Montana Vacation PackageKathryn Hoyt2024-01-10T11:02:02-05:00
LET TRAVELKATZ PLAN YOUR MONTANA VACATION PACKAGE
Travelkatz will put together a Montana Vacation Package custom tailored just for you. We handle all aspects of your trip so you can sit back, relax and enjoy. We provide three options for every state in the USA. If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate in contacting us.
GARDENS
Montana Gardens
Montana Gardens – Montana is a western state defined by its diverse terrain ranging from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains. Its wide-open spaces include Glacier National Park, a vast wilderness preserve that passes into Canada. The park’s many snow-capped peaks, lakes and alpine hiking trails are showcased along its famed Going-to-the-Sun Road, stretching 50 miles.
Tizer Botanic Garden & Arboretum: What an amazing little place! This is by far the most creative, cute, quaint, and interesting botanical garden you have ever visited. There are lots of little paths and switchbacks that you might miss if you aren’t looking, and an eclectic mix of art and curios peppered around the gardens. Every time you walk by a spot, you’ll notice a little detail that you missed the first time. Lovely winding pathways through shade trees and sunny areas. The rose garden is amazing! Lots of little nooks to sit and relax or read a book. There is a nice picnic area with a gazebo and grass and a kid’s garden play area too! Make sure to visit the nursery across the street and both gift stores. A must see is the test gardens on the nursery side. They also have a few little cabins you can rent for the night. Charming gardens and a stream running through the arboretum. It really is a lot of fun. Montana’s only fully certified botanical garden and arboretum is home to thousands of plants, flowers, and trees. They host events all spring and summer. You will find this amazing garden in Jefferson City.
Old Lexington Stamp Mill and Gardens: Surprisingly this attraction is right in the center of the historical district, on the corner of Granite and Arizona. There are information plaques that tell all about this history of Butte. This was the site of the first high school, the first stamp mill that crushed the crude ore, and the first smelter. Sweet gardens. This is a nice stop while touring the city. This first stamp mill is now a botanical garden that features a full-scale re-creation of The Columbia Gardens Butterfly, a floral butterfly that was an important part of Butte’s history.
Bibler Home and Gardens: These Gardens overlook the Flathead Valley, the Swan Mountains, and parts of Glacier Park. If you visit at the right time, you may even see one of the three species of swans that frequent the gardens. Bibler Gardens is a private display garden designed by Louis A. “Sam” Bibler. Sam landscaped, planted, and maintained the gardens at his home from around 1979 until his death in 2002. The extensive gardens, including ponds with swans, waterfalls, sculptures, arboretum, and a log stable, are maintained today according to Sam’s desire to preserve the site as a place of lasting beauty that could be enjoyed by the Kalispell community and visitors to the area. The Bibler home and its furnishings have also been preserved. The beautifully designed home features 18th and 19th century art and furnishings, as well as an outstanding Persian antique tribal rug collection completed in 2011, and an important collection of Cape Dorset Inuit sculpture and prints. Public tours of the Bibler Home and Gardens are conducted at least twice annually, in the spring when thousands of tulips and daffodils are at their peak, and again in the summer when massive plantings of a wide variety of perennials and annuals reach their peak. These events also provide an opportunity to view the interior of the beautifully furnished home located in Kilispell.
Gatiss Gardens: Located in the northwest corner of Montana is a zone 4 perennial garden featuring hardy varieties from the family homestead in England before 1898 as well as American heritage garden plants gathered over the century, growing to the 5-acre garden today. This English cottage-style garden is located just outside of Kalispell and is known for its beautiful perennials.
TravelKatz is looking forward to hearing from you so we can put a special vacation to Montana for you and your family. Call us at 352-277-7300 or go to www.travelkatz.com .
STATE PARKS
Montana State Parks:
Montana State Parks – Montana is a western state defined by its diverse terrain ranging from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains. Montana has 39 State Parks and a State Wildlife Management Area. Some parks will allow camping, some will not – but those which do not make wonderful day trips for picnicking and hiking. Let’s see what Sandra has found for us.
