The Journey Is Just as Important as the Destination
July 6, 2010 by Rhea Hawkins
One of the pitfalls (best parts?) of living in Montana is it’s really big. Getting to the other side of the state can take all day. In the other places I’ve lived, going to the printer for a press check meant running across town to check things out and then darting back before anyone else had even realized that you were gone. But, my friends, this is Montana.
On a recent Tuesday afternoon I found out that I would need to go on a press check at 8am Thursday. Steps to making this happen:
- Book a hotel.
- Rent a car.
- Get suggestions on places to see in the 600+ miles I’m about to drive.
- Leave the day before.
- Drive 5 hours.
- Spend the night in the town of the printer.
- Go to the press check.
- Drive car 5 hours back.
The next morning, after my press check (the whole reason for the trip) ended successfully, I was feeling unstoppable. This day was mine for the taking. Armed with my to-do list, I began the journey back to Bozeman. While I won’t bore you with all 300 gory miles, I will give my top three highlights. One per every hundred miles sounds about right.
Three Dog Down Outlet, Polson, Mont.
While I didn’t actually buy anything there (really, how much down can one girl own?) I did take in the “World’s Smallest Theater”. As I was perusing the fluffy goods, I noticed an couple sitting in a tiny side room listening to music. I didn’t make much of it and kept on walking. As I went around to the other side of the small (8x8 tops) room, I noticed they weren’t watching a video, but there was an accordion-playing cowboy sitting in the opposite corner serenading the amused couple. He motioned for us to come in, but to be fair, there wasn’t much room left.The Windmill Village, Ravalli, Mont.
This stop came directly from the list of Molly. She clearly told me to call ahead to ask the woman to make me a donut. I laughed. Who calls ahead for a donut? Doesn’t she know you can get donuts just about anywhere? So I chanced it. Threw caution to the wind and stopped without calling ahead. I’m a rebel like that. And fortune was in my favor; the wonderful woman working had just finished a batch of donuts. I don’t even know if donut is the right term? Aren’t donuts usually smaller than a human head? And don’t they usually weigh, oh I don’t know, less than 5 pounds. This was a donut to end all donuts. It was huge. I shared it with my trusty road companion and still had enough left to feed a small family. If you’re ever traveling through Ravalli, and have a spare dollar burning a hole in your pocket, stop at the Windmill Village. Better yet, call ahead. 406.745.2270Front Street Market, Butte, Mont.
This stop was a game time decision. A quick text to a friend reading “what’s that ravioli place in Butte?” and I was headed in the right direction. Oh man, clear your schedule for this one. There is so much to see. And the budding gourmet in me had found my own little piece of nirvana. Isle after isle, jam packed shelf after jam-packed shelf. There was so much to drool over in this shop. But not to be missed is a little freezer section in the middle of the front room stuffed with, well... stuffed pasta. I narrowed my choices down to 5, packed them all in my basket with the other taste bud tantalizers and wove my way back to the register. The woman ringing me up called me “Sugar”, and offered to pack my little treasures into a box with bags of ice for free. This one is only just over an hour from home and worth a special trip.As I pulled back into town, everyone else was just wrapping up their work day. While traveling that far to see a vendor might be a nuisance to some, for me I’m glad to say that was all in a day’s work.