United States

With gas cheaper than it’s been in years and summer weather on its way, why not roll down the windows, pack up the car and head for an affordable and stunning vacation in mountain town Bozeman, Montana?

Nestled in the Gallatin valley of nature renowned, Montana is Bozeman, the fifth largest city in the state and home to Montana State University. Estimated at a population of about 27,500, this small town is a sportsman’s winter getaway with the local favorite Bridger Bowl ski resort a mere fifteen minutes from Main St., and the famed Big Sky resort just under an hour from downtown. Yet the fun doesn’t end when the goggle tan gives way to summer freckles; instead, the snow thaws to reveal a labyrinth of hiking trails crawling through the enveloping hills, snow clouds give way to blue skies catering to long afternoon bike rides, restaurants swap their indoor fires for outdoor patios, and locals trade their skis for mountain bikes.

In Bozeman, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Starbucks, and even Costco can only be found as loitering outlier. Yet that’s not to say it’s out-dated; each restaurant bears the quirks of its owner, and the walls, the art of its customers. The influx of college students seems to help infuse the historic town with a fresh sense of vigilance, where innovation and tradition, culture and the good ol’ outdoors seem to exist harmoniously. Spend your days fly-fishing on the Madison, floating down buoyant tubes on the Gallatin, horseback riding through forest trails, honing your putt before a backdrop of ubiquitous mountains, or working up a healthy sweat mountain biking up the nine-mile trail to Emerald Lake. And for your nights, relax with a cold beer on The Crystal’s rooftop bar, dance in the streets every Thursday for Music on Main or share vanilla steamers and conversation with your kids while enjoying local live music in the town’s cornerstone Leaf &Bean Café.

If you have flexibility in your schedule, you might consider visiting Bozeman during one of their festivals, such as the three day Sweet Pea festival of the arts, where you are invited to get tips on how to improve your groove with free outdoor dance lessons, watch actors perform King Lear in the park, or challenge the right side of your brain with an all ages t-shirt art contest. Another favorite, for those driven by the belly rather than the eye, is the annual food fest Bite of Bozeman, in which vendors bring their goodies street side beside local bands for a town feast.

And while this small town’s stuffed with activities to keep your vacation spirit satiated, don’t forget that Yellowstone National Park is a short ninety miles away; Bozeman makes a great pit-stop, but it might just become your destination.

To start planning your trip, visit:
Bozeman Hotels
Bozeman Holiday and Tourism Guide

Bookmark to:

You can go to almost any city in the world and get a cup of Starbucks, but only Seattle, Washington owns the bragging rights of saying it is home to the world’s leading retailer of specialty coffee.

It all began in a little coffee shop next to Pike Place Market in 1971, and to this day, visitors come from all over to stand in the birthplace of their beloved coffee bean provider. But the coffee tour does not end there, Seattle is also known for the original chains, Seattle’s Best and Tully’s, as well as amazing local coffee shops all around town. Enjoy the artistic lattes, strong aromas, and unique settings of Zeitgeist Coffee (Pioneer Square), Uptown Espresso (Belltown), or Cafe Ladro (downtown).

Once the caffeine kicks in, head over to Lake Union to enjoy the bourbon corn chowder at Duke’s Chowderhouse and soak in the beautiful view from the harbor. The South Lake Union Trolley will then drop you off downtown next to the Pacific Place mall for some good shopping (Seattle is also the original home of the clothing retail store, Nordstroms). There is plenty to do downtown and all around the friendly city of Seattle including a trip up the Space Needle (built for the 1962 World’s Fair); a day at the Pacific Science Center (complete with IMAX theater and planetarium); and the uniquely constructed EMP (Experience Music Project). Regardless of the season, interesting exhibitions are constantly on display at each venue.

After a full day of exploring, satisfy your appetite with fresh salt and pepper crab at the Flying Fish restaurant or roasted garlic rigatoni at the Pink Door. For more options, walk around Pioneer Square, an area loaded with restaurants and bars. The young night life crowd can be found in the fun bars and clubs on University Avenue, located next to the University of Washington.

Real Traveler, Sarah, had fun visiting Seattle, she shared:

“We started by walking through the Pike Place Market, although our real goal was to find the Thai restaurant buried in all the twists and turns of the market. The market was really vibrant, with stalls selling all kinds of foods, fish and flowers.

After lunch, we walked up (and I mean up several very, very steep hills) to check out the new Seattle library, which is really crazy. Its a very modern building, made of steel and glass, designed by Rem Koolhaas. My favorite part was the Meeting Room level, which is all red and pretty trippy.From the library we went down to the Smith Tower, which was the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi for 50 years, from 1914 to 1964. We rode an old-fashioned, manually operated elevator to the Observation Deck to get views of Seattle.

Next we headed off to Pioneer Square, which is the original city. Now its a lot of galleries and stores, which makes it fun to walk around.”

For an espresso trip to the Pacific Northwest, visit Seattle, Washington and take full advantage of the wide array of tourist attractions.

To start planning your trip, visit:

Seattle Hotels
Seattle Restaurants
Seattle Attractions

Bookmark to: