Billings, Montana might not be on the top of your list for the winter travel season, but it should be close to the top. The state’s largest city and Montana’s “Trailhead,’’ Billings is loaded with boutique shops and James Beard Award-nominated restaurants. The ciy also has the state’s only walkable “brew trail.’’
Shaped by the Yellowstone River and sheltered by The Rims, Billings is a gateway to all that is great and beautiful in the American West, as well as close to some of the Northwest’s top ski resorts.
Here are some ways to explore Billings during the Winter season.
Start at Western Heritage Center, affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, offering interactive exhibits, historic artifact collections and education and outreach programs. Then discover Billings’ art scene at the Yellowstone Art Museum, which features rotating exhibits and Montana’s finest collection of contemporary art.
The 1.5 mile “brew trail’’ in the heart of downtown Billings is is a self-guided tour that includes six breweries, two distilleries and one cider house, each within easy walking distance. If a martini bar is more your style, check out Doc Harper’s, where big-city vibes meet small-town coziness and where all martinis – traditional and specialty – are poured table side.
Walkers American Grill & Tapas Bar is a James Beard Award-nominated restaurant that is redefining the culinary landscape of Billings. Another Beard nominee, The Marble Table is known for its locally courses comfort food, including a mean Chicken Piccata.
ZooMontana, a wildlife park and botanical gardens, is home to nearly 100 rescued animals, such as wolverines, a Canada Lynx and Winston, a two-toed sloth. Wise Wonders Science and Discovery Museum is a great place for kids and their families to spend the day.Little Bighorn National Monument is less than an hour’s drive from Billiins, and is open daily in the winter except Christmas and New Year’s Day. Not nearly as crowded as during the summer months, Little Bighorn in the winter is a stark revelation of what each side fought for – and what each side won and lost.
Photo Courtesy of Sunshine & Bourbon PR