All-American Road Trip

ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP

Explore pioneer legends, natural wonders and wildlife on this 2,800-plus mile route.

Theodore ND Grand Roosevelt Forks National Lewistown MT Glendive Park 94 Duluth Yellowstone Miles Medora Bismarck Fargo MN National City Park Billings 94 90 Devils Sturgis Tower Belle National Fourche SD WI 90 Monument Mount 29 Minneapolis 94 Cody Rapid Rushmore 14 14 City National East 90 Memorial Chamberlain 16 Entrance 20 Gillette 90 90 Thermopolis Sundance Crazy Badlands 90 National Park Sioux Falls Horse Madison Grand Teton Hot Memorial National Casper Springs 39 Park WY 25 90 29 Des IA Moines Chicago 80 80 Cheyenne NE Omaha Iowa 80 City

Denver CHICAGO TO YELLOWSTONE AND BACK Kansas City tart in Chicago on this incredible route through Head to the Crazy Horse Memorial, the world s largest Mesa Verde some of the nation s most stunning prairies, monument carving currently in progress. In Sturgis, check National Park wide-open skies and gorgeous mountain peaks. out the town s many festivals and events. Belle Fourche o ers a nice rest stop. In Wyoming, Sundance o ers easy access to From Chicago head west, stopping at the Akta Devils Tower National Monument while farther west, Lakota Museum to discover northern Plains Indian history. S ermopolis has hot springs and bison. In Cody, you ll en head to South Dakota s Badlands National Park. discover Bu alo Bill Center of the West and right before you Beyond lies Mount Rushmore National Memorial in get to Yellowstone, you ll nd an uncrowded lodging Keystone, S.D., hot springs in Hot Springs, S.D., and two experience. A er exploring Yellowstone, head to Billings, national park sites that give you a rare glimpse into the Lewistown, Miles City and other Montana towns on your Earth s underbelly: Wind and Jewel caves. way back to Chicago.

PHOTO: Mountain Goat at Mount Rushmore National Memorial (Chad Coppess/ National Park Photography Contest)

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YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 73 3/5/20 8:14 AM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP CHICAGO TO CHAMBERLAIN, S.D., AND THEN BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK 848 miles, 13 hours

PHOTO: Jewel Cave National Monument (NPS) GOOD THINGS IN BADLANDS

See bison and bighorn sheep in Badlands National Park. by Tori Peglar

hile you won t see saber-toothed cats or rhinoceroses animal replicas. You can also watch the lm Land of Stone and Light roaming the Badlands like they once did, you may see in the center s 95-seat air-conditioned theater. their remains in this stunning national park with some of en head out to see the wildlife that roams the park today. Spot Wthe world s richest fossil deposits. bison, bighorn sheep, black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs as you Located in Imlay Township in South Dakota, Badlands National drive the Badlands Hwy. 240 Loop Road or explore the park by foot Park has a Fossil Preparation Lab where you can watch on one of its many hiking trails. paleontologists at work, literally uncovering the ancient history Learn more about Badlands National Park at nps.gov/badl. of the area. At the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, kids can use a touchscreen to assemble a virtual skeleton and touch fossilized

PLAINS STOP

Headed to the Black Hills and want to learn Continue on to "Two Worlds Meet" to learn highlights renowned contemporary artists about the northern Plains Indian culture? about the arrival of Euro-Americans, which like Arthur Amiotte. Visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural led to a transition for Native Americans from The museum, 1301 N. Main St., is part of St. Center in Chamberlain, S.D. Start on the using organic objects to manufactured Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain. Call museum’s east side, moving clockwise to products. "Broken Promises" details ahead to schedule a school tour. Learn more find exhibits on Native American life government involvement with Native at AktaLakota.org. pre-European Americans. Americans and "Continuity and Change"

PHOTO: Bighorn sheep at Badlands National Park (Kurt Leblanc/National Photography Contest) 74 . Yellowstone Edition 2020

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 74 3/5/20 8:14 AM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK TO RAPID CITY, S.D. 83 miles, 1 hours and 22 minutes THE CITY OF PRESIDENTS

Fly the most direct route to Mt. Rushmore. by Mikaela Ruland

ooking for the fastest way to get to of Jewel Cave National Monument and months in advance, and your rental car South Dakota s stunning national Wind Cave National Park and the hidden from one of the six major companies in the park sites nuclear missiles at Minuteman Missile terminal closer to six months in advance to L National Historic Site. ensure you get a reservation. Fly into Rapid City Regional Airport. From there, drive less than an hour to reach the Hop on a year-round, non-stop ight from While your main destinations may be the awe-inspiring geology of Badlands major cities like Atlanta, Newark and Los national parks, make sure your travel plans National Park, the towering presidential Angeles or a seasonal non-stop ight from include spending time in Rapid City itself. heads of Mount Rushmore National multiple cities, including Denver. You ll Learn more about the best things to do in Memorial, the underground wonderlands want to book your ight at least three

PHOTO: Jewel Cave National Monument (NPS) Rapid City at RapAirport.com.

Spend less time getting here and more time exploring one of the most enchanting places in the country. FLY DIRECT TO THE BLACK HILLS through Rapid City Regional Aiport and save time for the real journey.

DIRECT TO DISCOVERY BOOK YOUR FLIGHT TODAY. RAPairport.com

PHOTO: Bighorn sheep at Badlands National Park (Kurt Leblanc/National Photography Contest) MyYellowstonePark.com . 75

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 75 3/5/20 9:52 AM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP RAPID CITY, S.D. TO MOUNT RUSHMORE 27 miles, 39 minutes

MONUMENTAL WORK

Can you name the U.S. presidents carved into the granite hillside of Mount Rushmore National Memorial If the names didnt come to you in ve seconds, step on the gas and head to the memorial. Constructed from 1927-41, it features the faces of four U.S. presidents: George Washington, omas Je erson, eodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum chose these men because he felt they presided over the country during its most important moments. More than 400 women and men worked a variety of jobs from drillers to housekeepers during the 14 years it took to build. Ninety percent of the mountain was carved using dynamite, but it was the people hanging o steel cables and chiseling at the rock amid freezing cold and sweltering heat who

PHOTO: Mount Rushmore National Memorial (Depositphotos) Mount Rushmore PHOTO: made Mount Rushmore what it is today.

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YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 76 3/5/20 8:14 AM FREE Admission

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ The Lakota phrase “Aktá Lakota” translates to “honoring the people.” Located in Chamberlain, on the campus of St. Joseph’s Indian School the museum strives to preserve and promote the Sioux Indian culture through the arts and history of the people. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Open Year Round ♦ Gift Shop ♦ New Exhibits ♦ I-90 Chamberlain SD, ♦ Interactive displays Exit 263

Located on the campus of St. Joseph’s Indian School 1301 N. Main St. Chamberlain, SD aktalakota.org • 800-798-3452

Aktá Lakota Museum Cultural Center

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 77 3/5/20 9:53 AM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP MOUNT RUSHMORE TO KEYSTONE, S.D. AREA 11 miles, 20 minutes

FEEL THE RUSH

Spend the day doing adrenaline- lled activities o ered for nearly every age. by Tori Peglar

estled in the trees just 11 Ditch the map! miles from NMount Rushmore Follow us. National Memorial is Rush Mountain Adventure Park and Rushmore Cave. You ll nd natural underground carvings and passageways in a cave, a mountain coaster among the trees, a virtual video game/ride, ziplines and a challenging agility/ropes course. We ve worked hard to make it a fun family experience, a place to build memories, says Ross Johnson, co-owner. In most cases, it can be enjoyed by everyone from 5 to 85. Be sure to get the Play-All-Day wristband, which includes unlimited access to the rides and attractions, plus a guided cave tour, so you can play as long as you want. When you get hungry, get re-energized at Sparky s Snackatorium with pizza, sandwiches and signature ice cream concoctions. en get out of the summer heat and cool down as you explore Rushmore Cave. e tour is a little more than an hour through caverns lled with stalactites, stalagmites and other formations. Follow us on a 4-hour ATV or UTV tour through Tours leave regularly. Black Hills National Forest. Enjoy the beauty of scenic routes that most South Dakota travelers miss. Learn more by visiting at 13622 Hwy. 40, ve miles from Keystone, or go to RushMtn.com. BlackHillsOutdoorFun.com (605) 574-2430 Rapid City, South Dakota

PHOTOS: Mountain Coaster, Wingwalker Ropes Course (Courtesy of Rush Adventure Park) PHOTOS: Moccasin Springs Natural Mineral Spa (by /Courtesy Hot Area Chamber of Commerce), Wind Cave National Park (Depositphotos) 78 . Yellowstone Edition 2020

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 78 3/5/20 9:56 AM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP KEYSTONE, S.D., TO HOT SPRINGS, S.D. 54 miles, 57 minutes

VISIT WIND CAVE

While you may never have heard of it, Wind Cave National Park was the seventh national park to be created in 1903.

With slightly more than 140 miles WARM WATERS of passageways, it’s the sixth longest cave on Earth. The caverns feature an impressive collection of boxwork—a honeycomb-like pattern composed of thin calcite Hot Springs in South Dakota has drawn visitors for thousands of years. fins and other geologic formations.

by Mikaela Ruland There’s also 400-500 bison roaming more than 20 acres of this national park. Their history is fascinating. After bison had ot Springs lives up to its name. Nestled Seasonally serving light lunch fare and a full virtually been wiped out in the in the heart of the Black Hills, residents dinner menu, chef Rebecca Christensen focuses Black Hills area, Wind Cave managers decided to reintroduce of this area have been taking advantage on ancient American cuisine using ingredients bison in 1914. Home to some of Hof the healing springs for thousands of years. The like heirloom corn and bison meat. the nation’s last genetically wild Lakota called the warm waters “wiwila kata.” The Lakota weren’t the first to enjoy the area’s bison, New York City Zoo had its Start at Evans Plunge Mineral Springs, an indoor springs. Eleven thousand years ago, woolly staff board 14 bison, including one named “Sandy,“ on a train to the oasis of 87-degree water, refreshed every minute mammoths took advantage of the fresh ponds in Black Hills. with 5,000 gallons of water and complete with the area. Sixty-one beasts were eventually water slides. Built in 1890, it’s the Black Hills’ trapped and buried, unearthed as fossils in 1974. When Sandy died of old age in oldest attraction. Visitors can check out the Mammoth Site to see 1936, journalists reported she was the first bison to be born in a zoo the sinkhole still riddled with mammoth bones. Next on the list of must-visit soaks: Moccasin and die on the range. Springs Natural Mineral Spa. A spot long revered To learn more about Hot Springs, -Tori Peglar by the Lakota, this upscale and newly revived visit HotSprings-SD.com. soaking area features a full-service spa, soaking pools and the Buffalo Dreamer restaurant.

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 79 3/6/20 5:51 PM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP HOT SPRINGS, S.D., TO CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL 5 miles, 8 minutes LABOR OF LOVE

See the world’s largest monument carving in progress, the Crazy Horse Memorial. By Tori Peglar

hen the fir st blast took place to begin work on the Crazy Horse Memorial, fi ve survivors of the WBattle of the Little Bighorn watched. It was June 3, 1948, and sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski got to work. He had been asked by Henry Standing Bear, an Oglala Lakota chief, to build a memorial to honor all Native Americans. The image being carved is of Oglala Lakota strategist Crazy Horse, who fought to preserve his peoples’ way of life and led his warriors to victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Seventy-two years after the first blast, you can watch crews drilling, carving, and removing rock from the memorial, which is still under construction. Four of Ziolkowski’s Hungry? Sample traditional Native The memorial is open year-round, but children and some of his grandchildren American food at the Laughing Water Legends in Light® laser light show runs work at Crazy Horse. Located 17 miles from Restaurant, featuring great views of the Memorial Day through Sept. 27, 2020. Mount Rushmore, the monument is monument. Don’t forget to stop in the financed by admission fees and donations. museum and gift shop that feature local Visit CrazyHorseMemorial.org or call No federal or state funds are accepted. artists and USA-made products. (605)673-4681 for more information.

TATANKA STOP

Learn about the Northern Located in Deadwood, the Wyoming. Along with exhibits and a impressive larger-than-life-sized Plains peoples and the role bison interpretive center was founded by Lakota interpretive presentation, sculptures of 14 bison and three have played in North America Kevin Costner who starred in the there are Dances with Wolves movie Native Americans outside the when you visit Tatanka: Story of 1990 movie Dances with Wolves that costumes and the Sweetgrass Grill center. Learn more at the Bison. was filmed in South Dakota and and Snack Bar. Don’t miss the StoryoftheBison.com.

PHOTO: Korczak Ziolkowski with Oglala Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear in 1948 (Courtesy Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation) 80 . Yellowstone Edition 2020

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 80 3/5/20 8:15 AM PHOTO: Korczak Ziolkowski with Oglala Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear in 1948 (Courtesy Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation)

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 81 3/5/20 9:56 AM YOUR STOP ALONG THE WAY.

FREE WI-FI. FREE BREAKFAST. IN-ROOM FRIDGE & COFFEE.

SUPER 8 BELLE FOURCHE Hwy 85 & National Street 501 National Street Belle Fourche, SD 57717 super8.com 605-892-3361

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 82 3/5/20 9:56 AM STURGIS STOP

Rally to this central town in the Black Hills. By Tori Peglar

here are towns in the Black Hills of South Dakota known for their gold history, historical lawlessness, hot springs or national T park sites. Sturgis is known for its incredible marquis events. And while the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is its most storied event, there’s far more to this town of 6,500 than a 10-day motorcycle festival. The town hosts 30-plus events year-round from Camaro and Mustang car rallies to a weekly summer concert series. Plus, the town is within a short drive to all of the Black Hills’ greatest hits. “We’re not in the central hills, but we are central to all the sites people want to see,” says Jerry Cole, director of Sturgis Rally & Events. “We’re less than an hour from Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park.” And if you want a true local’s tip, visit in the spring or fall when the crowds have left and you can enjoy places like Mount Rushmore without waiting in lines. You’ll discover hiking, biking, ATV and snowmobiling trails are also less crowded. Don’t miss Bear Butte State Park, home to the 4,426-foot Bear Butte, a sacred area for more than 15 Native American tribes. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to hike to the top, with 900 feet in elevation gain, on the moderate Summit Trail. At the top, you’ll see four states —Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. In June and July, the town hosts Music on Main, a family-friendly event featuring live music Wednesday evenings. It shares the space with a weekly mountain bike race series that ends in downtown, making for a fun scene. This year marks the 80th year of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It will take place Aug. 7-16, 2020. But if you’re not in town in August, catch a glimpse of what this rally is all about at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame. Learn more at OfficialSturgisEvents.com/StayWithUs. PHOTO: Biker in Vanocker Canyon Road the Black Hills (Courtesy of State South Dakota Department Tourism)

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YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 83 3/5/20 9:57 AM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP STURGIS, S.D., TO BELLE FOURCHE, S.D. 27 miles, 32 minutes GROUND ZERO

