i know helena

Over the last few days, I’ve had the pleasure of hosting my cousin from Arizona.  She’s 18, headed to college at the end of the month and was willing to fill in for our summer sitter for a week.  It has been fun and interesting to show off Helena to her.  Hosting someone in Helena always helps me to appreciate what we have and rediscover what I’ve taken for granted.

So, what to show off to Emily?  It probably helps that Emily is easy-going, easy-to-please and fun to have around.  One of the themes of her time here has been: “this isn’t something you do/see every day.”

We were able to pop in the Cathedral one afternoon.  I think the Cathedral holds a wow factor for anyone.  Even my young boys were in awe.  We hopped on the Last Chance Tour Train – Emily enjoyed the mansion district and neighborhood feel of our community.  As we were on the Tour Train, we really enjoyed having so many people taking the effort to wave at us.  State workers walking the capital loop waved at us.  Construction workers remodeling a house put down their tools and waved at us.  People dining outside at Bert & Ernie’s waved at us.  Shop owners stepped out of their doors and waved at us.  Way to go Helena – thanks for making our tourists feel so welcome.

After the Tour Train we explored the Capitol Building and the Montana Historical Society. We took a trip to Park Avenue Bakery for a lemon bar and Birds & Beasleys for our free tour train gift – thank you Sandy and Birds & Beasleys that was really generous.  And, just so you know, Emily and I didn’t get free gifts just because I’m in tourism – everyone who rides the tour train then goes to Birds & Beasleys with their ticket gets a very generous free gift.  Emily and I got huckleberry jam and the boys picked out antler whistles. 

One evening we headed up to a top secret location and picked huckleberries – not something you do every day - with the Hoffman family.  The dogs followed us around dropping balls at our feet and we enjoyed the fresh mountain air and the fading wildflowers.  After the picking we enjoyed some Big Dipper ice cream topped with the huckleberries – yummy!

On Wednesday, Emily headed to Alive@Five  and was impressed by our sense of community.  She said that where she’s from they don’t have that kind of social community event and she really enjoyed it.  As dusk settled in she headed up Mount Helena with Greta (cousin her age) and they toured Helena together as Greta pointed out all the “cool” locations that the younger people appreciate - apparently the Murdock’s Parking Lot is a good place to go if you’re in high school – who knew?

One evening we were invited to an ice cream social at the Little Red School House thanks to our friends at Montana Marketing and the St. Peter’s Foundation.  Emily was able to experience this awesome Montana event location and to hear the Helena Barbershop Singers – again not something you see every day. 



On today’s agenda is lunch at Café Zydeco where Greta works and then a trip out to the Hauser Lake.  Tomorrow before Emily heads out will head over to the Great Northern Town Center for the Kids Summer Fest.  If we had more time I’d take her to so many more places…