Hidden Treasure

Officially, Montana is known as The Treasure State. It got the label because of the large gold and silver deposits that were discovered in its mountains in the mid 1800s. After being out here for several days now, I wonder if the moniker is less of a noun and more of a verb though - as in, state is the subject and treasure is the action. In any case, that's how I've interpreted it. So we went out for a quiet morning walk to do as told, and cherish it we did.

After our stroll, we hit the downtown for some lunch and window shopping. The main drag is picturesque and every bit of what you'd wish from a quaint mountain town. Soaring mountains and endless blue skies provide a stunning backdrop for historic storefronts, now occupied by charming cafes and boutiques - the sun-bleached signs painted on the sides of the buildings pop against the azure, giving new life to the antique. It's the perfect juxtaposition of natural beauty and architectural tradition and it's got me waxing poetic. The locals are protective of their Paradise Valley and rightly so; it's a hidden gem nestled between the Absaroka and Gallatin ranges, which conveniently create a wind tunnel that they talk up to deter outsiders. Ask my husband, I hate wind. But I haven't mentioned it ONCE since we've been here - a tribute to this place's charm. If you don't hear from me it's either because we decided to stay or because the locals found me and left me for dead for having revealed their secret.