In This Issue:

• Montana Miles - Scenic Drives
• Montana Hunting Q & A
• On This Day... September 23, 1806
• Butte Trivia Book By George Everett
• Recipe from The Yellowstone National Park Cookbook By Durrae Johanek
......Sweet Corn Bisque with Linguica Sausage & Pumpkin Seeds
...... By Chef Jim Chapman of the Lake Hotel
• Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia
• Featured Product from The Gift Corral — Decorative Leather Moose Pillow

Montana Miles - Scenic Drives
By Kristin Hill

Measuring in at 630 miles long and 280 miles wide, Montana's diverse landscape is brimming with miles of memorable mountain and meadow drives. From curvy channels cutting through the state's famous crags to lazy lakeshore highways to picture-perfect valley paths, Montana provides a pallet of scenic drives sure to satisfy the most discriminate sightseer. Every corner of the state boasts its claim to fame in terms of scenic drives, but the following six have earned the honor of being truly noteworthy. Drive on!

Flathead Lake Scenic Drive
Located between Kalispell and Polson in northwestern Montana, Flathead Lake is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful. Distant mountain peaks, lush green foliage, famous Flathead cherries, state parks, and quaint small-town living frame the 339-foot-deep azure water, while 185 miles of shoreline beckon residents and tourists to take a drive. Begin on Highway 93 or Highway 35, and spend an entire day looping around the lake's magnificent nooks and crannies.

Pintlar Scenic Highway
The Pintlar Scenic Highway may be a less crowded alternative to some southern Montana highways, but it nonetheless remains a jewel among the state's numerous scenic drives. Travelers are treated to iconic Montana scenery as the highway loops over high mountain passes, skirts scenic Georgetown Lake's shore, and provides breathtaking views of the Anaconda Pintlar Wilderness while passing through the towns of Anaconda, Philipsburg, and Drummond. Take the Interstate 90 Drummond exit or the Anaconda exit and drive Montana Highway 1 in its entirety.

Gallatin Canyon
Memorialized in scenes from the 1991 movie “A River Runs Through It,” southwestern Montana's Gallatin Canyon has also inspired the works of world-famous painter, Gary Carter. So what makes this canyon so special among Montana's many chasms? Maybe it's the roiling and toiling Gallatin River paralleling Highway 191 as drivers navigate the foliage-laden curves of the Gallatin National Forest. Or maybe it's the yellow-tinged cliffs that seemingly rise straight out of the trout-filled green water. Or maybe still it's the majestic snowcapped Spanish Peaks that loom on the horizon with every twist and turn. Whatever the canyon's draw may be, one thing all drivers will agree upon is that Gallatin Canyon is nothing short of magical. Winding 85 miles from Bozeman to West Yellowstone, Highway 191 is a canyon drive no Montana resident or tourist should bypass!

Paradise Valley
Separating the Gallatin Range to the west and the Absaroka Range to the east, Paradise Valley chases the Yellowstone River from Livingston south to Yellowstone National Park's Gardiner entrance. The valley is aptly named. With blue mountains rising steeply above green meadows and yellow prairie, this landscape definitely parades a paradise-like quality. Although the valley was once a mecca for both gold and coal mining, little evidence attests to this history. Today, Paradise Valley is best known for scenic Highway 89, which provides a phenomenal precursor to the Yellowstone scenery just a short distance away.

Going-to-the-Sun Road
Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road vies for top honors as the quintessential Montana scenic drive. Completed in 1932, the 52-mile journey from West Glacier to St. Mary is sure to be the highlight of any park visit. Bisecting the heart of Glacier, this narrow, steep mountain road gives sightseers access to breathtaking alpine scenery. Take out the camera for Bird Woman Falls, the Weeping Wall, Logan Pass, Jackson Glacier Overlook, and more as bighorn sheep and mountain goats cavort along the road. For those leery of the road's narrow nature or for those with vehicles over the allowable size limit, guided bus tours are available for this one-in-a-million drive.

Beartooth Scenic Highway
Frequently described as the most beautiful drive in America, the Beartooth Scenic Highway is one of only fifty-two routes in the U.S. designated a National Scenic Byway. The sixty-five mile drive along Highway 212 connects the tourist hotspots of Red Lodge and Cooke City, Montana, all while providing panoramic views of jagged peaks, glaciers, alpine lakes, cascading waterfalls, and wildlife. Opened on June 14, 1936, this historic and scenic highway traverses the highest drivable points in both Montana and Wyoming and takes approximately three hours to complete in its entirety. Don't forget your camera!

