Am plannig trip from midwest to MT & then to Yellowstone this September.Would like locals thoughts on good American food in the Billings area.Also,am wondering if this area in MT is as spectular as the so called BIG SKY area?(dont laugh if this is a riduclous question cause I have never been in this part of country before...Thanks, John

Billings is not in the prettiest part of the state; It's out on the prairie.

I hope you going from Billings to Yellowstone through Red Lodge down the Bear Tooth Highway. This is one of the most scenic highways in the country. As much as I love Yellowstone, this area is far prettier than any part of the park.

If you want to see a nice Montana town, go on down the freeway to Bozeman. The downtown is a nice place to get out and walk around--do a little shopping. The Pickle Barrell Restaurant has great deli sandwiches.

The drive from Bozeman to Yellowstone in the Gallatin Canyon is a VERY nice drive just not AS scenic as the Bear Tooth.

Be sure to go on down to the Tetons and Jackson. You are too close not to see such spectacular mountains.

You'll love this part of the country and want to come back.

I agree that Billings is nothing special compared to other options; my most vivid image is of the oil (or chemical?) refinery. (Not that I dislike Billings, I'd much rather live there than where I'm at now

If you are traveling between the Black Hills and Yellowstone you could take a more southern route, pass through either Sheridan or Buffalo, WY, and drive across the Big Horn Mountains.

Then visit the Buffalo Bill Historical City in Cody, and either get up to Red Lodge on secondary roads or take the east entrance of Yellowstone and drive the Beartooth Highway as a day-trip from Yellowstone (DON'T miss the Beartooth Highway, however you manage it).

That's supposed to be the Buffalo Bill Historical CENTER in Cody

Thanks for the suggestions,so far. Am definately planning a trip down the Beartooth-been reading quite a bit about that scenic hgwy...Would I need to travel to the Bozeman area to experience the Big Sky area? Thanks again, John

Big Sky Ski Area is in the Gallatin Canyon between Bozeman and West Yellowstone. There are so many different looks in MT that I'm not sure what you have in mind.

If you want wide open prairie you will get that in eastern MT. If you want mountains, you will get that on Beartooth, western MT and up in Glacier area. The Bozeman area is a little of both.

John,

You've received good advice but I have to disagree that the Billings area isn't pretty--I happen to think the prairie is beautiful. It's just not mountainous. The Battle of the Little Bighorn (Custer's last stand) is near Billings--do go there if you have a chance. I live in Nebraska but both of my parents are from Montana so I consider it my 'second home.' Red Lodge is fabulous--try and stay overnight if you have a chance and then head down Beartooth Highway the next morning to Yellowstone. We also like Helena, Montana's capitol. Hopefully you have more than a few days to explore the state.

I grew up in western Montana and used to think that eastern Mont. was "less spectacular". I was wrong. The scenery in the Billings area is equally beautiful, but you may have to slow down a little more to see it. Hike along the rimrocks early in the morning or at sunset. Walk along the Yellowstone River. The sky is actually bigger in the plains (not prairie) of eastern Montana. No one seems to want to address the question about restaurants. I haven't been to Billings for decades, but there used to be a place called the Windmill Club that is a "classic" Montana steakhouse/ribs joint. Not a place for fine dining, but the kind of place that locals would go to for a reliable meal centered on meat, and for a certain Montana ambience. When you are in town you might ask about it. (I also second the recommendation about visiting the Little Bighorn Battlefield. Try to go at the end of the day at a quiet time and stand still. The place is, for a lack of a better word, haunted.)

ttt

Allen,
You're so right about the 'haunted' quality of Custer's Last Stand. I noticed it as a child when visiting with my parents and notice it now as we take our children there. Maybe it's because the area is still so unspoiled--thank goodness. Many parts of Colorado and the Rockies have lost their allure for me because they've become so commercialized. Eastern Montana still has a certain aura to it. John, wish I could help you with restaurants but I can't. I know there's a steakhouse called Jake's downtown but can't recommend it since I don't know much about it. Anyone else??

I think it's called Jake's-been a while since I've been there..

It used to be called Jake's but I think now they have all changed thier names to Jaker's, in any case it is right downtown, easy to find. There is one restaurant in town, cant remember the name, that is THE only place to go. Ask your hotel desk person, it's in the old part of downtown, in an old hotel, they will know. The Big Sky area is definatly more beautiful than Billings, and WAY more expensive. Have fun!!

John,
Jakes is still Jakes and has always been good. The other place Jill suggested is probably the Rex. I ate there last night and it was very good.