As Labor Day approaches, time to visit your nearest national park

 

This scenic turn-out in Glacier National Park made an ideal picnic spot when we visited, just before colors began
 to change. Bring layers when you visit our parks this time of year for warm days and cool evenings.

NOW'S THE PERFECT TIME AS AUTUMN APPROACHES TO ENJOY OUR
NATIONAL PARKS

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

OUR SUMMER always winds down with visits to Yellowstone National Park, which we are lucky enough to have within easy driving distance. Glacier and Teton parks are a bit further from home, but we try to visit them both at least once a year.

But the fall Yellowstone trek is a favorite tradition. We love this trip, which we plan after Labor Day weekend, to avoid crowds and take advantage of cooler temperatures, wildlife on the move and changing scenery as fall colors cloak the hillsides and valleys.

Aspen cloak the valleys of Grand Teton National
Park, which many people visit in tandem with
a trip through Yellowstone National Park.

OUR NATIONAL parks have something for everyone so it is possible to plan a specific theme of fall fun, whether bird watching, biking, critter spotting or family oriented hiking and photo taking treks.

There are bison and bears in Yellowstone, mountain goats in Glacier, mule deer and elk in Bryce Canyon and Zion, big horn sheep in Yosemite, and a variety of these animals in many of our parks, along with lush bird life, squirrels, bobcats, foxes and raccoons.

 Yosemite and other parks have bike boardwalks, Mesa Verde has cliff dwellings, and Yellowstone of course is famous for its geysers and thermal pools.

The Lower Falls at Yellowstone National Park
are an annual attraction for millions of visitors.
Nature in our national parks is particularly
pretty as crowds thin and autumn approaches.

If you're a fan of magnificent trees, Sequoia is the national park for you and Utah's Canyonlands and Arches are known for spectacular stargazing. Family or couples hiking is a favorite family sport in Yellowstone and Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park.

We have 63 national parks in the United States.  We're proud that Yellowstone was the first national park in the world.  More than 100 other countries also have national parks, places dedicated to preserving wildlife and nature. There are many on the continent of Africa where you can find mountain gorillas in Uganda's national parks. Gabon, Kenya and Tanzania offer spectacular landscape and large animal viewing. 

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers
in Zion, taking a break during a fun hike.

Our neighbor to the north, Canada, has 37 national parks including Banff, Waterton and Jasper. It also has11 national park reserves. From Asia to South America, national parks offer an insight into how countries preserve diverse ecosystems, magical landscapes, and spectacular wildlife.

START PLANNING your U.S. park trip by contacting our National Park Service.  It offers a wealth of information on preparing for a visit: park maps, calendars, directions, operating hours, where to stay and instructions on obtaining park passes. 

Prepare by learning how to make a park visit both safe and enjoyable. Get updated information on wildlife activity, road closures and detours and insights into the effects of human actions on the environment. It's a great way to start a family dialogue -- painless learning and opening doors to a lifetime of appreciating these national treasures. If this year isn't in the cards, start planning a visit for 2026.

  Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers 
at the north entrance, with its cornerstone
laid by President Theodore Roosevelt.

MORE INFORMATION:

National parks in the United States: nps.gov

National parks in Canada: parks.canada.ca

Throughout the world: globalnationalparks.com

 

A delightful period set awaits viewers just before the house
lights dim, for "The Importance of Being Earnest" at 
the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, season 90.

UP NEXT: Oregon Shakespeare Festival offers three magnificent and diverse theaters, a roster of unforgettable performances and production values equal to Broadway's best or London's finest West End shows. We take readers to this gem of a festival in southern Oregon's charming town of Ashland, and look at the plays which make this 90th season one of the festival's best.  Remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on the arts, nature, travel, cruising, train trips, city tours, family and more. Please share the link with like minded people:  www.whereiscookie.com

 

High Line's hurrah: Wondrous park reflects New York's spirit, diversity

The High Line in New York is a wonderful place, born of a grassroots effort to save a derelict
elevated train track. It is now a much visited park with walking paths, art and lush landscaping.
 

