In this “Under The Radar Destination” column, Travelocity spoke with Amanda Duncan, a native of Helena, Montana to get some tips on why Montana’s capital city is a perfect spot for a getaway.
How did you come to be an expert on Helena?
I was born in Helena, Montana and I’ve spent time there every year since moving away. Seriously, it’s a gorgeous place and once you visit you’ll want to come back year round!
Why is Helena so special to you?
Most of my family lives in Helena, so I still consider it my hometown even though I haven’t lived there in over ten years. I spend every major holiday there!
Reeder’s Alley in the Fall. Courtesy: Heidi O’Brien, Helena Tourism Alliance
Where in town would you go to celebrate a special occasion?
Special occasions are super fun to celebrate in Helena! Lucca’s restaurant downtown just won best restaurant in the state. It’s a tiny place, so you’ll have to make reservations. They share their liquor license with a bar next door, so you can keep the celebration going after dinner! There’s also On Broadway, a great Italian place. They don’t accept reservations, so go early to get a table. They often have live music, which means you can get a cocktail while you wait for a table and enjoy some pre-dinner tunes.
What is a great small, local eatery that only locals know about?
Staggering Ox is a local favorite. This quirky sandwich shop names the menu items after current events and serves the most unique bread I’ve ever seen! Order The Nuke, it was one of Esquire’s top sandwiches in the country. For breakfast, check out the No Sweat Cafe downtown. It’s a tiny joint that’s cash only, but the food is amazing. There’s so many more to tell you about! Big Dipper Ice Cream, Cafe Zydeco (yes, we have Cajun!), The Parrot (for their soda fountain AND their handmade candy) – the list goes on and on!
What local venues are the best places to catch some live music?
Miller’s downtown and the Lewis & Clark Tap Room both have bands booked on a regular basis. The Helena Symphony and the Helena Performing Arts Foundation sponsor performances throughout the year at the Civic Center. During the summer, the Stampede and Fair in July has a few bigger names come to town. The first week in August, The Clintons have an annual show series lakeside at Hauser Lake (located just 20 minutes away from town).
If a visitor wanted to do some true local shopping in Helena (i.e. local products not available nationally), where should they go?
Helena has some great local boutiques. For clothes, Sole Sisters and 406 offer items not available anywhere else. For local crafts, Frayed Sew and the local Saturday Farmer’s Market are great options. For local art, the store at the Holter Gallery always has some treasures just waiting to be discovered.
Enjoying local beers in Helena – Courtesy: Helena CVB
If a beer or wine aficionado came to town, where would you send them to sample locally made “beverages”?
The brewery scene is happening in Helena! Downtown, the Blackfoot Brewery Company attracts the after work crowd and has a great roof deck with views of some of the local historical landmarks. Start here and then transition to Miller’s for a big night out! The Lewis & Clark Tap Room is another great option located in the middle of town. They just started serving food, have TVs on for the big game and have a large outdoor space. Bonus: both of these places serve free popcorn! For the wine lovers, the Hawthorne is a new wine bar that opened downtown. They even have beer and wine cocktails on the menu in addition to small bites. You can also buy any of the bottles you try on the menu. In fact, start you celebrate here before you go to Lucca’s (located on the same block) for a big night out!
Are there any historical spots/museums/etc., that would help visitors to learn more about Helena?
Helena has a lot of history behind it. The downtown area, called Last Chance Gulch, was established as part of the Gold Rush in the 1880’s. The wooden tower, our Guardian of the Gulch, that you can see downtown was built around that time as a way to keep watch after devastating fires swept through the mining camp. Around that time, Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the country. You can take the tour train to see many of the mansions that were built during that period and still stand today. The Montana Historical Society is located near the capitol building and its a great way to see local Montana artists and artifacts. The Helena Cathedral and Civic Center are also worth checking out. Both were built in the early 1900’s.
Helena, MT and her iconic Firetower. Courtesy: Heidi O’Brien, Helena Tourism Alliance.
If a visitor wanted to get a feel for the Helena area, are there any tours, walks or excursions that you would recommend?
The Tour Train is a great way to see a lot of Helena in a unique way. Yes, it is a little train. It goes slowly enough for people to take lots of pictures and most locals will wave as you pass by. You can also download the Walking Tour app from the helenamt.com website – its a free excerpt of the book Historic Helena Walking Tours by Ellen Baumler (you can find the book most places downtown, it’s worth getting if you’re here for a while!)
Other than what you have already mentioned, what is a special place that you would take a friend visiting Helena for the first time?
There’s many wonderful parts of Helena. If you enjoy the outdoors, it’s great to visit one of the three lake areas near Helena in the summer or one of the many ski hills in the winter. There are many short hikes, including Mount Helena, that showcase a wonderful view of the Helena valley. There’s also great fishing in the area. There are so many special places, it’s easy to customize a trip for anyone.
Amanda Duncan is a Montanan who skedaddled to Seattle, then cruised to the Bay Area of California.
She has spent the last decade doing communications and marketing for some awesome companies. Working for a global company, Amanda traveled to amazing places, like Abu Dhabi and Helsinki, Finland.
When she isn’t at work, Amanda is traveling, shooting sporting clays, skiing when she can find the snow, trying a new sushi place or sipping some small batch bourbon. She loves all things design and actually enjoys cleaning out her closet.
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