Bannack State Park: You will have a wonderful time when you come to this park. The park ranger in the Visitor Center is helpful with explaining a brief history about how Bannack got to be what it was – a gold mining town. Most of the buildings in this preserved (not restored) former mining town are open and accessible – although not for the handicapped. The ranger has a brochure that offers guidance to the many dwellings and businesses still standing sturdy in this town that last had residents in the 1970s, with the Mines mostly giving out in late 19th century. There is plenty to see, read, and imagine about life in a boisterous mining town thru its decline. There is $2 fee for the booklet, but it is great to read about the history of each building and its worthwhile to get for your self-guided tour. You can walk into most cabins and see how they lived in the early days and imagine how life must have been back in the days. The jail is fun too and some of the buildings are quite large. Bannock was the first capital of the Territory and had a population of 10,000. This ghost town is found near Dillon.
Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park: Lewis and Clark caverns is one of people’s favorite places locally to visit… It’s so beautiful, the tours are packed with Information, and the gift shop has a different selection making it a great gift shop. This Park is handicap accessible, with unbelievable sights and terrific tour guides with an abundance of information. One thing you do need to know… reservations are needed in advanced so let TravelKatz know, and we well make sure you have the necessary tickets. This Park is near Three Forks.
Wild Horse Island State Park: Populating the island with big horn sheep, mountain goats, wild horses, osprey, eagles, and deer; the Island is just as it was 100 years ago. Walk the island, shoreline or rolling hills for spectacular views of nature. A primitive outhouse is the only amenity on the island. No picnic tables or benches but is a very worthwhile for an afternoon of hiking and viewing wildlife. You will see an osprey nest with little ones which makes for a relaxing walk around the water. When you finish your walk on the island you can call your contact, and they will send a boat to pick you up – because that’s how you got out there! Lots of photo ops for wildlife. Take a small cooler and snacks. Found near Kalispell.
Wayfarers State Park: No trip to Bigfork is complete without a stop here. While the park is relatively small it still offers a full array of activity. In the summer – activities such as boating, fishing, camping and swimming are available. There are also year-round hiking trails throughout the park, and just being on the lake shore is enjoyable. On a windy day, the Flathead Lake can experience very windy conditions perfect for wind surfers to enjoy the wind and waves. In the winter, the lake offers ice fishing and boating as the ice melts, as well as other activities. As the weather gets nicer picnics and camping become more popular. Near Bigfork.
Travelers’ Rest State Park: This State Park marks the crossroads of natural and cultural history. The 65-acre site includes the only archaeologically verified campsite of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, a traditional meeting place of Native American tribes including the Bitterroot Salish, and riparian habitat that is home to hundreds of birds and mammals. The walking trails take you along the creek and back to where Lewis & Clark made camp twice during their quest to seek a route to the Pacific for trading. They have weekly ranger talks and cater to children on the weekends, giving them interactive projects to make while there. Highly recommend not only for the history behind the park but for the scenery while walking the dusty trails. There is a visitor’s center staffed with a State Forest Ranger who holds a wealth of knowledge of the area. There is a picnic area near the creek with tables. Bears frequent this area as well as deer and horn rimed owls. There is a fee for out of state residents, free to those living in Montana. Found in the town of Lolo.
TravelKatz is looking forward to hearing from you so we can plan a great vacation for you, please call us at 352-277-7300 or chat with us on www.travelkatz.com .
MUSEUMS
Montana Museums:
Montana Museums: As a western state bordering Canada, Montana is defined by its diverse terrain ranging from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains. Its wide-open spaces include Glacier National Park and is coined as Big Sky Country because of its seemingly unlimited – expansive view of the heavens.
American Computer & Robotics Museum: Visit this museum and find out why distinguished Harvard scientist Edward O. Wilson described this museum, “Inch for inch, the best museum in the world.” The ACRM is the oldest continuously operating museum devoted to the history of the Information Age and Computing. The exhibits span 4,000 years of human history, from original cuneiform tablets to the first personal computers, and include topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, the Space Race, Cracking the Enigma Code, and more. This museum Is found in beautiful Bozeman.
Museum of the Rockies: This beautiful museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate, recognized as one of the world’s finest research and history museums. It is renowned for displaying an extensive collection of dinosaur fossils, including a T. rex skeleton! MOR delights visitors with changing exhibits from around the world, permanent indoor and outdoor regional history exhibits, planetarium shows, educational programs, insightful lectures, benefit events, and a museum store. The Museum is a great place to learn about the West including terrific exhibits from the “Old West” in Bozeman.