NEW YORK'S HIGH LINE OFFERS RESTFUL OASIS IN A BUSTLING CITY

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie"
Meyers pose in one of the viewing
areas of the popular High Line. 

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

IF YOU are ready to herald the arrival of autumn, there's no prettier place than New York's beautiful High Line.
Created out of the remains of an abandoned New York Central Railroad viaduct, the High Line is a happy example of a successful grassroots effort.

Nearly 30 years ago, the neglected tracks were slated for demolition, so neighbors on Manhattan's West Side organized to save them.  Thinking outside the box, they drew financial support to create a spectacular oasis in one of the world's busiest cities.
Today's High Line stretches nearly 1.5 miles, offering locals and tourists an artful stroll along scenic walkways and unique viewing platforms. We admired both changing and permanent art installations along with hundreds of attractive plants.

Strollers walk along what was once an elevated
train track used for shipping goods to factories.

THE HIGH Line has a colorful past.  It opened in 1934 as part of the New York Central Railroad's West Side Line, replacing street-level tracks known as "Death Avenue" because of frequent accidents involving pedestrians.

The "High Line" elevated freight trains above the streets to higher ground, transporting goods directly to factories and warehouses, many of them in the Meatpacking District.  

 

Pausing to admire the landscape of New York's stunning
High Line is Christene "Cookie" Meyers.

 FRIENDS OF THE High Line was founded in 1999 by neighborhood residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond who began the non-profit for the High Line’s preservation. The organization oversees maintenance, operations and public programming for the park, sponsoring nearly 500 diverse events and programs each year and generating essential private funding. An endowment enables the free park's success.

High Line art intrigues to draw the eye in.

THE PLANTINGS have a natural look, inspired by the landscape that grew on the High Line during the 25 years after trains stopped running. Grasses, perennials, trees, and bushes were chosen for their hardiness, sustainability, and variation, with a focus on native species. Intriguingly, in several places, the High Line’s railroad tracks were returned and are cleverly integrated into pathways and flower beds. For those who wish to sit, the park offers “peel-up” benches and sundeck chaise lounges overlooking Hudson River. We enjoyed lunch from our pick of ethnic food vendors, watched a dancing group perform and tagged on to a free docent-led tour.

There are plenty of places to stay, including a hotel named after the project. The High Line Hotel is a "repurposed" historic building in the city's West Chelsea neighborhood. It was built in 1895 as a dormitory for the General Theological Seminary.

The High Line's "Foot Fountain" is just that,
a functional work of art and one of many
eye-catching pieces strollers enjoy. 

CONVERTING the outdated freight corridor into a park cost $250 million and generated 8,000 construction jobs.

The redevelopment increased tax revenue by $1 billion and increased property values in the neighborhood. New businesses, including hotels and restaurants, have created 12,000 new jobs.

And since 2014, more than 20 million people have visited the High Line, which hosts in excess of 500 public programs and events annually.

Happily, the High Line has become a global inspiration for cities to transform unused industrial zones into dynamic public spaces.

It's a wonderful, free diversion if you're planning a visit to this remarkable city.
More info: A visit to the High Line is free.  The park can be accessed from several locations. For more on activities and visiting, go to: www.thehighline.org/visit/ 

 

The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone are a spectacular sight,
no prettier than in the last days of summer when crowds lessen.

ON TAP: Yellowstone National Park is a treasure enjoyed by millions from around the world.  It beckons visitors in these last days of summer to visit the park as it heralds the coming of autumn. As Labor Day approaches, there's no better time to visit Yellowstone, Teton, Glacier and other national parks.  The aspen are turning, wildlife are on the move and crowds are beginning to thin as schools resume.  Tips on making the best of a fall visit to our beloved national parks, up next. Meanwhile, explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on nature, travel, the arts, family and more. Please share our link with others: www.whereiscookie.com

 

Central Park's wonders attract international crowd to enjoy its beauty

 

New York's Central Park is a welcoming oasis any time of the year.
More than 42 million people from all over the world visited last year
making it one of the most visited tourist attractions on the planet.

