The first time I went to Montana it was almost an afterthought. I was driving from Chicago to California. I had a friend in Bozeman, so I decided to go through Yellowstone and spend a few days in Bozeman. Like me, my friend was originally from the south and had lived in Chicago for years. I was curious about what drew him to Montana (besides his wife who was born and bred there). Once I arrived, I wasn’t curious anymore. I fell in love with the state.

Why You Should Visit Montana!

Years later, when my husband and I were looking for a way to take advantage of my remote work situation and his reduced workload in the summers, we decided to pack up the kids and the dog and move to Bozeman for a month.

Why You Should Visit Montana!

The line I really relate to here is “Montana inspires you to strip down and be yourself.” I think even my kids felt that the month we were there.

Why You Should Visit Montana!

These are city kids, but the moment they arrived in Bozeman they were ready to explore. The slowed-down pace of Montana inspired my husband and me to explore a little as well. We tried everything from whitewater rafting to fly fishing. In the video, Turning Pages, the publishers of Mamalode talk about what a special place Montana is for raising children and how that led to their business.

Why You Should Visit Montana!

It wasn’t just that we were on vacation that allowed us to spend more time together as a family, it almost seemed like the area was designed for us to do so. Hiking, camping, fishing, these are all much more family-friendly activities than what we have available in the city. We spent most of our month in Bozeman, but we also visited Billings and we went to both Glacier National Park, and Yellowstone. Through MOSS (Montana Outdoor Science School) my daughter even did an overnight trip in Yellowstone. Our Montana summer was two years ago. The kids have decidedly moved into the tween stage, and claim that there’s no way they’d want to go away with their parents for a month now.

But they still talk about our time there on a regular basis. I feel strongly that Montana gave us a chance to bond as a family in a way that we still feel the importance of today. I know that even with a month we barely scratched the surface of what Montana has to offer. Whether you have a week, a month or a lifetime choosing Montana is a great idea.