Distinctly Montana Magazine

105 w w w. d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m Philip Morris was just returning the favor. Staffed and open year-round, the working ranch provided activi- ties for every season. Over a typical four-day stay, fare included guided backcountry treks, fly-fishing, skeet shooting, along with horseback riding, and on warm summer nights—if you were lucky—getting grub from an honest-to-goodness chuckwagon parked outside your hotel. You could drink and dance the night away, learn how to twirl a rope, or cozy up in one of sever- al lodges along the ranch's main drag. Also provided were less well-known Old West activities like moun- tain biking, ziplining, and taking a Hummer off-road. In the winter there was snowmobiling, dog sledding, and more ziplining (but only in the Activity Barn). And if you really got what it took to be a cowboy and wanted a hog-killin' time, then maybe, just maybe they'd let a greenhorn like you ride along and help drive their herd of cattle home. During the Marlboro era, even while entertaining guests, the ranch remained a working ranch. Maybe this had a lot to do with how immer- sive the experience was for visitors. Two dozen buildings still stand, many restored after Philip Morris pur- chased the property, and everything you'd expect to find in a typical cowboy western can be found here: lodging at the Crystal Pal- ace Hotel and the saloon next door; a post office and bank, the Sheriff's Office a stone's throw away across the street. There's Chin's Laun- dry (still used by staff for the same purpose) and a General Store stocked with candy, jerky, other snacks and treats, though you can't buy any of VOTE FOR US WIN $ 500! FOR YOUR CHANCE TO B R I N G I N G T H E F R E S H A N D A U T H E N T I C F L A V O R O F T H A I L A N D T O M O N T A N A S I N C E 2 0 1 2 L O C AT I O N S I N B O Z E M A N D O W N T O W N | B O Z E M A N S T O N E R I D G E S Q U A R E | B E L G R A D E | L I V I N G S T O N | M I S S O U L A w w w. R i c e T h a i M o n t a n a . c o m of B E S T M O N TA N A A S V O T E D B Y R E A D E R S O F 2023 W I N N E R !

• Cover