Once the excess and gluttony of the Christmas season has ended, it is the time to enter the resolution making portion of our holiday adventures. In other words, it is time to celebrate the new year! We at Sweet Home Montana aren’t entirely sure how welcoming the new year with a bunch of promises that we will do better than we did in the old one came about, and since we tend to break those promises in the first weeks of the new month, we aren’t entirely sure that it does any good. But we do like the idea of making a New Year’s resolution to travel to our West Yellowstone hometown, and if that is one thing you have resolved to do, we have created this guide to a West Yellowstone getaway, enabling you to keep at least one resolution in 2025.
Early Resolutions
Obviously, you don’t want to wait until New Year’s Eve to start making those resolutions; a lot of thought must go into each one you make, and the champagne can interfere with your critical thinking process. So we suggest you start early, perhaps enter the planning stages during the Christmas chaos and making your West Yellowstone vacation the last one of 2024 and the first one of 2025. It will still be cold and snowy here and your daytime adventures may run to snowshoeing or cross country skiing, helping you keep another resolution you may have made, that of moving more.
Resolve to Eat Well
We think using the word well over better changes the meaning of your resolution, encouraging resolution makers to explore the better restaurants, including our very own Madison Crossing Lounge. Located at 121 Madison Avenue inside what was once a schoolhouse, the menu is an all-American one filled with winter hearty warmth, including bison nachos on the appetizer menu and an elk rack that has to be tasted to be believed. And because eating well means you should never skip dessert (Liking this resolution more and more, aren’t you?), we suggest entering the new year with a slice of their amazing olive oil cake topped with brown butter icing. 2025 is destined to be the most delicious year when you say farewell to 2024 at the Madison Crossing Lounge.
Don’t Be a Stranger
It can be awkward visiting a bar in a small town, especially as everyone in there probably already knows each other, but in West Yellowstone, we have never met a stranger. The Buffalo Bar, 335 US-20, is where you can celebrate with your new friends, sipping the night away and raising a toast to 2025 when the clock strikes 12. Cheers that wish all a Happy New Year may also help you feel welcomed to Yellowstone! Offering a Western theme, accented by wildlife of all sorts (and yes, that includes the buffalo for which it is named), the bar also offers a room filled with video slot machines for your entertainment pleasure. If you choose the Buffalo Bar dining, we recommend trying their Buffalo Balls, which is not what you may think it is. Simply two meatballs topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms and served over skin on red potatoes, the dish is hearty, delicious, and will make a statement when you announce what you devoured on your favorite social media site!
A Christmas Present to Yourself?
Although much of what we are sharing with you will revolve around the new year, maybe your resolution to travel to West Yellowstone comes in the form of a Christmas present to yourself and your adventures are scheduled to begin well into the new year. Spring in our neck of the woods can bring a delightful adventure that still maintains the fewer tourists feel, while also giving travelers the first peek at baby, well, everything! The bear cubs will be frolicking, the bison babies will be adorable, and the gates of the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park will open on the third Friday of April promptly at 8 AM. If you have visited in the summer months, the difference between high tourist season and spring will be noticeable, perhaps making you feel as if the park is yours for the day!
Happy New Year from Sweet Home Montana
No matter when you choose to visit this most beautiful part of the wild west, your vacation accommodations will become an integral part of your vacation experience when you choose one of our Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaways.
Sipping hot cocoa in front of a roaring fire, playing Monopoly at the dining room table, and watching the ball drop in Times Square on state of the art televisions are some ways you can celebrate the new year. Reserve your favorite holiday hideaway today and welcome 2025 in the most comfortable of ways!
When you live in a place where snow covers the ground most of the winter, you can safely expect that winter sports will be quite popular, and in West Yellowstone, that is quite true. We love playing outside as much as possible, and when you visit during the snowy season, you will understand why and may want to participate in some of our favorite snow sports while you are here. This guide to the top snow sports you can engage in during your West Yellowstone adventures will paint a picture of long days spent playing hard and wonderfully long nights spent in the cozy confines of our Sweet Home Montana seasonal sanctuaries.
Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing is more often considered a Scandinavian sport, but in West Yellowstone, the love of the sport is alive and well, with the Rendezvous Ski Trails being the most popular areas to traverse the landscape. The skis used in this sport are longer, slimmer, and lighter than the ones used in downhill, and the bindings are somewhat looser, allowing for more movement between the boot heel and the ski. Additionally, the ski poles that help propel you along the trails are longer, helping to create a gliding motion that still provides a pretty good workout. In fact, a cross-country journey is a wonderful aerobic AND anaerobic cardio exercise, helping you maintain an elevated heart rate over a longer period. And you don’t fall as far during cross-country, making it far more appealing to many amateur winter sports athletes.
Snowshoeing
Even if you have never participated, snowshoeing has been a popular activity all over the world for over 4000 years, so when you strap on your first pair, you will be walking in the footsteps of our ancient ancestors. Rendezvous Trails is also a great place to snowshoe, with the Refuge Point Trail being one of the most scenic, offering visitors a stunning hike that only last about 2.3 miles. There is something peaceful about a trek of this sort, especially when you are hiking in freshly fallen snow on a clear and sunny day. Packing a thermos of hot cocoa is always a good idea as well, enabling you to take warmth breaks that will be good for your soul.
Sledding
We had to think about this for a few minutes before listing sledding on this page, because when we thought about it, we weren’t sure we could consider sledding a sport, but it needs snow and is so much fun, we thought, why not? Pioneer Park is where we take our kiddos for an afternoon of sledding fun, but anywhere you happen to find a safe hill that isn’t on private land can be the ideal spot for this type of adventure. You will need to bring your own sleds, but we know from our own sledding experiences as children that a piece of plastic or cardboard will do just fine in a pinch.
Ice Skating
We are heading back to Pioneer Park for our next snowy adventure, as it offers an outdoor rink that will be a romantic adventure that could come straight from a scene in the Hallmark holiday movie that you like or a family bonding adventure that will be remembered for years to come. You will need to bring your own skates, so plan ahead and count on making wonderful memories on your vacation in our winter paradise.
Ice Fishing
Summer isn’t the only time for fishing in West Yellowstone, and as you bring out your favorite fishing gear, there is a new tool you will need to add your tackle, that of an ice auger to help you drill a hole in the thick ice on Hebgen Lake. The lake is located just 12 miles north of your Sweet Home Montana vacation retreat, and although it does take a little hike to get to your spot, it is an easy hike that will lead you through the frozen Montana landscape, offering peace and serenity and a sense of wow to all who are fortunate to witness the views on their way to a day of fishing. The lake itself is filled with brown and rainbow trout, ensuring that your catch of the day will be the very delicious meal of the evening.
Relaxing in Front of a Roaring Fire, Sleeping Late, and Snowball Throwing
These last sports are destined to be the ones that you enjoy the most and none need any sort of formal training or special equipment. Your Sweet Home Montana winter retreat is the stadium and the arena where all of the above winter sports will be played and enjoyed! Reserve your favorite Montana escape today and fall in love with all the perfect winter days you will enjoy during your vacation with us.
The magic of the holidays comes from more than the gifts you give and get. It’s the feeling you get when you see the sparkle in your children’s eyes, it’s the way the snowy landscape seems to bring peace to your soul, and it comes from that child hidden deep inside you, the one that still believes in Santa Claus. West Yellowstone is a small town, and the families that live here year round celebrate the holidays in much the same ways they are celebrated all around the world and when your journey brings you to our doorstep for Christmas, you will discover a magic that speaks louder than gifts. This guide to our holiday events in West Yellowstone and your stay in our Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaways will show you how this Christmas will shine bright with all the magic it brings to those who believe.
Decorated for the Holidays
The shops and boutiques of West Yellowstone are special during normal times. But at Christmas? All decked out for the holidays, their colorful lights shimmering against the snow covered landscape and the sales they offer will make it easy to cross all the names off your Christmas shopping list. Buy your sister the homemaker something for the home from Sweet Pea Living, fill all your stockings with treats purchased from the Sweet Palace (they call themselves the World’s Greatest Candy Store and we wholeheartedly agree) and bring everyone home a souvenir tee shirt from Yellowstone T-shirt Company, all of which are open year round. Dancing Moose Gifts offers a great selection of toys, supplementing those that Santa leaves for your children.
