5 Things To Like This Week: You Are Here

Hi!  In my last "5 Things To Like This Week" I wrote about places that I would like to see.  Today I am going to write about places I've been and loved!  Enjoy!

These colors are no joke.  It really looks like this.

1.  Glacier National Park, Montana.  Glacier is breathtaking.  There is a route called the "Going to the Sun" Road and on it you pass by waterfalls, an actual glacier, blueberry patches, feisty squirrels and perhaps a bear or two.  I am terrified of bears, but I braved the park from the comfort of a car and I still had a wonderful experience.  I remember being a bit overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the place, that I was choked up a little.  Nature had never made me cry before!  This is truly a magical place and I would highly recommend a visit.  Just bring the bear spray if you're camping . . . there are grizzlies there, and they are hungry.

Midnight in the Garden of goooood . . .

2.  Manhattan, New York.  I dated a dude (actually 2 dudes) from the East coast, so I was fortunate enough to get to visit NYC several times.  My favorite trip was New Year's Eve 2005 when I got to see The Black Crowes perform live at Madison Square Garden.  The opening acts were The North Mississippi Allstars and Trey Anastasio from Phish.  At the time, the lead singer, Chris Robinson was married to Kate Hudson.  At the stroke of midnight, streamers and confetti fell from the ceiling and Kate, her mother Goldie Hawn, and her step father Kurt Russel all came out on stage!  That wasn't the only highlight though, it was the best concert I have ever been to!  It was Madison Freaking Garden, but it felt as intimate as a small stage.  It was really low key with little to no production, only an oriental rug under the drum kit, candles, and a couple of tapestries.  It was a wonderful experience!

Ugh.  Why?

3.  Bozeman, Montana.  As you probably already know, I lived in Bozeman for over a decade.  Bozeman will always hold a very special place in my heart.  I will never forget the breathtaking valley surrounded by the Bridger, Gallatin, and Spanish Peak mountain ranges.  Just seeing pictures does not do this beautiful area justice.  You just have to go and see it for yourself.  Not a day went by that I wouldn't look at those beautiful mountains and smile.  I miss them dearly.  The Bozeman I moved to over 15 years ago is very different from the Bozeman today . . . but that is another blog entry.  I still enjoy visiting my friends and hitting up the old haunts, but it is my memories of this place that I love most.  They Crystal Bar's power hour (before the remodel), the Point After, Poor Richards Smoke Shop and shooting the shit with Zeb, downtown before Bar IX, sneaking into reggae shows at the Zebra on a Friday night, the Strand Union before "that weird noodle thing". . .  Was it the town that changed, or me?  I'll always go back though . . . always.

It's pretty.  Pretty freaky.

4.  Yellowstone National Park.  I got an up-close and personal look at YNP for nearly 5 years from dating an angler who outfitted out of West Yellowstone.  The park both fascinated and frightened me.  First of all, it is a geological wonder filled to the brim with Bison, wolves, elk, bears, and pretty much any other forest animal you can think of.  Secondly, it's a freaking SUPER VOLCANO.  This was always on my mind, even when I was in Bozeman (90 miles away).  The park itself is the caldera.  Although it's not supposed to blow for another 1,000 years, it was still unnerving to be living about an hour away.  Unnerving and kinda cool.  Yellowstone has awesome fishing and scenery.  It has a conflicting existence.  On one hand, it is beautiful and majestic, but on the other, it's a freaking SUPER VOLCANO.  Ain't nature a bitch?

It doesn't look like the HBO series . . . this is 2014, people.

5.  Deadwood, South Dakota.  I currently live about 20 minutes away from this historic city.  Guess what else?  Deadwood is not a SUPER VOLCANO.  I mean, of course, we would still feel the effects of the SV, but still . . . Anyway, I love Deadwood because, as a giant nerd once said, (yes, me) "You can just feel the history here".  I love thinking about the people who left their homes to adventure out West in search of gold and riches in the Hills.  I love thinking about what the place looked like before the fire of 1879 burned the original buildings.  Still, the history lives on here. Today, it's much more commercial with casinos, modern hotel chains, and crab buffets, but if you stop into the Adam's House or visit Mount Moriah Cemetery where Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane are buried, "you can still feel that history".  Plus, there are some awesome bars there too (Saloon No. 10, the Tobacco Co.).  You could always knock a few back and "feel history" that way too . . .

Love,
Nik