Belle Fourche in South Dakota is the center of the United States and home to Old West history. By Mikaela Ruland elle Fourche (pronounced bell – everything else this complex has to offer. The artifacts. Make sure to stop by the saddle wall foosh) would be worthy of a stop best part? It’s all free. and view director Kristi Thielen’s favorite simply because it’s the geographic artifact: a custom-made saddle with a hidden Families will want to start out at the Visitor Bcenter of the nation. But when you pull over pocket for a small firearm. It may feel like Center where kids can check out 18 to stand in the heart of the United States, something out of a spy novel, but it’s part of discovery boxes on topics ranging from color you’ll find so much more to experience. this little town’s Old West history. to Native American games to help them The Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center is better understand the region. Don’t forget to “So much of the Old West has gone glitzy,” home to the Geographic Center of the United stop in the gift shop for books, toys, says Thielen. “Here in Belle Fourche, we’ve States Monument, a gorgeous rose quartz memorabilia and even apparel. kept our authenticity.” compass surrounded by the flags of all 50 Next, head to the museum where you’ll To learn more about the Tri-State Museum & states. Once you feel centered, head up peruse exhibits on topics of the West from Visitor Center, head to TheTriStateMuseum. through the sprawling lawns to explore law and order to military history and tribal com. PHOTO: Johny Spaulding Cabin (Jon Larson/courtesy of Tri-State Museum & Visitor Center)

84 . Yellowstone Edition 2020 PHOTOS: Devils Tower National Monument, Bison (Depositphotos)

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 84 3/5/20 10:36 AM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP BELLE FOUCHE, S.D., TO SUNDANCE, WYO., AND THERMOPOLIS, WYO. 296 miles, 5 hours and 11 minutes TWO WYOMING GEMS

Leave the crowds behind in Sundance and ermopolis, two Wyoming towns four hours apart, as you head west toward Yellowstone. By Tori Peglar

STOP IN EXPLORE SIP N WALK VORE SUNDANCE DEVILS TOWER HISTORICAL TOUR BUFFALO JUMP

PHOTO: Johny Spaulding Cabin (Jon Larson/courtesy of Tri-State Museum & Visitor Center) WHY GO: In the NATIONAL WHY GO: Notorious WHY GO: Six miles east heart1 of the Black Hills but away 2 MONUMENT 3historical figure Harry Longabaugh did 4of Sundance is Vore Buffalo Jump from commercialization and his first prison stint in Sundance, which where archaeologists are digging up traffic, Sundance, Wyo., offers a WHY GO: Sundance is close to led to his nickname “The Sundance Kid.” artifacts and bison bones left behind deep dive into the Old West and Devils Tower National Meet him, Calamity Jane and other by Native Americans who used the stunning beauty. Monument, the first national historical figures played by locals as you natural sinkhole to hunt bison from monument in our country. It’s a stroll downtown with your 1500 to 1800. TIP: Hit the trails on horseback 40-minute drive. complimentary adult beverage. with Seven J Outfitters. TIP: Head to the Bearlodge Bakery Mountain bikers and hikers can TIP: Coordinate your summer TIP: Call the Crook County Museum for in Sundance beforehand for delicious head to the Reuter Trailhead to visit with a ranger-led tour prices and to sign up at baked goods, omelets, breakfast access easy-to-difficult interpretive program. 307-283-3666. skillets and more. mountain bike trails.

HOT SPRINGS FLOAT THE VISIT HOT DIG AT STATE BIGHORN SPRINGS WYOMING PARK RIVER COUNTY DINOSAUR 5 WHY GO: See 6 WHY GO: Rent an inner 7MUSEUM AND 8 CENTER herds of bison tube and life jacket CULTURAL CENTER WHY GO: If you’ve ever and soak in from Rent Adventure WHY GO: In Thermpolis, see dreamed of being a hot springs in Thermopolis, which paleontologist, stop here. for free offers a tubing shuttle a horse-drawn carriage used as a Yellowstone taxi and one The center has exhibits, without service. Your float a lab with visitor-viewing Yellowstone’s could take between of Wyoming’s largest Indian artifact collections. Don’t and more than 30 mounted crowds in 2-4 hours, depending dinosaur skeletons. Thermopolis on water flow. miss the bar top that sat in just under 2.5 the Hole-in-the-Wall Bar TIP: In late spring TIP: In East Thermopolis, hours east of frequented by Butch Cassidy. through early fall, make look for the legendary Yellowstone. TIP: Afterwards, dine at reservations for the "Dig for Shorty’s Saloon. Step out of A Day Program" where you TIP: Unwind in the park’s free Bath the river and head to Bangkok Thai or head to One Eyed Buffalo Brewery. join paleontologists House, which has 104-degree water. Shorty’s for food and drinks unearthing fossils. on the patio. Learn more about Sundance at ExploreSundance.com and about ermopolis, including annual events, at ermopolis.com.

