Jumping in a pool in full uniform, including boots, holding his rifle above his head and using only one arm to tread water does not sound like a good time. It wasn’t – and it was just one endurance test that National Guard Specialist Cole Bechtold was subjected to as he competed in the 2026 Montana Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition....

"There is a well-known trail we call the Old North Trail. It runs north and south along the Rocky Mountains. No one knows how long it has been used by the Indians. My father told me it originated in the migration of a great tribe of Indians from the distant north to the south, and all the tribes have, ever since, continued to follow in their tracks…”

“WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.” 

Restoring antique vehicles is a true art. It takes time, patience and often more money than it's worth to return an old rig to its former glory. Yet there are folks willing to do it. Many take on restoration projects for sentimental reasons, but just as many love seeing history preserved.

I always try to keep a few easy options on hand for our hungry crew when summer days run long or I forget to thaw something for dinner. It takes a little prep ahead of time, but it’s worth it.

The Billings Logan International Airport has undergone numerous transformations in the last five years, nearly doubling its service for travelers. Last year, they exceeded 1,000,000 passengers for the first time. Jeff Roach, Director of Aviation and Transit, said they are on track to repeat that success this year. 

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. With the warm months stretched before us, we have lots of options for entertaining ourselves – camping, floating the river, fishing, hiking, attending rodeos, farmers markets and county fairs. Now, if we just allow ourselves the time to enjoy! 

It's summer in Cody, Wyoming and the sun has begun its slow, arcing dip behind Rattlesnake Mountain. Dusk has surrendered to the bright stadium lights at Stampede Park and the familiar smell of fried dough and popcorn wafts through the crisp mountain air.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition was far more than just mapping the land. Each day of the adventure brought new discoveries, and Montana became center stage as the Corp of Discovery spent more time here than anywhere else on their 8,000-mile journey.

A slight breeze started as Adam Pedone prepared to launch the drone. “Not enough to worry about,” he smiled. The drone lifted off, looking like a giant insect, with a wingspan of 13 feet, eight propellers, flashing red and green lights, and weighing 150 pounds. 

For over a decade, attention-grabbing headlines sounded the alarm about the decline of honeybee populations, implying an agricultural collapse if we didn’t have them. Yet, native fruits and vegetables have survived for over 300 years, since European settlers brought them to the New World in 1682.  

The parking lot was bustling with horse trailers sporting license plates from Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Horses, children, dogs, parents – all convened at Miller’s Horse Palace, outside of Laurel, for the Montana Little Britches Rodeo series in late February.

In the heart of the West, Park County, Wyoming is gearing up for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. In 2026, as our nation marks its semi quincentennial—250 years of that dream we call America—Cody’s proud Western traditions and time-honored celebrations will take on an extra spark of meaning and joy.  

With the blooming of spring, we often joke about, if we didn’t have dandelions we wouldn't have any type of green or color in our yard. I’ve always enjoyed having the chance to make the most of our natural resources. So, when those sweet and savory herbs start to share their goodness at our doorstep, it’s fun to be able to walk out and freshly pick from the golden bounty.

Spring has arrived!  Not that we have suffered through months of grueling winter: we are enjoying a late season snowstorm at the moment… Spring is the season of new life, it’s a time of hope as the land wakes up and blooms again. New life is sprinkled across the landscape with calves, lambs and foals arriving in pastures; and the sun stretches days into warm weeks. 

Dairy farm owners will do a lot of things for their cows, and at the Hippy Cow Creamy in Cody, Wyoming, they even dance for them. True story. The Hippy Cow Instagram features dancing sisters who refuse to take themselves too seriously, and the cows seem to like it that way. 

Located in Cody, Wyoming, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West brings together Western art, Plains Indian cultures, firearms innovation, frontier history, and the natural world of the Greater Yellowstone region. These ten highlights represent the core of the experience—works and exhibits that define the institution and leave a lasting impression long after the visit ends.

For the past seven seasons, Virginia and Jason Daughtery and their family have offered vibrant bouquets of home grown flowers to the Great Falls Farmers’ Market, as well as subscription customers and local retailers. But its tulips, offered during the winter season that make the farm extra special.  

“I found out in art school that I don’t like making things, I like fixing things,” Kailey Kerns began. Kailey is a cobbler, and a bit of an anomaly in a profession typically dominated by men.   

It takes artistic skill to be a cobbler - and the ability to understand the construction of boots and shoes - and how to use machinery twice as old as you are to repair them.

As a young girl, Claire Murnin had lofty dreams. She wanted to show cattle and be a princess. When she met Sally Yon, a former American Angus Queen, an everlasting goal was fostered.    

“She was like a Disney princess to me,” Claire said. “But she also showed cattle and I wanted to be like her. I wanted to show cattle and be a princess of Angus cattle too!”