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Montana Hunting Q & A

Q. What percentage of the adult male population of Montana buys a hunting license annually?
A. Forty-one percent, plus seven percent of women.

Q. What percentage of residents own firearms suitable for hunting?
A. 38.1 percent, a greater percentage than any other state.

Q. How many bow-hunting licenses were purchased in 2000?
A. Twenty-six thousand.

Q. What is the most commonly hunted game bird?
A. Ring-necked pheasants, with some 150,000 taken each year.

Q. In what year were ring-necked pheasants first introduced into Montana?
A. 1905, and the first hunting season for them was in 1928.

From “Montana Trivia” by Janet Spencer, published by Riverbend Publishing
$10 + $2 S & H Call toll free 866-787-2363
Montana Quizzes available free to any publication, contact Janet@TriviaQueen.com

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On This Day... September 23, 1806

The Lewis and Clark expedition returns to St. Louis after its two-year, four-month exploration. They were warmly welcomed, but did not immediately rest from their arduous journey. Rather, they posted the report of their experiences to President Jefferson as soon as possible. Their expedition is credited for strengthening the United States' claim to the control of the northwestern part of the North American continent, and opening the way for expansion westward. They made a significant contribution to the knowledge base of geography and natural history, they recorded many new plant and animal species, and they furnished much information from their dealings with various Native American tribes and peoples. Clark followed the momentous expedition with a long, honorable career of public service, including an appointment as Superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1822. Lewis was appointed as Governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory, but suffered professional and personal reverses, and died under mysterious circumstances in October of 1809.

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Butte Trivia Book By George Everett

Butte is unique among Montana cities-some say it is unique among cities anywhere-and now there is a book that proves it.

“Butte Trivia” by longtime Butte resident George Everett is packed with 720 eye-opening questions and answers about the state's most raucous and rollicking town. From Butte's wide-open years to modern times, this book mines Butte's richest veins of astounding facts and figures.

As executive director of Mainstreet Uptown Butte, part of Everett's job is to be an expert on the Mining City's background and history. But writing a 124-page, 720-question trivia book on the Mining City? Everett admitted it was a little intimidating.

“The book is over 25 years of learning,” Everett said. “It's almost everything I know about Butte, in trivia form.”

Indeed, there are answers to questions you never thought of asking. If you've ever wanted to know how many bones Evel Knievel broke during his career, or how long the nose is on Our Lady of the Rockies, or what famous comedian stole a tourist trolley from downtown Butte, then this book is for you.

Everett humbly acknowledges his book is by far the most definitive source about everything Butte-from the city's official flower (it's Clarkia Pulchella, or the pink fairy‚ to what Catholic miners called waste rock from underground mines (Protestant ore).

One of Everett's favorite items he uncovered is about a young man who was the stand-in for Charlie Chaplin. “A lot of people know Charlie Chaplin performed in Butte,” Everett said. “But his understudy, Stanley Jefferson, was also a good story.” Why? Because shortly after leaving the Mining City, Jefferson changed his last name to “Laurel” and became the first half of the comic duo Laurel and Hardy.

Of course, Butte claims many Montana superlatives, including the state's first millionaire, most expensive road, and deepest lake, and Butte may be the only city on the planet to boast ringing rocks, flying cowboys, and a memorial marker for a moose.

“I hope people have as much fun reading this as I did writing it,” Everett said.

Full of unforgettable facts and fascinating tidbits, “Butte Trivia” belongs in every classroom, bathroom, and barroom. The 128-page paperback sells for $9.95 and is available at bookstores or by calling Riverbend Publishing toll-free 1-866-787-2363.

George Everett Bio
George Everett is a writer and photographer who lives in Butte, Montana. He has written more than 100 articles, many illustrated with his own photography for a variety of regional and national publications. Most of his writing has focused on art, business, travel, and history topics in Southwest Montana for magazines and newspapers including Horizon Air, American History, American Heritage, Conde Nast Traveler, Great Falls Tribune, Highlights for Children, The World of Hibernia, Historic Traveler, Irish America, Montana Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, The Denver Post and The Seattle Times.

In 1995, Everett published Champagne in a Tin Cup, a magazine story that grew into a book for visitors that was widely embraced by long-time residents of Butte.

Everett has been a small business owner for the past decade, operating a small consulting firm that provides Internet and editorial business assistance to businesses primarily in Butte, but also in Anaconda, Dillon, Missoula, Philipsburg, and Bozeman. For example, he maintains the city of Anaconda's portal web site www.anacondamt.org.