PHOTOS: Devils Tower National Monument, Bison (Depositphotos) MyYellowstonePark.com . 85

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 85 3/5/20 8:15 AM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK TO BILLINGS, MONT. 227 miles, 3 hours and 40 minutes

BILLINGS TOP SIX

Discover gluten-free pancakes and Old West charm in this city of 110,000. By Tori Peglar

WALKABLE STELLA’S KITCHEN PICTOGRAPH BREWERY TOUR AND BAKERY CAVE STATE PARK WHY GO: Visit six breweries, two WHY GO: Legendary among WHY GO: See warriors and 1distilleries and a cider mill on this 1.5-mile 2locals, this downtown breakfast establishment 3animals painted on rock walls by ancient people stroll past outdoor patios. serves up traditional morning food with stellar more than 2,000 years ago in Pictograph Cave baked goods and even gluten-free pancakes. just five miles south of Billings. ACCESS: Start at Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co. with a Grizzly Wulf Wheat and end with QUIRKY FACT: Pancakes here may be larger QUIRKY FACT: Archaeologists have discovered Custer’s Last Stout at Montana Brewing Co. than your head. more than 30,000 artifacts, including tools and weapons here.

SWORDS RIMROCK PARK THE NORTHERN HOTEL POMPEYS WHY GO: Walk, bike or WHY GO: This elegant PILLAR skateboard along the 4.5-mile, historic hotel has been NATIONAL 4 ADA-accessible pathway that 5 voted “best hotel in 6 MONUMENT runs the length of the city-owned park located Billings” for seven consecutive along the top of the Rimrocks, a geologic years. It features two fantastic WHY GO: On their return route formation. restaurants: Bernie’s Diner for after reaching the Pacific Ocean, breakfast and lunch and TEN for members of the Lewis and Clark QUIRKY FACT: Yellowstone Kelly was buried upscale atmosphere and Expedition stopped here and here in 1929. An army scout who chased Chief innovative Montana cuisine. Clark engraved his first initial Joseph across four states, played tennis with and last name, along with the Teddy Roosevelt and delivered mail to army QUIRKY FACT: Break all the date, July 25, 1806, into the rock. outposts, Kelly inspired the creation of the rules and order the “Vacation 1959 movie, Yellowstone Kelly. Breakfast” at Bernie’s. It’s QUIRKY FACT: The rock is chocolate cake coupled with a named after Sacagawea’s child, milkshake. Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, also known as “Pomp.”

Stop by the Billings Visitor Center, 815 S. 27 St., to learn more or go to VisitBillings.com.

86 . Yellowstone Edition 2020 PHOTO: Brewery Tour (Courtesy Visit Billings), Northern Hotel room key (David Schott/Flickr)

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 86 3/5/20 8:16 AM BILLINGS_YSJ_2020.indd 1 1/24/20 2:27 PM Lewistown, Montana

Room rate includes our signature full hot breakfast. Amenities include exquisitely clean THE GENTLE SIDE accommodations, soft luxury linens, custom tiled bathrooms, Keurigs in rooms, Smart TVs, complimentary bottled Big Spring Water and OF MONTANA top notch customer service. Ask about our unique meeting spaces for retreats, conferences, and reunions. King Suites also available. History and modern luxury meet at e Calvert Hotel. Relax...You’re at The Calvert. By Mikaela Ruland

