Photo courtesy of csbarnhill – flickr

To my child-self growing up in New York State, Montana seemed about as exotic a destination as I could imagine. Far away, almost completely on the other side of the country, Montana loomed large – certainly larger in size (ranked 4th out of 50 states) than my home state (ranked 27th out of 50).

Photo courtesy of carolynconner – flickr

Then there was that mysterious facial profile shaping its western border next to Idaho. With its prominent forehead, nose and chin, Montana became more than a geographical location, more like a friend waiting to welcome me westward.

Photo courtesy of norrisbaby – flickr

In college, I marveled that one of my classmates hailed from Big Sky Country, cementing her status as a true adventurer in my eyes. When I finally made my way to Montana on a business trip years later, I was every bit as enchanted as I had been in my youth.

What do you love most about Montana, wanderboomers?