Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 13 N O ONE CAN DENY THE POPULARITY OF MONTANA AS A SUMMER DESTINATION. After all, it does have two of our most popular national parks, Glacier and Yellowstone (shared with Wyoming and Idaho), each attracting more than three million visitors per year. It is about 360-mile, six-hour drive between East Glacier in the west to West Yellowstone in the east. That is easily doable in a day, and probably many visitors to each park do just that—drive it in one day. But Montana is more than a two-stop "Bucket List." The road between the parks offers the less rushed traveler ample opportunities to discover Montana's renowned "big sky," it's beautiful mountains, blue ribbon trout streams, as well as its rich cultural heritage, making the drive between the Glacier and Yellowstone a much more enjoyable and enriching experience. Here are seven attractions along the way to give a taste of the state's diversity. Leaving East Glacier on US Highway 2 under the watchful gaze of two Blackfeet Braves is a reminder that the first part of this journey is across sovereign tribal land. Reaching Browning, the center of the Blackfeet Nation, the traveler finds the MUSEUM OF THE PLAINS INDIAN (1). The museum has a beautiful collection of historic arts created by Northern Plains Tribal peoples including: the Black- feet, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Sioux, Assiniboine, Salish, Chippewa and Cree. This is a great place to take in and appreciate the rich history and culture of the Native peoples found within Montana's borders. Further down Highway 89 are the towns of Bynum and Choteau. This is dinosaur country and each of these towns hosts museums that are part of the statewide "Montana Dinosaur Trail," which also includes the world-renowned Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. In Choteau, the OLD TRAIL MUSEUM (2) displays a life-size Maiasau- ra, the Montana State Fossil. Other paleontology exhibits in the gallery include a dinosaur skull cast of Einiosaurus, a cast of meat-eating dino- saurs, dinosaur footprints, claws, eggs, nests and babies. If you want a more "hands-on" experience, check out the TWO MEDICINE DINOSAUR CENTER (2) in Bynum. They offer public, hands-on dinosaur dig programs throughout the summer. These pro- grams run from a half-day site tour to a two-week long Paleo Training Course. Advanced registration is required. article and photos by DOUG STEVENS MONTANA IS MORE THAN A TWO-STOP "BUCKET LIST." THE ROAD BETWEEN THE PARKS OFFERS THE LESS RUSHED TRAVELER AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISCOVERY 1 2 MUSEUM OF THE PLAINS INDIAN OLD TRAIL MUSEUM AND TWO MEDICINE DINOSAUR CENTER

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