A PARK FOR ALL SEASONS AND ALL PEOPLE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK CITY

Corby Skinner, left, with Christene "Cookie" Meyers
and Bruce Keller, on a recent visit to New York. The trip's 
emphasis was theater, with a stroll through Central Park.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

A VISIT TO New York is not complete without a stroll through Central Park.

It has a magic unrivaled by any park we’ve visited in the world. That’s because it combines so many elements designed for relaxation, pleasure and enjoyment of nature.

After John Lennon was murdered, his widow, Yoko Ono,
began designing "Strawberry Fields." Fans come to
remember, honor his memory and sometimes play a tune.

Bicycles are numerous in the park, driven by visitors,
 food sellers and drivers offering a ride to tourists.

You’ll join bird watchers, chess players, bicyclers, strollers, picnickers, boaters in the summer and ice skaters in the winter. The park is well loved -- frequented by families, singles, couples, groups soaking up the splendors of this unusual and inviting oasis, established in 1853 to meet the recreational needs of a growing city.    

LANDSCAPE architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition for the park with their "Greensward Plan."  By 1859, thousands of New Yorkers ice skated on lakes designed over former swamp land. A few years later in 1876, the park was officially dedicated,  honoring the country’s centennial.

It is popular to have a ride through the park, on one
of the colorful carriages with beautiful horses.

IT IS A stunning park in city center, visited by rock stars, athletes, popes and school groups. It has many places to reflect -- paths, benches, ponds and bike paths. Visitors enjoy horse drawn carriages, places for games, a fine restaurant and spots for meditation including Yoko Ono’s “Strawberry Fields.” The widow of musician John Lennon designed and dedicated it in 1985. It honors Lennon, one of the famous Beatles and an award winning composer, and was dedicated on what would have been his 45th birthday.

Such a park is unusual in any city, but truly so in this bustling city of nearly eight million. 

We love strolling Central Park, for its natural beauty – stunning in any season. The trees, flowers, interesting paths, even a castle, make it unique.  But the people in the park are the stars – an international mix of tourists and locals, all drawn to the beauty of its 840 acres, stretching between 59^th and 110^th Streets and Fifth and Eighth Avenues.

Visitors and "residents" include this squirrel.

 

IT HAS THE distinction of being the first American park to be developed using landscape architecture techniques and is beloved by a worldwide fan club. We overheard conversations in 11 languages on our last visit, when we climbed to the top of Belvedere Castle with our Montana friend, Corby Skinner.

The castle is considered a “folly,” an ornamental building with no real purpose except entertainment and amusement. It personifies the park’s purpose – to entertain and amuse.

 Step into the park in any season and you feel a sense of peace, pride and community.

New York's High Line is another attraction, a clever
resurrection of an abandoned rail area, brought to
new life with plants, a walkway and sculpture.

UP NEXT: While we're in New York, we're featuring its famous High Line, which was created from a derelict railroad line.  It offers a beautiful stroll through landscaped gardens and intriguing sculpture.

Meanwhile, explore, learn and live and catch us for a new look, a newly designed website and an easy to navigate series of topics and photographs. Coming soon.

Australian Museum features engaging displays, artful cultural history

The venerable Australian Museum is centrally located in Sydney, Australia, a treasure trove
of art, nature inspired history, intriguing indigenous people displays and much more.

SPLENDID SCIENCE, CULTURE,  NATURE AWAIT IN THE HEART OF SYDNEY 

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

AN ENRICHING, ENLIGHTENING museum awaits visitors to Sydney.  The place is a gathering spot for tourists and locals. Here, we observe wonders from around the world, explore native culture, visit other countries and travel through the centuries to see what life was like in an Australia of long ago.  It's all right in the heart of this fascinating museum, a show piece in this varied and fast growing city.

Australia's original people are celebrated in
a beautifully curated exhibition on their culture.

THE MUSEUM is known worldwide for its expansive permanent collection and its thorough and imaginative exploration of history and Aboriginal culture.  It has won worldwide acclaim for its Australian fossils and local animal displays. The weekday morning we visited, we were in the company of dozens of awe struck school children, there for both fun and learning.  The museum prides itself on offering educational events for kids.