One of his accomplishments that he is most proud of is his retail business portal site ButteAmerica.com to showcase Butte's retail sector to a broader trade area. His writing about a variety of topics can be found on butteamerica.com and its companion online magazine, Only in Butte (butteamerica.com/oib.htm).

Everett has served as the Vice President of the Butte Convention and Visitor's Bureau and has worked in tourism-related efforts to promote Butte's attractions on the boards of the Mai Wah Society and the World Museum of Mining. For the Mai Wah Society, Everett worked on their permanent museum interpretive exhibit and with the government of Taiwan through its consular office in Seattle to donate a ceremonial parade dragon to Montana to reside in Butte for use in parades and festivals.

Since October, 2002, Everett has been responsible for the Mainstreet Uptown Butte program as its Executive Director. This four-point approach incorporates design, promotion, organization and economic restructuring to rejuvenate Butte's Historic Uptown business district to make it a cleaner, greener, and livelier place to work and play. In this role he is most content with his part in coordinating efforts to light up seven historic headframes, put 12x18 flags on each and to plant more than 350 trees in the last three years with strong community support for all of these projects.

Everett has been a Butte native since 1983 and lives in an old house on the Hill with his wife Barbara and son Benjamin (two daughters Emily and Olivia have both gotten big enough to leave the building). The house was once referred to by the Chippewa-Cree who lived on the Big Butte nearby as “The Bikky House,” because the owner's wife made the best biscuits on the Butte Hill and shared them with anyone who came to the door.

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Recipe from The Yellowstone National Park Cookbook
By Durrae Johanek

While this Park cookbook contains an interview of a chef and several of his recipes, it also offers dishes from other park personas as well, from the wolf project leader to a park ranger and many more. Some recipes are pulled from inherited family cookbooks, and some come with special directions for doctoring according to personal taste. With an eclectic mix of styles and cultures represented, you are sure to find something delicious to make and someone interesting to meet in the pages of this unique cookbook that is centered around the first national park, Yellowstone.

Sweet Corn Bisque with Linguica Sausage & Pumpkin Seeds
By Chef Jim Chapman of the Lake Hotel
1/4 cup butter
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 pounds whole kernel corn
1 potato, peeled and diced
1-1/2 quarts vegetable stock
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
Salt and pepper to taste
5 ounces linguica sausage cut into thin half-moons
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Melt butter and sauté onions until translucent. Add flour and make roux. Add remaining ingredients except linguica and pumpkin seeds. Bring to boil while whisking occasionally. Lower to simmer and cook until potatoes are very soft. Puree soup and strain. Adjust seasoning and consistency. Finish with 1/2 ounce linguica sausage and sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

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Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia

Summer is ending, but the nice thing about Montana is that there is always another season's activities to look forward to as the present one winds down. Whatever your plans are now that summer is passing us by, the Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia can help you plan a vacation, a weekend trip, a day's scenic drive, or even your move to Montana! Whether you live here, want to visit or want to relocate, we've got information on the state from Alzada to Zortman and every spot in between.

This best-selling volume offers more information than dozens of other guidebooks combined and has received rave reviews from both Montana residents and individuals from across the U.S.

Not just a reference guide to big-name attractions, this must-have book also uncovers some of the hidden treasures and historical sites that make Montana so special. Learn about scenic drives, fishing holes, mountain hikes, and museums while gaining access to hundreds of hotels, restaurants, outfitters, and much, much more.

The book also includes special extensive sections on both Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks! Order your copy today, and discover all that this Treasure state has to offer!

Get it Now!

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Montana Gift Corral

Looking to bring a symbol of Montana into your home? Searching for that perfect western gift or souvenir? Then don't miss the huge selection of quality-crafted items at the Montana Gift Corral. The Montana Gift Corral prides itself on offering sensational products by talented and creative artists with store locations in Bozeman and at Gallatin Field Airport. Can't make it to Montana? The Montana Gift Corral offers a full selection of their signature products online. Visitors will find handmade bath and body products, Moose Drool novelty items, whimsical bear and moose figurines, stuffed animals, wood carvings, Christmas ornaments reflecting the Montana spirit, clothing, antler art, handcrafted jewelry, gourmet foods (including Montana's famed huckleberry products!), Montana silversmith items, household décor items ranging from lamps to rustic furniture to picture frames, and much, much more!  Shop Now!

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