Montana

Moon Handbooks

by W.C. McRae, Judy Jewell

Montana Handbook overlooks no part of this vast state, increasingly recognized as a key destination for outdoor recreation. Filled with upscale resorts and restaurants and more low-to-midpriced lodgings and dining options, this guide also contains vignettes on the theatrical career of Calamity Jane and how Meriwether Lewis named the prairie dog.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

456 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1994

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a bad look over the entire state. The photos are black and white, which does not add much. The maps are ok. It divides its material by geographic area, which was helpful as I was planning to visit only parts of this fourth largest state in the union. There is a good section at the back that covers many subjects in overview. I particularly enjoyed pieces on local apparel and mores and the propensity of the state to harbor extremists. It is tough to come up with a perfect combination of features in a travel book that does not weigh fifteen pounds and comes in at less than a thousand pages and a few hundred dollars. The Moon Montana Handbook does a good job in its 473 pps.

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked most about this travel guide was the way it efficiently highlighted both the popular spots and the hidden gems. That's what a travel guide is supposed to do, but some do it better than others. This book is compact, so it went with us everywhere: Glacier NP, Yellowstone NP, Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Flathead Lake, Missoula, Traveler's Rest, Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, the Bitterroot Valley, Bannack, Virginia City, and a lot of highway. Another big plus was finding the same text for each entry in the book also on the Moon website. Being off the grid much of the time but then alternatively nestled in a comfy hotel room with Wi-Fi, it was convenient to have both options. I like the format of the Moon guide, with top highlights for each region, followed by plenty of details about each place within the regions. The only part that quickly gets out of date is the coverage of restaurants. I would use the guide to find interesting spots, but stick with TripAdvisor to confirm recent ratings or just to find a good choice more customized to the immediate need. A few of the restaurants we'd planned to dine at based on the Moon guide were no longer in business, and others were rated very poorly compared to others.

[Jill]

Used this book to plan a trip around western Montana and into Glacier. A good mix of pictures and advice, with prices and contact info. Nothing special, but useful.