Distinctly Montana Magazine

Darren, Oscar, Tracey, and Hudson McGown pay homage as they enter Montana. ith the Australian dollar on parity with the U.S. greenback Aussies in record numbers are flocking here. While many still head to the typical tourist traps, the McGown Family from Australia chose to Get Lost in Montana. What happens when Down Under Comes Up Top? Tracey McGown shares her family's story. Our boots leave imprints in the soft snow not revealing the black ice underneath as we follow the somewhat cleared path of the ice fisherman before us. If they walked through here safely then so could we—after all we could see a 'pick up' parked on the lake. Back home we would be squelching through hot sand hurriedly seeking the cool of the sea. Now we were about to get our first les- son in ice fishing etiquette—our Aussie twang taking the locals by surprise. It wasn't quite a bucket list but we were ticking off experiences we would remember for the rest of our lives. Finding a powder run in Whitefish before singing carols door to door with Christmas revellers: the picturesque village and ski resort—one of the must places to visit in Montana. W PERSONAL BEST LIST BEST DRIVE Bozeman to Big Sky They are memories as clear as photographs—pictures capturing the very spirit of Montana. I look out across the Bozeman's Main Street from our flat above Leaf and Bean, grabbing lunch at the Co-Op like locals, trying to convince my husband we could get that two-metre painting home from the Beartooth Gallery in Red Lodge or that elk horn lamp through customs. What was it about Montana that touched our souls, leaving us aching to come back, even dreaming of living in Montana some day? Our family are travellers — this was our second visit to the USA. Both times we filled our kids' seven weeks of De- cember/January vacation with winter memories contrast- ing with our beach and barbecues. BEST LUNCH Bozeman Co-op The lone moose ambling along the creek of our Red Lodge cabin where in summer pyjamas and snow boots we danced in 14 inches of fresh powder, temporarily mad, before realising I had locked us all outside in the freezing temperature. Squealing as I zipline across Big Sky Mountain resort for- getting my age and whooping it up like our nine-year-old. Freezing feet scuffling back to our car after soaking in the boiling river at Yellowstone. Paddling the cold water with the hot for the perfect temperature while gazing out at snow-covered ranges imagining how the American pilgrims discovered this land. Then when you thought you were as hot as you could get — the icy blast and almost frostbite to your feet as you slosh back to the car in flip-flops. BEST PLACE TO STAY Red Lodge Cabins This trip we had Montana in our sights. It started funnily enough with this magazine. I picked it up as we whirled through Bozeman in January 2011 on our way from Mt Rushmore to West Yellowstone — where we were heading into the park for a winter experience. The neon Lewis and Clark Motel's sign glowed, snow was falling, workers were bringing down the Christmas decorations, and the Ale House beckoned as a place for some Montana hospitality. Clever you to put orange in a beer—how can you beat a few Harvest Moon's Beltian Whites, the sound of billiard balls and pool cues clicking while all around you the talk was of powder runs? It was destiny we had to come back. Without a doubt the drive from Bozeman to Big Sky and further onto West Yellowstone has to be one of the most scenic drives in the USA. At Yellowstone we oohed and ah'ed over a solitary long-horned sheep thinking we hit the fauna jackpot only to laugh a week later when a herd of about 10 blocked traffic on the road out of Big Sky. Everywhere we went we encountered wildlife like never before. On the last ski run for the day in Red Lodge there was a huge elk running for the trees. Animals, scenery, and snow certainly make a holiday but it was the people from Montana who really made the www.distinctlymontana.com 43 r

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