Miracle of America Museum: The largest and most diversified museum in Montana with kid friendly and interactive displays. The Pioneer Village outside of the main building is comprised of 42 original, recreated, and display buildings covering the period of 1890 through the 1960s. It is also the site of Montana’s Outdoor Sculpture Gallery, specializing in whimsical and artistic renderings using mostly discarded and repurposed items. Everyone in the family will enjoy it from little all the way up. When you visit, just kick back, relax and enjoy your stroll around the abundance of Americana that has been collected there in the town of Polson.
Aerial Fire Depot and Smokejumper Center: This place is well worth the hour plus to visit. The museum is small with a gift shop. The best part of the trip is you actually get to tour the working areas for the smoke jumpers, and you are able to talk with them and ask questions. Part of the tour takes you inside the smoke jumpers’ plane where you can get a better view of life of a smoke jumper. The tour delves into history as well as current mission. There is great insight into training and equipment both past and present. The physical demands placed on these individuals is also impressive. This is an airport museum in Missoula.
Montana Historical Society Museum: There were two attractions outside: A cowboy with his horse and metal head of a bison which tells you it is about the American Indians and cowboys. You will learn about the different tribes and how they lived as well as the white men’s homes. Learning about the railroads, guns and pistols as well as the Buffalo stampedes is well done. There are beautiful paintings about the American Indians. The albino buffalo is a unique site as well. To visit this museum, go to Helena.
TravelKatz is looking forward to helping you have a wonderful vacation in Montana. Please give us a call at 352-277-7300 or “chat” with us at vacationnationradio.com. We will be happy to answer all your questions.
FESTIVALS
Montana Festivals:
Montana is Big Shy Country and the festivals are just as BIG…from cowboys to chamber music, you’ll enjoy any or all of these festivals. Settle back and check out what we have to offer in Montana, then let TravelKatz plan your next trip there.
Montana Folk Festival: This Festival will continue to feature multiple stages with continuous live music and performances by some of the best traditional performers in the nation; including Montana’s finest, some of the region’s best traditional artists, ethnic and festival foods, a lively Family Area, and Folk life demonstrations and workshops that focus on a new theme each year that highlights Montana’s heritage. Enjoy this festival in Butte, from July 12 – 14th.
The International Choral Festival: This is a 4-day event being held from 07/17-20 in Missoula. The choral festival showcases products like the University of Montana Chamber Chorale when it participated in the Festival International de Chant Choral in Nancy, France in 1983. This community choir continues in the same vain. You will enjoy listening to several favorite pieces from the France Festival, too.
Red Ants Pants Music Festival: Held in a working sweet clover cow pasture on the Jackson Ranch just outside of White Sulphur Springs, Montana; this Music Festival will take place. This year’s lineup features 7-time nominated GRAMMY award-winning Patti Griffin, Shakey Graves, Colter Wall, Valerie June, Suzy Bogguss, The White Buffalo, and more. Patty Griffin’s honors include “Artist of the Year” and “Album of the Year” by the Americana Music Association (AMA). Widely regarded among the best pure songwriters of this era, Griffin has just released her long-awaited new album, PATTY GRIFFIN. In all, the festival includes a free street dance on Thursday, July 25th along with 16 main stage and 14 side stage performances. With a reputation for paring Grammy award-winning superstars with festival producer Sarah Calhoun’s hand-picked rising stars – the festival has grown from 6,000 attendees in its first year to 18,000 last year! This year’s lineup includes an incredible depth and diversity with those award winning stars and up-and-coming artists with new sounds that might help you find your next new favorite musician. Join us in White Sulphur Springs. July 25 – 28, 2019.
Big Sky Blues Festival: This event will showcase products like Polly and Her Band and will be playing again during the festival as well as a stellar lineup of performers including The Randy Oxford Band. Settle back in the Pilgrim Creek Park in Noxon, Fri, Aug 2 – Sun, Aug 4.
11th Annual Riverfront Blues Festival: Join us for two fun-filled days of Blues, Brews and BBQs in beautiful Libby, Montana. This two-day event takes place annually at the wonderful Riverfront Park along the historic Kootenai River! The Riverfront Blues Festival kicks off on Friday, August 9th and comes to a smashing close after midnight on Saturday, August 10th with the All-Star Jam! Gates open at 5PM on Friday so come early to enjoy the vendors, food, brews and Fun!