School groups clustered around the popular dinosaurs exhibition which features ten complete skeletons, including a 228-million-year-old Eoraptor.

Visitors can expect high tech as well as time honored art
and exhibitions.  Here, visitors "traveled" to Machu Pichu.

WE LINGERED over fascinating displays of dangerous Australian animals such as funnel-web spiders and tiger snakes.  We learned that Australia has the world’s most menacing animals, including venomous snakes, deadly spiders, and savage and powerful marine creatures. On the museum's upper ground floor, we also found friendlier creatures including stuffed kangaroos and koalas, and other representative of Australia's unique fauna, including the Tasmanian tiger.

An artful taxidermy space shows visitors some
of Australia's extinct animals, here a grunge.

EXHIBITS WALK the visitor through habitats -- arid deserts, lush rainforests, coastal regions,  cities. 

An impressive exhibition, "Dauma and Garom," was commissioned for the museum by indigenous artists and is on on display in the large permanent Indigenous Australians exhibition space. The six-meter-tall sculptural installation reflects an effort by the Erub people to combat the damage caused by ghost nets. It depicts a touching love story between a crab (Dauma) and a fish (Garom), characters from an important local story and song. Mesmerizing.

The Australian Museum is a wonderland of discovery, with a dazzling
permanent collection, and an overview of the country's vast natural
world. The focal point here is "Aboriginal Art Ghost Net," by a UK artist.
On exhibit are various works celebrating indigenous people who
were the country's first people. The museum has won acclaim for this and
its award winning anthropological exhibition area, all free! 

A SLENDID virtual reality exhibit on Machu Pichu -- gone now -- is typical of the museum's erudite yet user friendly approach to culture.  It is replaced by another imaginative exhibition -- "The Birds of Australia." Like Machu Pichu, it is a unique digital experience, presented on a 3D storytelling cube. Bird lovers know the inspiration --  the work of noted ornithologists and artists John and Elizabeth Gould. Wish we could fly over again to discover Australia's birdlife in this new immersive exhibition.

Amazingly, the museum and its grand permanent collection are free. Fees apply to special exhibitions. Tickets are required for school programs, workshops and talks. Click on: What's On calendar of events.

Click here for more on the museum

New York's beloved Central Park is a treat for locals and
tourists alike.  Colorful carriages await customers, and
a stroll through the park is sure to revive and relax.

UP NEXT: A fresh new look, with no ads and improved user experience is coming to our website. The "redo" introduces a new, cleaner, more contemporary look with a visit to New York. No  tourist should miss a stroll through Central Park, a restful and yet lively oasis in the middle of one of the world's busiest and noisiest cities.  We take readers inside the park to  look at its charms -- its restaurants, lake, gaming area, food carts and beautiful appointments such as John Lennon memorial designed by his widow, Yoko Ono, "Strawberry Fields."  Tavern on the green and a horse drawn hansom cab await. Or grab your bicycle and join us.  We see why the park garners thousands of visitors in a day, and explore it with a local. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, nature, performance and more:

  

 

Koalas, kangaroos, parrots, gators beckon in two Australian preserves

Here's looking at you.  Expressive eyes, and a somewhat dazed look are marks of the koala. They spend
20 hours daily munching eucalyptus leaves and are well represented in two Australia sanctuaries.

 

Lone Pine bird trainers present an engaging
show featuring various hawks, owls and
other beautiful birds of prey, some rescues.

YOU CAN TALK, WALK, TAKE PHOTOS WITH THE ANIMALS AT TWO AWARD WINNING, FUN AUSTRALIAN SANCTUARIES

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

A VISIT TO Australia without a koala encounter would be like Christmas without Santa.

A male kangaroo at Lone Pine snoozes, awaiting visitors.
 We fed him after he awakened and jumped toward us.

We had the pleasure of a double koala hit on our recent return to Down Under. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary near Brisbane and Billabong Sanctuary 15 minutes from Townsville beckoned.

Who can resist getting up close to a koala, that intriguing docile figure who spend 20 hours a day snoozing.

We sampled the best of Australia's wildlife at these two well known enterprises. Lone Pine is the world's oldest and largest koala sanctuary, Billabong Sanctuary has been family owned for 40 years.

View on the Brisbane River of whispy clouds
and homes and landscapes, from Mirimar II. 

EACH HAS its own unique appeal, and differing ways to enjoy the wondrous creatures, exhibits and encounters that make this country's wildlife unique. More than 80 per cent of the country's plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and found nowhere else in the world. Millions of years of evolution as the continent split from the super continent Gondwana resulted in this fascinating mix of critters and birds.

At Lone Pine, more than 100 contented koalas reside. Those sleepy residents of Australia's thousands of eucalyptus trees are the main attraction but this popular sanctuary is also home to dozens of contented kangaroos,

Cookie feeds a pair of Australian geese,
 one of the pleasures at Billabong.

shy dingos, saltwater crocodiles and a bounty of beautiful birds. Here you can hold a koala, pat a dingo, and view a saltwater crocodile from an underwater viewing dome.

Trained sheep dogs are in residence, too, along with stealthy birds of prey, who perform with skilled trainers in a breathtaking show. The bird show draws oohs and aahs, as fascinated visitors sit in grandstands. Birds are cued to fly from one trainer to the other, so close one can feel the whoosh of their wings.  

The place is best reached on the Miramar II boat, part of the popular Koala and River Cruise operation.  The crew is friendly, the Brisbane River journey beautiful and we enjoyed lovely scones and tea to enjoy during a delightful commentary.  Once at Lone Pine, one walks from a jetty through the forest, up 28 steps to a delightful complex spread artfully over 44 acres.  We especially enjoyed feeding the kangaroos, the fascinating birds of prey show and simply strolling the grounds. 

A colorful parrot at Billabong Sanctuary talked
to us as we surveyed him on his perch.

ONE MAY book the five-hour Koala cruise easily on line, traveling on the Brisbane River past iconic landscape and historical homes with a pleasant commentary to enhance the journey.  Three hours with the animals and an hour each say on the boat make a delightful outing.

More on the five-hour Koala Cruise here:

Click here for more Lone Pine 

AT THE 27-acre Billabong Sanctuary, we enjoyed the interactive talks and feeding shows, wildlife presentation and holding a koala, an opportunity we couldn't resist. The lively place is 17 kilometers from Townsville, and it's about much more than the drowsy and charming koala. 

We watched rangers handle snakes, learned about the wombat and marveled at the elusive cassowary, that handsome, large, flightless bird closely related to the emu and the heaviest bird in Australia.  

This cassowary at Billabong looks like he is
ready for war, with a striking "helmet" to help
him push through tall grasses in the wild.

WE WERE absolutely enchanted with her, in fact, and spent over an hour watching her.  The  distinctive "hood" and reddish plumage made a colorful spectacle as she ambled toward us. The goldish and brown "helmet" atop her head, above the blue feathers, is called a casque and helps her cut through vegetation in the wild. Wow!

 WE GOT UP close and personal with the adorable koalas during the koala feeding, watching as rangers hand-fed fresh eucalyptus leaves to awaken the guys and gals. We watched with fascination as they clambered through trees to select their favorite tender green tips, and we learned about the fascinating lifestyle of these iconic Australian animals. Did you know that a koala can eat up to a tenth of its body weight in leaves every day? Yet, holding one, we felt how light she is. After instruction as to the proper holding technique, we found our Maze to be sweet and accommodating, even putting her hand on my arm.

We took an Uber to the Billabong place, and the boat Miramar on the Mirimar Koala and River cruise to Lone Pine. This pleasant two-deck tourist boat has been taking visitors to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary for over 70 years and for us has been a "must do" experience all three visits to Brisbane.

Cookie and Keller spend time with Maze, a
charming new friend who awakened to play.

WE RECOMMEND the cruise through Brisbane's historic landscapes, iconic attractions, pastoral scenery, mansions,  and interesting wildlife habitats. We were entertained by the recorded commentary, with occasional asides from the knowledgeable captain both coming and going.  Then we made the most of our three hours exploring Lone Pine.

