Grand Excursion Big Timber Area Full Of History, Nature And Stars

Would you drive halfway across Montana into Sweet Grass County just to spend a night in the grandest of hotels, The Grand?

I did, and this wonderfully renovated 100-year-old hotel with only 10 rooms lived up to its reputation.

Located in the town of Big Timber right on Interstate 90, The Grand has a plain and austere appearance. But open the front door and step inside, and the smile of the clerk behind the reception counter is as warm as the 19th century decor.

The Grand Hotel was built by two Swedish emigrants who were in the sheep business near Big Timber. The town was a major center for the sheep industry, as well as an outfitting center for the mining industry. Prospectors and miners poured into the valley seeking gold, silver, lead and copper.

With such prosperity at hand, the need for a comfortable hotel was obvious. Originally the hotel featured such amenities as a bar and dining room, along with a “parlor of liberal dimensions furnished with exquisite taste.”

The wear and tear caused by hundreds of guests eventually left The Grand in a moth-eaten condition. To the rescue came Penny Wilson, a Pennsylvanian who harbored a soft spot in her heart for Montana.

Wilson bought the hotel and restored it to its present elegant condition. The hotel is on the national Register of Historic Places, a status that protects the building’s historic authenticity.

My large room was furnished with an antique bedstead and chest of drawers at one end, and a wicker setee, two wicker chairs and a coffee table at the other. A ceiling fan slowly turned to cool the room, although modern airconditioning is available for truly hot days.

A private bathroom opened from this room, but other smaller rooms had the use of toilets, tubs, showers and an upscale sauna across the hall. Room prices range from $55 to $125.

Breakfast is included with the room, so I indulged in bacon and scrambled eggs along with buttermilk pancakes lathered with butter and syrup.

The dining room has a turn-of-the-century look, but is not snobby. Travelers can be comfortable in casual wear, and my waitress’ attentive manner put me completely at ease.

For dinner I ordered an anchovy salad made with greens and sliced tomatoes topped with filets of anchovies and homemade mayonnaise. A rack of lamb and a potpourri of fresh vegetables accompanied by a bottle of fine red wine completed this outstanding meal.

Just outside town is Chippy Park, which came into being during the heydays of the 1880s and ‘90s. Local miners would make their way to the park, where several enterprising women set up business in a tent by the side of the road. The name “chippy” came from the tender issued to the miners called “chips.” Apparently the ladies accepted chips as payment for services rendered.

Nine miles east of town along I-90, the black-tailed prairie dogs have found a home at Grey Cliff. I packed a picnic lunch the day I visited and found a table provided by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks where I could watch the busy prairie dogs. The quick little “pups” darted from hole to hole, and every so often an older resident whistled a sharp warning that sent the entire colony scurrying for safety.

Northwest of Big Timber, the Crazies or Crazy Woman Mountains shadow the town. Supposedly the mountains were named for a woman who went mad when she witnessed the murder of her family. She took refuge in the mountains and, due to an Indian belief that crazy people should be left alone, lived out her life there.

Formed by igneous rocks and carved by glaciers, the Crazies provide trails and good fishing waters for both local residents and visitors.

The beauty of the rugged Absaroka Mountains and the Boulder River Valley just south of Big Timber has attracted well-known vacationers, some of whom have established permanent residences.

When the late Walter Haas, chairman of the board of Levi Strauss and owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, could not land his Lear jet on the Big Timber airport’s short runway, he wrote a check big enough to pay for lengthening the landing strip.

I drove along the Boulder River past ranches owned by Tom and Meredith Brokaw, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Keaton and Brooke Shields. Sportscaster Brent Musberger is the most familiar celebrity seen in the valley. He was born and raised in the area.

I stopped at the Road Kill Cafe halfway down the valley to buy a T-shirt with the Road Kill logo. The place was pretty rustic, with pool tables in the back and a bar with high stools for those who stopped for a beer. A movie set designer could not have come up with a more typical establishment for rural Montana.

While I was there, a curious tourist stopped by to ask the barmaid where the stars lived. She gave what must have been her stock answer. “You mean Pete Starrs? He has a ranch just down the road apiece.”

Ask a good question and you get a good answer.

For information or reservations, contact The Grand Hotel, 123 McCleod Street, Big Timber, MT 59011; telephone (406) 932-4459.