Huckleberry Days Arts Festival: Whitefish invites you to celebrate Huckleberry Days. Come out and enjoy a fun filled weekend. Depot Park will be filled with arts, crafts, fantastic foods, and fun activities for the kids, including a climbing wall. There is also a huckleberry bake off contest. Join us in Depot Park in Whitefish, August 9 – 11.
12th Annual Festival of Flavors: This festival returns to Northwest Montana. The community’s generosity and participation have made it a greatly anticipated regional wine, brew and food extravaganza! And because of you, last year’s Festival of Flavors raised over $250,000 to support hundreds of additional scholarships for the community college students in need; helping them reach their goals. Flathead Valley CC, from Oct 4 – 12
Should Montana be next on your list of festivals to visit, let TravelKatz know and we will set you on the next flight out of Tampa…352-277-7300.
PLACE OF INTEREST
Butte
Butte’s gold rush past is evident in its vintage signs, historic buildings and numerous trolleys and tours devoted to the memory of mining days. Its historic landmark district boasts some of the country’s best collections of Victorian architecture as well as preserved gems from the early 20th century. Beyond its history, though, Butte has a wealth of activities and attractions to offer, from outdoor adventures in the surrounding wilds to arts and culture in the city’s museums and galleries.
World Museum of Mining: The museum has many features: an underground mine tour; the mine yard of buildings, tools, and machinery; a mining town re-creation of buildings and artifacts; a mineral and rock room; a doll and dollhouse exhibit; a fallen miner memorial; and other artifacts. We are so glad that we took advantage of all that the museum has to offer. The underground mine tour is with a group. The guide is terrific! The rest of the museum is toured on your own at your own pace. We recommend this stop on your trip! The story of America’s industrial power, especially in the war years from 1917 – 1945 can be seen in the mining exhibits at the World Museum of Mining. It includes cultural as well as technological features and reminds us of how the Butte mines not only helped America move into electrification. Excellent experience.
Dumas Brothel Museum: The Dumas Brothel is in the heart of the old Red-Light district in Uptown Butte, Montana USA. Built in 1890, the Dumas’ sole purpose was to serve the predominately male population that sprang out of Butte’s mining boom. As a house of prostitution, it operated for 92 years until its closure in 1982, making it America’s longest running brothel. It is the only brothel remaining in Butte Montana, the Dumas is now a museum & antique shop. Tours of the Dumas brothel are available year-round, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Dumas is also the last vestige of the Victorian Brothel style architecture existing in the United States today. Since 2012, the new owners have been diligently working to preserve, restore, and protect the 126-year-old iconic structure from meeting its demise. Butte’s Red-Light district was the largest and most expansive in the West and visiting the Dumas Brothel recalls a time when vice was key to Butte’s rise to prominence, second only to its success as a mining metropolis. Amazing stop in Butte. Such an important part of the mining history. These owners have taken on a labor of love to restore this building. Colleen gave us so much information about the background of the brothel and the surrounding area. In time it is to be fully restored as a B&B!
Old Lexington Stamp Mill and Gardens: Uptown Butte on the corner of Granite and Arizona streets. Historic Stamp Mill (ore crushing machine) it’s interesting to read the panels about the history of this area. There is also a butterfly flower display that replicates the one at the former Columbia Gardens. The history of the buildings, the mines and the mineral wealth generated is amazing. The architecture is interesting, each building more ornate than the next in an era of a practical approach to providing shelter.
Copper King Mansion: The craftsmanship, especially by the wood carvers and plasterers, is outstanding. Inlaid parquet floors in rosewood and mahogany and oak; pocket doors using different woods on each side, so they match the room they face, when closed; plaster medallions embossed into the wainscoting; carved newel posts of solid oak; hand-carved medallions of birds and plants representing every country in the world when the house was built, in 1888. There’s stained glass and etched glass and beveled glass, all of it in great shape. The house is privately owned and operates as a B&B. The tour includes the bathroom with a birdcage shower, and the ballroom, now packed with eclectic historic items collected by the current owners in Butte. This gem tells a story of William A. Clark, one of the three “Copper Kings” of Butte’s late 1800 to early 1900 heyday, and the times in which he lived and helped create. If you’re any kind of a history buff, you won’t regret it. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and may even assist you in finding local flavor at other establishments in Butte, including restaurants, other historical landmarks, and night time entertainment.
A flight from Tampa to Helena Airport will enable you to drive to Butte and enjoy the unique features of butte. Just give us a call at 352-277-7300 and Travelkatz will help you have a great vacation.