 We spent another three hours at Billabong, celebrating its 40th anniversary. We delighted in strolls around the grounds, enjoyed a half dozen talks, feedings and shows on wombats, crocodiles, reptiles, koalas, even dingos.

Click for Koala River Cruise info

Click for more on Lone Pine

Click for more on Billabong

The Australian Museum in Sydney is a wealth
of fascinating exhibits, from Australia's
connection to animals to indigenous cultures.

UP NEXT: The Australian Museum is like no other. Established in 1827, it has garnered worldwide attention for its anthropological and history collections, spread out over three floors in the heart of Sydney. The permanent display spans Indigenous Australian culture, Australian fossils and local animals. Changing exhibits come from around the world.  We were fascinated to spend several hours with the Machu Pichu exhibit, which included artifacts as well as a virtual reality visit, with capsule like chairs that moved to accentuate the experience of visiting this ancient wonder. Remember to explore, live and learn and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, nature, performance, family and the arts. thanks for sharing the links, too:  

Click here for whereiscookie overview

Grand Hotel in Big Timber, Montana, undergoes facelift to glory days

Mother-daughter team Kim and Jessica Germain are working with Kim's
husband and Jessica's dad, Steve, to recreate the Grand Hotel's grandeur.

MONTANA'S GRAND HOTEL  WILL

RECLAIM ITS FORMER GRANDEUR

Fine art decorates the Grand Hotel -- western scenes and
other paintings, Navajo rugs and fine jewelry from a Big Timber gallery.

 

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER


A LONGTIME FRIEND of Montana, her husband and her daughter are giving new life to Big Timber's historic Grand Hotel, with hopes to make it truly grand again.
Kim Germain, husband Steve and daughter Jessica have begun a grand plan to renovate and restore the 1890 hotel, beginning with cosmetic touches on the ground floor and working upstairs to the guest rooms, 

Taking on the challenge of restoring a beloved town landmark is no easy task, but the Germains are up to it.

The colorful bar is the backdrop as Kim Germain
and daughter Jessica take a break from work.

'WE REALIZE that people don't particularly like change," says Kim, "and we also know how much fondness people have for the place." The family gatherings,  wedding receptions, wakes, special brunches and dinners, anniversaries and birthdays -- everyone here has a memory featuring the Grand Hotel."

Germain sees the Grand as "the grand dame of the town.  She deserves to be loved and cared for and that's what we're doing."

Germain has lived in several states including Michigan, Arizona and Ohio, with multiple visits to Montana where she has an aunt in Billings.  Her family roots are anchored in the land -- dairy farming and ranching on both sides--  and her affection for Montana is deep and sincere. She has farming cousins and a close relative who excels in competition penning.  She loves rodeos and plans live music around those and other special events in Big Timber and nearby.

 After purchasing the place nearly five years ago, the Germains set to work.

A relaxed, western theme greets visitors to the
Grand Hotel, here the recently remodeled lobby.

KIM SAYS with a laugh, that the purchase came about "because we needed a place to stay while we were looking for property on the Yellowstone."

Behind funding the two Yellowstone properties and buying the hotel is the family's successful, multi-state car dealership. "We're a fourth generation business," says Jessica proudly.  Diving into the hospitality industry has been a good experience for the family, she says. "It's a learning curve but we have the enthusiasm to do it, and we're always listening to the people."

 The family originally bought undeveloped riverfront property intending to build a ranch style home on the Yellowstone, That plan changed when a developed property came up for sale. "It looked perfect -- it already had a ranch house and looked beautiful from the ads," Kim says.  She sent her agent to have a look and bought the place on her recommendation. "I asked her if it was as pretty as it looked on line and she said it was. I'm given to impulse sometimes."

Steaks and chops are on the menu at the Grand
Hotel, along with pastas, seafood and homemade
desserts. Buffalo and burgers are also featured.

 That purchase allowed more time for the hotel project, which began with a redo of the ground floor's popular dining room, the bar area and the welcoming lobby. The second-floor suite the family uses were also completed.  A comfortable, ranch style motif enhances the design which the Germains developed with the guidance of a decorator from Phoenix base.  

