A day in Helena MT and a rental car. Update with pics

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - A day in Helena MT and a rental car. Update with pics

Posted: 9/22/2014 7:59:13 PM EDT

I posted over in the HTF but think I'll get more response from GD...

Work is going to take me to Helena and I'll have an entire day off and have a rental car lined up. I'm a Utah resident and have flown into all of the major cities in the state, but never really been anywhere but the hotels near the airports.

I'm thinking a 300 mile or so road trip might allow me to see some of the state. If you were in Helena which way would you go?

UPDATE: Wound up driving from Helena up to Seeley Lake which is about 80-100 miles to the northwest, back down towards Missoula, than back to the southeast to Butte, then back to Helena. 330 miles or so in all.
Some pics of a little lake to the north of Seeley Lake.,

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Posted: 9/22/2014 8:01:32 PM EDT

[#1]

I would take that rental and drive it over Going to the Sun Road.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:02:29 PM EDT

[#2]

That's what I did when I was in Montana................beautiful scenery, and an excellent gun show along the road to the Western part of the state called The Fort, along with dinner in St. Mary's

Quote History

Quoted:
I would take that rental and drive it over Going to the Sun Road.

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Posted: 9/22/2014 8:11:37 PM EDT

[#3]

Looks like a 470 mile trip from Helena. I driven a lot farther in one day. Might just have to get up real early and hit the road at daybreak.

I did take a trip to Glacier with my parents around 1980 but don't remember a thing.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:24:28 PM EDT

[#4]

Head to Darby on your way to Glacier.....have lunch/dinner at a lilttel place in Darby call "Montana Diner".....you will thank me.

Best fucking meatloaf in the USA.......seriously.

Everything they have is homemade.....

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:26:49 PM EDT

[#5]

aren't speeding tickets payable on the side of the road in MT?

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:29:36 PM EDT

[#6]

Check out Elkhorn and Comet Ghost Towns. Both only 20 minutes or so from Helena.

Outside of that, are you interested in the National Parks? Have you been to any of them?

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:32:03 PM EDT

[#7]

Pretty sure this was the last weekend to drive up the Going to the Sun road but I could be wrong. It's all weather dependent seeming as how it was snowing up there a couple weeks ago but this past weekend it was gorgeous and in the 70s.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:32:13 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
aren't speeding tickets payable on the side of the road in MT?

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Yes, and open containers are not a moving violation.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:34:18 PM EDT

[#9]

Due south, down the Gallatin River valley and back the Madison river valley, or vice versa.

BTDT from Helena. Nice drive.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:36:01 PM EDT

[#10]

Make sure your rental is a Subaru, Moose Drool and Pigs Ass porter are good beers.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:36:13 PM EDT

[#11]

Head South thru BZN, Livingston and down to Paradise Valley, stop in at Chico Hot Springs and have the lamb. Just make sure it's in daylight so you can see the sights.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:36:44 PM EDT

[#12]

I took 90 through the state some years ago... as long as you stay on the paved roads, you can go any direction and soak it all in.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:40:40 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Make sure your rental is a Subaru, Moose Drool and Pigs Ass porter are good beers.

View Quote

Moose Drool is damn good.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:42:33 PM EDT

[#14]

It's not closed for the season due to weather but it appears the section between Logan Pass and St. Marys Lake closed today for maintenance.

http://www.wfl.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/mt/gtsr/

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:43:12 PM EDT

[#15]

If time allows head down to the big ass hole in the ground of a town of Butte and hit head frame distillery. That or go sapphire mining at Spokane bar outside Helena. Go fish the Missouri River.

Posted: 9/22/2014 8:43:45 PM EDT

[#16]

i think glacier may be closed, so that's a shame. near helena, make sure to go see the gates of the mountains. it may sound kinda touristy, but if you can mentally blot out the other stuff, the scenery is overwhelming.

an hour south on I-15, butte is worth it just to see the copper mine. south of that is gold mining country--a lot of harvard university was built with alder gulch gold. a really nice afternoon drive is I15 south to loop 278, then around the west side of beaverhead nat'l forest, arriving back at 15 just south of dillon (along the beaverhead river).

edit: should have read further.

