I am back home from an amazing two weeks in Montana and so excited to share my travels! If you know me, you know my love for the west is so big. Growing up, my parents took my brother and I on cross-country RV trips to experience most of the National Parks that our country has to offer. This was the spark that ignited my knowledge and love for nature.
My mom can remember one of the first times I was in the Junior Ranger program at a national park. There was an art opportunity and I was five. I passionately went out to a meadow, sat down, and started painting the Rocky Mountains. Not much has changed since!
Back in February I applied and was accepted as one of forty artists to come to Livingston, Montana and paint en plein air in Park County. Park County is home to Paradise Valley, a large valley that is situated between the Absaroka and Gallatin mountain ranges. The iconic Yellowstone river feeds out of Yellowstone National Park and into this valley. Needless to say, the views are absolutely stunning.
The event is hosted by the Livingston Center for Art & Culture and is known as the 15th annual Plein Air Painting on the Yellowstone. Each artist submits two works that will be available for purchase in the gallery until September 9, 2023. I will be making a Part II to this post, where I will share all about my art experience! Be sure to check it out!
I packed all of my art supplies and clothing on a plane out of Atlanta, and this Georgia girl headed to the mountains. The day that I left, Rhett began his corn harvesting season. We live a booked-up lifestyle on the farm, but Rhett and I both agreed that he was following his dream as farmer, and I was going to fly out west and follow my dream as an artist. We haven’t been apart for two weeks since the dating days in 2019! It was bittersweet for sure; but there’s something equally intense about honing in on your passion and going after it. That’s what we both did for the past two weeks, and it was exactly what we needed!
For the first week, my parents, siblings, and cutie nephew were all able to fly out and spend a week exploring Montana! We had a great time enjoying the views and wildlife that Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has to offer.
I thought it would be fun to share a break-down of our travel week for those who may be visiting in the future, so here goes!
Day 1
Tuesday we woke up early and headed into the park to explore some of the main areas! We ate breakfast at the air bnb and shared a picnic lunch in the park. Dinner was a quick bite by Old Faithful. Days in the park are super long due to covering so much ground, so we packed snacks and planned nicer meals for other days! If you have never been to YNP, you should allow multiple days to hit all of the main spots.
Day 2
I already had my art supplies unpacked at this point and was anxious to get some paint to canvas! We slept in from a long first day and enjoyed the air bnb we booked in Pray, Montana called Six Mile Stable. If you are traveling to Livingston, Yellowstone, or the surrounding area, we highly recommend this air bnb. The host was super helpful and the views provided me ample inspiration.
With that urge to create comes tons of excitement, but nervous tension too! I knew I needed some time to “get the kinks out” by painting a little. The weather held off just long enough for me to do this, and then the rain came!
We headed into Livingston for the evening and shopped around. Dinner was at the Livingston Bar and Grille. It was delicious! You have to get the Huckleberry Cheesecake! Most of us had the Walleye and it was great; my brother-in-law ordered the vegetable lasagna and it looked heavenly!
Day 3
It was another early morning as we woke and headed up (literally) to Jardine for a horseback ride. We went with Hell’s A-Roarin’ Outfitters and had a great time! It did misty rain our entire ride and most of the views were clouded. The outfit is higher up the mountain so the clouds were really thriving in the rainy weather. Regardless, we had a great ride and I definitely recommend them! All of the horses were great, and you can expect to ride in a group of about thirty people. They go forward with your booking rain-or-shine, so keep that in mind. I’d love to go again on a clear day, I am sure the views are spectacular!
After a wet morning, we came back and got ready for dinner at Chico Hot Springs. Oh my goodness, the food was divine! You have to make reservations well in advance. Chico Hot Springs is a resort in Paradise Valley and was established in 1900. We did not stay here, but just had dinner. The resort is known for it’s, you guessed it, natural hot springs pool which is replenished every day for guests. Keep in mind the Historic Dining Room is older, so the space has a short ceiling and tables are close together. This meal was absolutely delicious! We enjoyed mussels and stuffed morel mushrooms as an appetizer. Around the table, my family enjoyed the Gorgonzola Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Pork Chop, and more. Everyone’s entrée was so savory. The best part for me was the Coconut Almond Crème Brûlée. Best I have ever had! They are known for their Flaming Orange dessert and it was great as well.
Day 4
This was the last day with all of my siblings here, so each couple decided to do their own adventure! For some travel ideas, here’s what they all did:
Couple 1- Day Trip to Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, WY
Couple 2- Hung around the town of Gardiner and enjoyed a nice local lunch
Couple 3- Date Night at Sage Lodge in Paradise Valley, eating the Chef’s Tasting Board
I knew I needed to start getting a feel for the area with my plein air painting week coming up, so I took the rental car and headed out in search of special scenery. Who am I kidding though, every corner you turn has a beautiful sight. It was so hard to pick where to paint. I noticed a canyon within the Absaroka’s from the main road, so I took a turn and went exploring Mill Creek. Turns out, I found the perfect place to paint! I’ll be sharing that story on Part II of this blog.
Dinner was to-go for me and my parents! I stopped by the famous Mark’s In-and-Out Beefburgers and it did not disappoint! I recommend getting the Root Beer Float and Mushroom Swiss Burger. There is always a long outside line to wait, so be patient! You order at a window. The burgers were the perfect handheld size and not messy at all.
I grabbed Rosa’s Pizza for my parents, a local pizza chain, and it looked great.
I was so grateful to have this time with my family to keep in my swirl of western memories. We enjoyed great food and quality time before I had to buckle down and focus on letting my creative mind wander the valley the next week!
In conclusion, there are so many beautiful places to explore throughout Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park. The towns of Pray and Emigrant are perfect halfway points in the valley to stay. They are about an hour from Gardiner, and forty minutes from Livingston. We noticed multiple cabin rentals in the area and there is a nice RV park known as Yellowstone’s Edge as well! We loved being set away from YNP, but close enough that the drive was comfortable in the summer. If you’re planning your next trip to Montana, you have to put this valley at the top of your list!
If you’re wondering how my art week went, head over to Part II of this blog and read all about it! Part II releases in September!
