A Perfect Afternoon in Town

Downtown Red Lodge, Montana

I'm from a small town and enjoy spending time in small towns all over the country.  I like towns with main streets where you know they have July 4th parades with local school bands, veterans and people in old cars.  Red Lodge is a perfect small town to spend an afternoon walking around.

Since I had no takers for going back to check out the rest of the shops on the main street, which is called Broadway, I went by myself.  Having some "me time" is always a nice thing - remember, I mentioned that we're traveling in close quarters for about 30 days.

First I went to a building that looked like an old train depot that is now an art gallery.  They had paintings, photographs, jewelry, pottery and other creations by local artists.  Lots of great stuff.

Then I headed north on Broadway and made my way to the left side of the street, which we hadn't covered earlier in the day.  A local photographer had a shop with pictures of animals he has taken in the Beartooth Mountains and Yellowstone.  I found a photo of a pica for Henry.  Picas are small rodents that live in the sub-alpine and alpine areas, and try as we might, we never did see one at the higher elevations in Yellowstone or on our drive on the Beartooth highway.  I figured having the picture might make him feel better about not seeing one in person.

I debated stopping for a locally brewed beer at a bar and grill that had outdoor tables, but since I was alone and driving, I kept on going.  If I had more time, I would have stopped in one of the day spas and got a much-needed pedicure.

I then visited a store called Whispering Pines.  It's a great store to spend time browsing through, because it has a little bit of everything.  They had Spode dinnerware in the Woodland pattern (one of my favorites), western themed home decor, unique clothing and jewelry, salt and pepper shakers made with elk antlers, and some books.  I picked up a book by sisters who travel the country in trailers - it's a hybrid of a cookbook and a collection of stories about traveling.  The store owner recommended it and said it's a good read, and the recipes look pretty good too.  I could have bought a lot more, but many of the things would add weight and take up space in the motorhome, so I passed on it.  I wish they had a website so I could shop online later, but I'll settle for having the phone number.

In a store that sold lotions, soaps, oils and some handmade glass items, I picked up some handmade soap called "Campfire" which smells earthy and comforting.  I browsed through a shop that sold handmade furniture made from juniper wood.  If I had a wooden lodge or cabin, the furniture would be perfect.  Sadly, I don't have a lodge or cabin....yet.

I averted my eyes as I passed the City Bakery because I wasn't hungry and didn't need any more baked goods after my two trips to the Wheat Montana Bakery.  I debated going into the Coffee Roasters store, but it was hot and I wasn't in the mood for a coffee drink.  I looked through the bead store, but didn't find any interesting beads to add to my collection that I swear, when I have time, I am going to turn into beautiful jewelry.  I browsed through a home design and furnitures store called Kibler and Kirch that had terrific chairs, tables, lamps, artwork and western-but-not-hokey-western furnishings, mostly all of it made in America.  I liked everything in the store so much that I reminded myself I need to start playing the lottery so I can win millions of dollars and buy a lodge in Wyoming or Montana and have these people decorate and furnish the whole place.

 One of my favorite stores in Red Lodge is the Red Lodge Rocks store.  The store is full of petrified wood, crystals, fossils and stones from both Montana and around the world.  The store owner also makes jewelry using local stones, including Montana agates, garnets and sapphires.  Montana sapphires are pale blue and sparkly - really beautiful.  I bought a necklace with a lovely Blue Sky Agate that is pale blue and shaped like a teardrop.  It's about an inch and a half long and the is the color of a pale blue sky.  I thought it would be a great reminder of the Big Sky in Montana and Wyoming that I love.

I finished my walking and shopping tour of Broadway in Red Lodge at the Book Store and Tea Room.  It's a great combination for a store - books in the front, and a tea room, including a counter with stools, in the back.  The best part, the man who helped me pick out a good iced tea to cool off after walking both sides of Broadway on a hot afternoon was a cowboy.  Well, I'm not sure he's a real cowboy, but he was wearing Wranglers, a western button-down shirt and a black cowboy hat, so I'm saying he was a cowboy.  A tea-making cowboy.  And boy howdy, he knew his teas.  He suggested a white tea with peach.  I watched the cowboy fill the teapot with properly heated water (he said too hot water will make white teas taste bitter) and set a timer to make sure the tea steeped for just the right amount of time.  Meanwhile, I sat at the counter and browsed the tea menu to learn all about black, green, white and herbal teas from around the world.  Then the timer went off, he poured his carefully brewed tea over a cup full of ice, and handed me a delightful, refreshing iced tea for the drive home.

Of course I loved touring the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone and everything we've seen on this trip so far, but the couple hours I spent roaming Broadway in Red Lodge was truly a highlight of my vacation.

Sign at the store for the Red Lodge Ski Resort

Historic markers are on many buildings
in town.  This marker notes that
the building was formerly a bank that was robbed by
the Sundance Kid