urrounded by three blend of co ee from local roaster, mountain ranges that are Rising Trout. But youll also feel reassuringly grizzly-free, the hotels historic charm from SLewistown, Mont., o ers a the moment you walk in. gentler side of a state known for Its historic juxtaposed against its wild side. When you stay at art deco, says Terry describing e Calvert Hotel, youll feel that the boutique hotel. sense of relaxation. Located on a quiet side street, this is the place Built in 1917 as a dormitory for to stay to get away from it all. ranch children to stay in when they came to town for the school We o er touches of home paired week, it became a hotel in 1929. with luxuries of vacation, says Today, the historic hotel is part KellyAnne Terry, general manager. of Lewistowns quaint downtown Youll notice the modern details and is the perfect place to meet like custom tile, Keurigs in the up with friends or family for the rooms and luxury bedding. e vacation of a lifetime. signature hot breakfast bar is the Learn more at perfect way to fuel up for the day eCalvertHotel.com. with favorites like cinnamon rolls, bacon and eggs and a custom

PHOTOS: Hotel room in The Calvert (Courtesy Hotel)

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YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 88 3/5/20 10:06 AM ALL-AMERICAN ROAD TRIP LEWISTOWN, MONT., TO MILES CITY, MONT. 222 miles, 3 hours and 44 minutes TRUE WEST

Big skies and big culture meet in Southeast Montana. By Mikaela Ruland

hen you drive through the towns e second thing you ll notice is the culture. For a more sobering, but equally important of Southeast Montana like In Miles City, you re more likely to see a piece of Western history, head to the Little Billings, Miles City and Glendive, horse trailer than an RV. Stop into the Bighorn Battle eld National Monument Wyou ll notice two things. One, the skies are Historic Montana Bar, which has been southeast of Billings. You ll learn about the big. Like, really, really big. Big Sky Country serving drinks since 1908. Complete with battle between the Lakota and Cheyenne isn t just a moniker for the endless daytime steer heads mounted on the walls, tribes and Colonel Custer s 7th Cavalry — blues. It also means that when the sun goes cherrywood tables and the original bar one of the last armed American Indian e orts down, the stars are big, too. brought by steamship in 1912. to protect their way of life. In the summer, rangers lead educational tours. Book a private If you look at a light pollution map of the Strike up a conversation at the bar, says tour from Indian Battle Tours to get the United States, eastern Montana has some of the Brenda Maas, director of marketing for Visit American Indian perspective. darkest skies in the country. Head to Medicine Southeast Montana. ere s no more Rocks State Park near Ekalaka to marvel at the authentic experience than talking to the locals To learn more about Southeast Montana, head Milky Way and Plains Indian art or explore the and getting the inside scoop. Everyone is so to SoutheastMontana.com or Southeast badlands in Makoshika State Park near friendly here. It s the best way to get to know Montana s Facebook page for event listings.

PHOTO: Terry Badlands (Nathan Satran Photography /courtesy of Visit Southeast Montana) Glendive. the real Montana.

BIG SKIES, BIG LEGENDS, BIG ADVENTURES MAKOSHIKA STATE PARK AARON THEISEN AARON WE’RE BIG OUT HERE.

We’re also big on small-town welcomes. So trade the interstate for the two-lane and come visit us. Shaped by landscapes and legends, dreamers and dinosaurs, roamers and rivers, you’re bound to uncover your own story OUT HERE.

ORDER YOUR FREE TRAVEL GUIDE: SOUTHEASTMONTANA.COM OR CALL 1.800.346.1876 #OutHereMT | #SoutheastMontana

MyYellowstonePark.com . 89

YSJ2020_All-American-Rd_08.indd 89 3/5/20 10:07 AM Find Your Center

520 E Main 216 7th Avenue S 102 Wendell 216 NE Main 211 E Main Lewistown, MT Lewistown, MT Lewistown, MT Lewistown, MT Lewistown, MT 406-535-5496 406-535-5411 406-538-2581 406-535-5468 406-535-8721 B-Bmotel.com TheCalvertHotel.com Super8.com YogoInn.com EnjoyLewistown.com v (406) 535-5436 Funding Provided By Lewistown Hoteliers Tourism Business Improvement District

LEWISTOWN MONTANA_YSJ_2020.indd 1 1/24/20 5:01 PM