A warm, western feel pervades the Grand Hotel dining room,
where guests can relax with western art in a casual, yet elegant
atmosphere. Both lunch and dinner are served Tuesday-Saturday. 

Challenges to renovating an 1890 building in a small town include dealing with old plumbing and wiring issues and securing and retaining reliable help. "We have a great manager now, and other hard working staff," says Kim. We dealt with two excellent employees: the gracious hotel manager Stacey and cheerful front desk manager Rio, who came in on his day off to welcome us.

"We've had to enlist Billings people for some of the repairs."  

The menu was also kicked up a notch, with Montana beef featured for lunch and dinner and a variety of enticing soups, salads, pastas, lamb and buffalo. Reservations are needed for the formal dining room but not for sandwiches and appetizers in the bar which offers a range of spirits and many beer options. The restaurant will soon be open 7 days instead of the present five, Kim hopes.

Recent guests at The Grand include this group
of actors from Montana Shakespeare in the Parks,
and five fishermen from five states who stage
an annual fishing trip and reunion at the Grand. Foreign guests are also frequent visitors.

VISITORS TODAY enjoy the pleasantly decorated lobby downstairs and an inviting sitting and visiting area upstairs.  A tidy small kitchen boasts a refrigerator and freezer, coffee maker and microwave. 

Rooms include both those with in-suite bathrooms and those with shared bath.  A complex of showers, tubs and basins is meticulously maintained in the central area upstairs, which also offers a sauna. Rates range from $129 for room with shared bath, to $189 for a king-size bed, bath and daybed, to $369 for the suite. Pets may accompany owners with prior notice and $20 fee. The hotel also has a low-allergy room accessible by stairs in which no animals are allowed.

Rooms are comfy now, and are being redone in
 the relaxed western theme which marks the lobby.
 Kim plans to name rooms after western personalities.

On our recent visit we met a group of five lively men, senior citizens who have been coming to the Grand Hotel for years to fish the Yellowstone and Boulder rivers. "We love the place," said John. "It's got character, history and nice people."

We also met a half-dozen of the actors from Montana Shakespeare in the Park, which was performing that night in the nearby park. "We love it because it's convenient and comfortable," said the company's artistic director. "Great place with a fun, historic vibe." 

To book a room or meal or find out more, click here

 

A koala is in a contemplative mood.
We visit two of Australia's nature preserves. 

ON TAP: From the lobby of the Grand Hotel to the koala forests of Australia, and New York's Central Park, we're there. In the next few weeks, we explore nature preserves in several countries.   First: koalas, kangaroos and other magical critters and birds welcome us to the wild side of Australia. We visit two internationally acclaimed sanctuaries in this vast continent, where we feed the kangaroos and hold the sleepy koalas. While we're in the neighborhood, we visit the Australian Museum of Sydney, a world class venue exploring cultures across the globe. There's a stop in store at Montana's historic C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls and we offer tips on packing light and avoiding the pitfalls of heavy cumbersome baggage and extra airplane charges.  We're  a nature and travel driven blog, and appreciate suggestions and ideas from our readers. Remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, nature, performance, family and the arts: 

 

Shakespeare in the Parks tours the west in ambitious 53rd season

It's still an hour before show time in Big Timber at Lions Club Park, and the audience is beginning
to arrive and get comfortable for "As You Like It" by Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.

THE PLAY'S THE THING BUT HARD WORK GOES INTO PRODUCING A RIGOROUS TOUR

 

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

Actor Avery Johnson offers programs,
either an old-fashioned paper playbill or
if preferred, a code to scan.
 

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"Perseverance... keeps honor bright" 

from Shakespeare's "All's Well That Ends Well"

 MONTANA SHAKESPEARE in the Parks has been happily persevering for 53 years.

That's how long a dedicated company of talented actors and technical wizards has been sharing Shakespeare's magic with rural communities in an impressive five-state region. Through rain, wind, heat, cold and occasional hail, the show goes on.  The West's notorious weather swings do not prevent the company from performing in 60 towns across five states, June through September.

