroot River and Blackfoot River. There's whitewater rafting on all three, plus lots of campsites. Ditto lots of bicycle and hiking trails. It's a great way to get up close and personal with the scent of fresh pine, the screech of eagles, and perhaps the sight of a majestic elk grazing in a meadow or a mountain goat perched high on a cliff. And Glacier National Park is just down the road. For more information about Missoula, click here
Get in touch with you inner cowboy in Montana. If you don't already own cowboy boots and a wide-brimmed hat, this is the place to buy them.
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