Experience Gift Giving Guide
Do you and your family have enough “Stuff”? Are you at an impasse as to what to give your family as gifts? Perhaps consider experiences as gifts instead of things. Living in such a beautiful place with access to tons of outdoor fun, it is easy to come up with gifts along the experiential lines if you are so inclined that will provide memories for years to come.
My top 4 experiences:
- Montana Dinner Yurt. How fun does this sound? Your group is transported on snowcats through the Big Sky backcountry to the Yurt location. There you are met with a bonfire and a torch lit sledding run outside and a candlelit cozy yurt inside. Musicians play while you socialize or play until the dinner bell is rung. Dinner is a gourmet feast of French onion soup, filet mignon and chocolate fondue for dessert. After dinner, there is time for gathering around the bonfire, taking pictures, sledding etc. http://www.bigskyyurt.com/montana-dinner-yurt/
- Back Country Snowmobiling. There are quite a few places that one can rent snowmobiles from and go snowmobiling on your own. However, if you are new to the sport, best to go with a guide the first few times. Canyon adventures in Big Sky has snowmobiles for rent as well as guides and can take you into the back country. Views of the Spanish Peaks, Taylor Peaks, Lone Peak and the Sphinx Mountains are all included! Bring your camera on this adventure! http://www.snowmobilemontana.com/
- Winter Yellowstone Tour. There are several different options as to how to do this. I recommend the bombardier coach tour for a fun old school experience. If your group is large enough (5-8), consider renting the entire coach for a more cozy, personal experience. https://seeyellowstone.com/tours/old-faithful-bombardier-snowcoach-tour/ Alternately, one can try a snowmobile tour. This is fun but keep in mind that the format is all snow mobiles in a line following the guide and then stopping at sights – no antics in the snow with the machines. http://backcountry-adventures.com/
- Explore Paradise Valley. Paradise Valley is stunning during the winter and provides for beautiful photography. One could start off with cross country skiing either in Yellowstone National Park or one of the forest service areas in the valley. https://www.visitgardinermt.com/item/278-favorite-cross-country-ski-trails-in-gardiner-and-northern-yellowstone Then head to one of the hot springs in the area to relax and warm up. Chico Hot Springs https://www.chicohotsprings.com/hot-springs/ or Yellowstone Hot Springs. https://yellowstonehotspringsmt.com/ Then one could eat at the Dining Room at Chico https://www.chicohotsprings.com/historic-dining-room/ or head up to Sage Lodge. https://www.sagelodge.com/grill.php If you really wanted to make a full day, Sage Lodge and Chico provide accommodations as well.
I am out to explore and find some more unique experiences. Look for a follow up post soon!
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