Distinctly Montana Magazine

91 w w w. d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m as you drive by on the highway. Twin grain el- evators stand sentinel along the highway with a metal sign between them reading "Hobson." Hobson is also home to the Tall Boys Tavern, an establishment the editor of the Central Mon- tana website reports visiting four times in three weeks. "The food is that good. The experience is that good. You can take it to the bank." Based on her recommendation, my friends and lunched at the Tall Boys. I heartily second the recommen- dation. I know I'll be returning. Driving east from Great Falls, the first commu- nity in Judith Basin County is Raynesford. You could drive right by this unincorporated commu- nity with a population of 31. The most notable feature is the Montana Elevator Co. grain elevator alongside the railroad tracks. Roughly 12 miles further east you'll pass Geyser. Once again, the most notable structure in this "town" of 78 residents is the grain elevator—one that looks abandoned to this traveler's eyes. The town takes its name from the mud springs in the area, not an actual geyser. Twenty miles further east, and six miles be- yond Stanford, you'll find the census designat- ed place called Windham with a population of 43. It is here we'll turn off the main highway and head south on Montana Secondary 541 to reach Utica, 13 miles distant. As I mentioned above, Utica is where Jake Hoover found the first Yogo Sapphires and where Charlie Russell started out his career as a cowboy, then artist. One of Russell's most fa- mous paintings shows himself, Hoover, and a couple other folk standing in front of the Utica town general store while a bunch of cowboys whoop it up on their bucking broncs in the foreground. On my recent visit, I posed myself and three friends in front of the same store. Unfortunately, I was not able to round up any cowboys or bucking broncs. Russell's painting is titled "A Quiet Day in Utica." I call my photo "A Qui- eter Day in Utica." Just a few miles east of Utica is Ackley Lake State Park. The 226-acre lake and the park that surrounds it offer all the recre- ational opportunities you would expect of such a site. The Mon- S U B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E T O D AY T O D AY A N D N E V E R L E AV E Y O U R D E N ! A N D N E V E R L E AV E Y O U R D E N ! SUBSCRIBE TO DISTINCTLY MONTANA MAGAZINE AND GET IT DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR HOME! distinctlymontana.com/subscribe SEND A CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT MATCHING THE SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD YOU'D LIKE: 1 YEAR - $39.95 2 YEARS - $69.95 3 YEARS - $99.95 MAIL CHECKS TO: DISTINCTLY MONTANA PO BOX 84 BOZEMAN MT 59771 TO SUBSCRIBE BY PHONE, CALL 406-600-7660

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