Posted: 9/22/2014 9:06:42 PM EDT

[#17]

All good ideas, especially the Moose Drool. I'll save that for the night back in Helena though.

I'm getting in Wednesday evening, with Thursday off. Temps are suppose to be in the 80s with good weather. I've seen a lot of the state from the air, but it's usually at 25,000'+.

Whatever I do, I'll have to post the pics up this weekend.

Posted: 9/23/2014 2:01:43 AM EDT

[#18]

Earlier this month my brother rented a Harley in Billings for a week to visit his friend in Helena. Rode all over the place by himself.
Trip of a lifetime it looked like.

Posted: 9/23/2014 2:14:46 AM EDT

[#19]

Not sure how far it is from helena, but Virginia City and Nevada City were pretty cool when I rode through. Rent an SUV and there were some really cool mining trails nearby going through the woods to an awesome creek and great views in the area.

Posted: 9/23/2014 2:35:05 AM EDT

[#20]

Marysville steak house.

Period.

ETA: http://www.marysvillemontana.com/menu.html

Best steak from a restaurant in Montana.

Posted: 10/4/2014 2:13:11 PM EDT

[#21]

Update

Posted: 10/4/2014 11:44:04 PM EDT

[#22]

Nice pics. I could definitely see myself retiring into a little loghouse out that way

Posted: 10/5/2014 12:03:45 AM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:
Head to Darby on your way to Glacier.....have lunch/dinner at a lilttel place in Darby call "Montana Diner".....you will thank me.

Best fucking meatloaf in the USA.......seriously.

Everything they have is homemade.....

View Quote

Small world. I drive by it every day. You're dead on about the meatloaf, too.

Posted: 10/5/2014 12:06:59 AM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:

http://rdc.rdcimage.com/partner-images/230227/micrositeimage_photo3.jpg

Small world. I drive by it every day. You're dead on about the meatloaf, too.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Head to Darby on your way to Glacier.....have lunch/dinner at a lilttel place in Darby call "Montana Diner".....you will thank me.

Best fucking meatloaf in the USA.......seriously.

Everything they have is homemade.....

http://rdc.rdcimage.com/partner-images/230227/micrositeimage_photo3.jpg

Small world. I drive by it every day. You're dead on about the meatloaf, too.

And you can't go wrong with a burger at Naps either.

My favorite spot in the state however is the Oasis in Manhattan. The finger steaks are delicious.

Posted: 10/5/2014 12:09:48 AM EDT

[#25]

Quote History

Quoted:

And you can't go wrong with a burger at Naps either.

My favorite spot in the state however is the Oasis in Manhattan. The finger steaks are delicious.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Head to Darby on your way to Glacier.....have lunch/dinner at a lilttel place in Darby call "Montana Diner".....you will thank me.

Best fucking meatloaf in the USA.......seriously.

Everything they have is homemade.....

http://rdc.rdcimage.com/partner-images/230227/micrositeimage_photo3.jpg

Small world. I drive by it every day. You're dead on about the meatloaf, too.

And you can't go wrong with a burger at Naps either.

My favorite spot in the state however is the Oasis in Manhattan. The finger steaks are delicious.

Naps. How could I forget that! A man truly hasn't lived until he's had a burger there.

Posted: 10/5/2014 12:13:12 AM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:
Nice pics. I could definitely see myself retiring into a little loghouse out that way

View Quote

I've thought about that myself. I've been looking at real estate listings online for a long time. Frankly though I wasn't too impressed with most of what I saw. Not to say that it was bad, but just not what I'm looking for. I've been through parts of northern Idaho and I like it better. I still need to see the area west of Missoula and up to Kalispell and surrounding area.

Posted: 10/5/2014 12:19:52 AM EDT

[#27]

God's country. Beautiful.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - A day in Helena MT and a rental car. Update with pics

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