Red Lodge remains fun, artsy, historical with great eateries

WHERE SHOULD WE GO FOR A QUICK WEEKEND, OR WEEK LONG GET-AWAY? CONSIDER THIS LIVELY, ARTSY MONTANA TOWN

Red Lodge, Montana, offers spectacular scenery and one of the world's most stunning drives.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYER
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

WHEN YOU want a couple days off, to laze and be reflective, Red Lodge, Montana, delivers.
When you want a couple days off to party, frolic, be active and social, or take a wildlife-viewing hike, Red Lodge fills that bill, too.
This lovely little mountain town can be sophisticated or laid back.
You can dine elegantly with a nod to organic farming in a century-old brick hotel, or enjoy splendid pizza in a historic restaurant. You can shoot pool, play video poker, sing karaoke, dance and stay out late.

You can find bargain rack shopping with 50 per cent discounts for name brand tops and jeans.`

Buy homemade sausage and delicious pastries at two shops next door to one another.  Both the meat market and bakery have legions of friends, both locals and tourists.

Red Lodge, a mountain town, is nestled in a
picturesque valley, and is a gateway to Yellowstone.

I GREW up in a small town not far from Red Lodge, and we drove from Columbus to Red Lodge often for sports events -- our teams were in the same conference -- to Girl Scout and Lions camps up the road, and to favorite family dining venues, Old Piney Dell always a family favorite through the generations. We loved the old Victorians which stand sentinel and show community pride.

Red Lodge is famous for its beautifully restored Victorians.

The fact that it is still there and thriving makes this reporter happy.
Winters, took we took to the ski slopes, so it was a nostalgic afternoon when we drove recently up the six-mile road to the run of my youth.  While I mostly sat in the warming hut reading, siblings raced down the slopes and reveled in the excitement.
RED LODGE can deliver what you need -- excitement or calm.
I needed the latter. If you're overwhelmed with activity and challenge, too many activities, projects and people, Red Lodge offers an opportunity to regroup and calm yourself.  The "Red Lodge Anxiety

Main Street, Red Lodge, offers colorful marquees and neon.

Cure" works for me every time.

Wildlife is out the door, very near, if you base in Red Lodge. Here, mule 

WE RECENTLY ventured to lovely Rock Creek Resort for its picturesque restaurant's fine dining at Old Piney Dell. We also visited Red Lodge Pizza Co., in a beautiful brick building.  During my childhood, Piney Dell was a favorite as was Natali's (now the Red Lodge Pizza building). I walked down memory lane gazing at vintage Natali's photos in the back room! Food is still great there, and at Bridge Creek Backcountry Kitchen and Wine Bar, Bogart's, Cafe Regis and Foster and Logan's Pub. The Pollard Hotel's elegant lodging, top restaurant and pub continue to be favorites.  Not far from downtown, you can see wildlife, including both mule deer and white tails -- for photographic adventurers.

Our doggies, Nick and Nora, like Red Lodge
 for its many dog friendly accommodations.

For a fun time with kids, check out the Montana Candy Emporium, and Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary is a unique refuge for native animals found injured and rehabilitated in the center.
RED LODGE is a hot town in the winter when skiing begins, but it's a fine weekend get-away any time of year. Red Lodge Mountain is a quiet, no hype ski destination, growing in popularity with a national clientele.
People love it for its skiing -- "pure and simple," the p.r. folks say. "No lift lines, no attitude, no big prices. Just great snow and great people." My favorite time is summer!
But whichever your season, Red Lodge offersan authentic experience in Montana’s Rocky Mountains, summer or winter.  It's part of my history, and I love to share it.  Call 406 446-1718, the Red Lodge Chamber for more information. Or go to www.redlodge.com or www.redlodgemountain.com

COMING NEXT: Exciting news. Our long awaited novel, "Lilian's Last Dance," publishes next Wednesday on Amazon e-books. It's writers are Cookie, aka Christene Meyers, and William Jones. We'd appreciate brisk sales the first couple weeks, anticipating a paperback version: Here's a synopsis to get your literary juices flowing: War threatens to rearrange the world’s boundaries as an unlikely trio discovers love crossing all lines. A dashing bi-sexual American bank robber, beautiful French female sharpshooter and pioneering British film maker star in a tale of passion, vengeance and honor. “Lilian’s Last Dance,” begins in 1907, unfolding during a 10-year span, against a radical art movement, developing film industry and the Great War. Settings include New York, France, rural Montana, Peru and Hollywood. Real-life cameos include Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith, Conrad Hilton, Ty Cobb, Pablo Picasso, Charlie Chaplin, “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Gertrude Stein and more.
Wednesday's blog will herald the official release. Remember to explore, learn and live and stay tuned for the book and a series of lively stories about the travels, passions and sidetracks in the making of the novel since its 1997 inception.
At: www.whereiscookie.com  Please tell your friends!