THE ENSEMBLE schlepps set, costumes and equipment to parks, fairgrounds, school yards and other venues, packing the collapsible set in a tidy truck. With free performances held under open skies and only donations asked of those who attend, this treasured summer tradition invites audiences of all ages.

They gather faithfully for an evening of storytelling, connection, and culture.

A look back at the project, click here

Dressed in period costumes, from left: Calvin Adams, Sam Cheeseman 
and Nadja Simmonds check messages on their phones before going on stage.

THE DIRECTORS choose two works -- usually a comedy and a tragedy. This year's romantic comedy, “As You Like It” speaks to the joy and complexity of love, identity and the transformative power of nature. Fans know it features Rosalind, a complex female character, as she ventures into the Forest of Arden with a colorful cast of characters.  Artistic director Kevin Asselin promises the same high quality production values his grateful audiences have come to expect. He also thinks "Henry V" will have modern meaning as it grapples with themes of leadership, moral complexity and power. "Henry must listen, reflect and learn while inspiring, persuading and unifying," says Asselin. "All timely considerations," says Asselin.

The ensemble charms wherever it tours, including
educational outreach. Here, they gather at Tippet Rise
for a production. The arts venue is near Fishtail, Montana.

Asselin explains the Bozeman based company’s mission as "bringing togetherness and unity to rural communities." The actors come to the company's base at Montana State University. They are an amiable group, from cities and towns across the U.S. We find the actors and crew always eager to visit, share their knowledge and act as vehicles to connect the audience with the troupe. "Together, we do a much greater thing," Asselin says. He emphasized that recent political events have cut into federal funding, and usual grants are imperiled. Thus, private and corporate contributions are vital to the program's survival, he said.

SEVERAL of the stops involve towns close to one another, enabling people to see both plays on the docket, one in each venue. "It's great in towns where we can pair -- like Lewistown and Utica."

The two venues are only 36 miles apart, "so residents can easily see both shows. In that respect, we bring locals together,” he said, "to get to know one another's communities." Larger cities such as Bozeman and Billings usually have the company in residence for a couple days.

The 2025 tour includes venues from Beach, North Dakota, to Afton, Cody and Powell, Wyoming, Driggs, Idaho,  eastern Washington state, and many Montana venues. 

An audience in Fishtail Family Park last season. This
year's Fishtail performance was "As You Like It" July 11. 

“We are dedicated to bringing high quality work by talented artists, who see something greater than themselves, to great audiences who otherwise would not have this opportunity.”

— Joel Jahnke - artistic director emeritus and company founder
 

FOR THIS 53rd season, eight professional actors from across the U.S., are enacting a lively rendition of the two classics. The company has been seen by more than 750,000 people during 2,250 performances since 1973.  It also presents an educational school tour, sharing Shakespeare with more than 12,000 middle and high-school students each season-- and a few lucky adults.  This year's tour travels from Kalispell to Plentywood, Bozeman to Hardin and Sidney, dipping down into Wyoming to Cody, Powell, Meeteetse, Worland and Buffalo.

"The Three Musketeers" drew raves in its 2023
season, a rare departure from Shakespeare.

With all the moving about, packing up, striking the set dozens of times, "We feel the acting is the reward," says actor Avery Johnson. "We work so hard then we get to do what we really love!"

Click here for schedule, more info

 

The historic Grand Hotel in Big Timber is
undergoing a loving facelift. We take readers
to the "redo" of this 1890 Montana landmark. 

ON TAP: As summer reaches its peak and travelers are exploring, an historic Big Timber, Montana, hotel is returning to its glory days, thanks to artful restoration plans by an enterprising family with long ties to ranching, farming, Montana and the West. The Grand Hotel's facelift began on the ground floor and is continuing to the upstairs rooms with Kim and Steve Germain and their daughter, Jessica, at the helm of the restoration. The Germains plan to name the vintage looking rooms after characters of the old west, and are excited to be restoring the Sunday brunch in the restaurant and other traditions -- live music, gourmet dining and a unique boutique hotel experience. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, dining, nature, performance, art, family and more. Please share the links: Click here for more whereiscookie

Click here for more on Grand Hotel