Montana State Capital: Helena
Helena, Montana takes its name from Saint Helena, Minnesota. Many of the miners who inhabited the town in the 1860s were from Minnesota, and so, when discussing possible names, began throwing around the names of their hometowns. The names Winona and Rochester were also discussed, as were Pumpkinville and Squashtown (the meeting took place on the day before Halloween), but, in the end, Helena won out.
Helena is the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. It was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and was established in 1864. Over $3.6 billion of gold was extracted in the city limits over a duration of two decades, making it one of the wealthiest cities in the United States by the late nineteenth century. The concentration of wealth contributed to the city’s prominent, elaborate Victorian architecture. The city is served by Helena Regional Airport (HLN).
Montana WILD: is the new conservation education center located on the west side of town adjacent to the popular Spring Meadow Lake state park. It’s operated by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and invites visitors to enjoy the state’s outstanding fish and wildlife resources. Here you’ll find an engaging fish and wildlife exhibit, a live Montana fish aquarium, an outdoor picnic area, and all the information you need to enjoy Montana’s great outdoors. The center offers regular educational programs on a variety of topics. Montana WILD offers convenient access to the 60-acre state park where you can explore, play, swim, fish, hike, or just hang out.
Lewis & Clark: The Montana Experience: Journey back to the early 1800s and retrace the footsteps of Lewis & Clark as they journeyed through Montana. See what the Corps of Discovery saw as they traveled by foot over scenic mountains and by boat through the clear waters. Follow an etching of the Missouri River along one side of the pedestrian plaza and the Yellowstone along the other side, experiencing several of the journey’s highlights along the way. This permanent outdoor exhibit located at the Great Northern Town Center is a cooperative project with Lewis & Clark Trail Commission. Visitors to this exhibit will enjoy and learn about 19 historical sites from Montana’s Lewis & Clark Trail such as the Gates of the Mountains, Pompey’s Pillar, Great Falls/Portage and the Three Forks of the Missouri. Enormous boulders, for example, form the Interpretive Exhibit’s version of Pompey’s Pillar, complete with bison prints and a replica of Clark’s signature. The easy interpretive signage will guide you on your journey of Lewis & Clark’s Montana Experience. The outdoor exhibit is surrounded by restaurants, a Carousel, a coffee shop, a children’s museum, a cinema, shopping and the Best Western Premier Great Northern Hotel.
Original Governor’s Mansion: This stately Queen Anne style mansion has enjoyed both public and private roles in the history of Montana and its capital city. The history of the mansion is as much a history of the people who resided here as it is of a building. Montana’s Original Governor’s Mansion, built in 1888 by Helena entrepreneur William Chessman as a symbol of his wealth and influence throughout the Helena community. The next two owners, continued the pattern of affluent living. In 1913 the State of Montana acquired this handsome brick mansion as the first official governor’s residence for nearly half a century. Between 1913 and 1959, it was home to nine Montana governors and their families.
Montana State Capitol: The Capitol is open for self-guided tours Monday-Saturday year-round from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Self-guided tour booklets are available at the information desk on the first floor of the Capitol. Discover the buildings magnificent history, ornate art, classical architecture and function as the seat of the state’s government.
Activities around Helena include:
Hiking: Helena, Montana offers over 80 miles of trails that you can access right from Downtown. These trails are part of the South Hills Trail System and are managed by the Prickly Pear Land Trust cooperatively with the City of Helena, Helena National Forest and Bureau of Land Management.
Fishing: Montana fishing is legendary. Anglers from all over the world travel to Montana to experience fly fishing. Whether your here to battle trout on your own or want someone to show you the ropes of Montana fishing, Helena has the water ways for you.
Boating: There are three wonderful water recreation lakes; Canyon Ferry is great for sailing, Hauser lake is warm, close to town with great beaches and Holter lake is great for a scenic trip and wildlife viewing.
Helena is serviced by Helena Regional Airport. It will take a connection flight from Tampa. There are several major airlines that do fly into this airport. Please let us know when you want to go and TravelKatz will put a fabulous vacation together for you and your family and friends. Just give us a call at 352-277-7300.
MONTANA VACATION PACKAGE MADE EASY
Another option for our Montana Vacation Package is the Natural Wonder. See our selection of choice below to see if it fancies your style. Please don’t hesitate in contacting us with any questions or concerns.
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