BONJOUR WORLD: Buying a hat and remembering the Battle of Little Big Horn; in Montana the “Yellowstone” vibe is as alive as the land

Billings, Montana (www.visitbillings.com) is the largest city in the state.

And since Montana and “Yellowstone” go hand-in-hand, it is convenient Billings is also in the Yellowstone River Valley. 

Of course large in Montana just means the land not the people – and Billings only has a population of 171,000. 

Flying into Billings is easy and there are nonstop flights from Dallas – just call it the gateway to the wild west.

Stay at the centrally located Northern Hotel (www.northernhotel.com) in downtown Billings with two restaurants, including Bernie’s Diner, coined a traditional diner with a modern twist. The hotel was built in 1902, burned down in 1940 and reopened in 1942. It closed again in 2006, sold at auction then reopened again in 2013 as one of Montana’s finest.

My first stop in Billings was a visit to Swords Park atop the Rimrocks. This area is a 60-acre natural park where you will find visitors and locals hiking, and biking. The Rimrocks is a 70-million-year-old sandstone formation greatly featured as part of the Billings landscape, and a clever way to get a lay of the land on arrival.

While in Montana I knew I had to take in the history of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (www.nps.gov/libi/index.htm). The area where this battlefield is located serves as a memorial to the history of this part of the United States and its true native American past, albeit destroyed to make space for the western man’s ways. 

No matter your thoughts on the happenings at Little Bighorn, you certainly will not walk away emotionless. As for me, I could still feel the energy of the earth here.

For those not familiar with this battle, it was the area of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to keep their dying way of life alive due to the encroachment of the white man to the area. It is at this location, less than an hour from Billings, where the battlefield is now memorialized after the battle in 1876 where 263 soldiers and personnel from the U.S. army, including the well-known General George Armstrong Custer, met their death when several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors led by the spiritual leadership of Sitting Bull fought bravely to defend their land.

The Battle of Little Bighorn took place on June 25, 1876, between these warriors and the U.S. Army’s 7th cavalry. At this site, which is now part of the Crow Indian Reservation, you can visit key areas from the legendary battle with a number of memorial markers. In 1890 the army erected 249 headstone markers on the site of the battlefield to show where Custer’s men had died. Finally, in 1999 the National Park Service also began erecting red granite markers at the known Cheyenne and Lakota casualty sites on the battlefield. 

It was a clash of cultures that has marked many of the U.S. and Indian skirmishes in America’s history. And, while the white man has always won, after the battle it was noted the tribes and families scattered north and south without being defeated, however most returned to the reservation and surrendered a few years later after the deadly battle. 

Other monuments to visit in the area include Pompeys Pillar National Monument where William Clark carved his name into the sandstone marking his expedition. Be ready to climb the 202 steps to follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark and to breath in the phenomenal landscape. 

Pictograph Cave State Park has been in the making for thousands of years and is the perfect place to visit caves that show there were inhabitants in the area as far back as 2000 years. 

Makoshika State Park is also a worthy daytrip and is Montana’s largest State Park. You will find dinosaur fossils inside the 11,568-acre park and at the visitors center it is worth a stop to see the triceratops skull.

The Montana Audubon Center is a peaceful stop to learn about the area’s birds, wildlife, and natural ecosystems in the Billings vicinity. The center includes three ponds for scientific research, and it is an access to the areas riverfront trail system. 

At least one day is worthy of a drive along Beartooth Highway. It has been dubbed an “All American Road” and is part of Route 212 at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. A vast wilderness of peaks, glaciers, lakes, alpine plateaus, forested hillsides, waterfalls and wildlife, the highway is also surrounded by Custer, Gallatin, and Shoshone National Forests. 

While you are in Montana it is imperative you stop in at D. James Hats (djamesmt.com). I recommend this shop as it will be the perfect stop to take home the hat you will wear for decades into the future. There is nothing about Montana that does not speak of the perfect cowboy hat to add to the final addition of any outfit, it will also serve as a reminder of the special destination Billings will be in your memory. D. James Hats is a leisurely place to have your hat sized and ordered all while sipping the finest quality whisky. 

The perfect end to an adventure that will most certainly serve to entice you to visit again. 

SUGGESTED DINING OPTIONS

The Marble Table (www.themarbletblemt.com)

While The Marble Table offers comfort food, chef does it with a twist. You will not go away hungry and I suggest the Shrimp and Risotto.

Walker’s Grill (walkersgrill.com)

This restaurant is in downtown Billings and is part of the city’s exciting culinary scene. James Beard nominee Nick Steen rotates the menu with Montana favorites that are defined as “adventurous creations.” Perfect to get an idea of what the Montana food scene has to offer.

The Sassy Biscuit Co. (thesassybiscuit.com)

We all love breakfast, of course. In Montana, biscuits made from scratch just seem like the right thing to do. Whether it is sweet or savory for your morning wake up, expect a unique and delicious twist.

Buffalo Block at the Rex (buffaloblock.com)

Historic Rex has been a landmark in Billings on Montana Avenue for more than a century. These bricks will take you directly to Buffalo Block for a dinner of steak, seafood and in the summer a patio dining experience. It’s an iconic location for dinner with the perfect Montana vibe.

Photos by Guillaume de Vaudrey