West Yellowstone Christmas Stroll
The West Yellowstone Christmas Stroll is an event we can’t help but love, looking forward to it 364 days out of the year. (On the 365th day we are too busy enjoying all the fun we are having at this wonderful event.) Offering all the magic of Christmas, visitors can expect to find holiday backdrops in front of which the most festive of family selfies will be taken, arts and crafts booths that will allow your children to discover the joy of creating gifts for their parents, and maybe even meet Sparky, the Fire Dog. Rumor has it Santa is scheduled to take a break from his very busy Christmas preparations, and the games and activity booths will bring their own joy to the celebration. Also offering firemen reading Christmas stories and holiday food that includes S’mores stations set up throughout the area, the West Yellowstone Christmas Stroll is a magical event that offers moments that glimmer for everyone who attends.
Your Christmas with Sweet Home Montana
For many visitors, the choice to travel at Christmas lies in the realization that Christmas at home has lost its sparkle. Stores that start hawking Christmas before summer has even ended, the days spent trying to outdo the neighbor’s holiday displays (when did holiday decorating become a competition instead of a natural display of our love for Christmas?) and the cleaning, the cooking, the shopping, and fighting the crowds. The magic may have faded long ago, but in West Yellowstone you will find it once again. Our town is a small one, serving as the gateway to one of the most famous parks in the world, and at Christmas, the crowds will be gone, leaving behind happy families celebrating in all the best ways, and you and yours will be celebrating right alongside them, discovering beauty in simplicity and adding new traditions to your holiday adventures.
The Differences Are Clear
Even as many of your holiday traditions will stay the same, reading Christmas stories before bed, staying up late to put together complicated toys, and the sound of excited whispers when your kids awaken before the sun and discuss amongst themselves when it will be ok to wake you and start opening presents, the differences will be clear and wonderful. Your Sweet Home Montana escape will be in pristine condition, eliminating the need to deep clean for grumpy extended family members who never appreciate your efforts in the first place. You will have the choice of preparing your Christmas feast or skipping the tradition altogether and heading to local restaurants that will be open. (Hank’s Chop Shop is one of our favorites and is usually open on Thanksgiving and Christmas.) And for our guests who are not fortunate to live in an area where snow falls, waking to a landscape blanketed in snow will add an extra layer of festive to your Christmas celebrations.
Reserve Your Favorite Sweet Home Montana Holiday Hideaway Today
Magic and memories await you in our cozy escapes, starting a tradition that will be cherished for years to come.
A visit to West Yellowstone is destined to be one filled with many photo opportunities and at the holidays, the best photos will often end up gracing the front of your family Christmas card and although you could take a formal and posed one that would do fine, we think you will want more. Families grow and they change and the family that explores West Yellowstone over the Christmas of 2024 won’t resemble the one who may return many years later and we at Sweet Home Montana understand this need to immortalize today’s version. Our guide to where to take family holiday photos in West Yellowstone will ensure that the pictures taken will be pictures never forgotten, even as the look of your family changes and moves forward.
West Yellowstone Heritage Park, 179-199 Firehole Avenue
Looking entirely different than it will in the summer months, West Yellowstone Heritage Park will be a wintry wonderland and as you dress in your most colorful and warmest winter garb, the contrast of color and white snow, green pine trees and white snow, will ensure that every pic you take will stand out in the crowd. An interesting jungle gym, offering a pirate’s ladder just begging for your little monkeys to climb on could be used as a prop for your family photo, so don’t forget to smile, reminding everyone who sees the finished shot just how wonderful of a time you had during your holiday adventures in Montana!
Gibbon Falls
If you have never seen a waterfall freeze in the winter, you are about to experience something that will change the core of who you are. No two ice waterfalls are the same, and while some may resemble the back of a woman’s white wedding gown, trailing down over the rocks, others may provide something a little more witchy, with spikes splintering out in all directions. Gibbons Falls can resemble both, depending on the time of year and how cold it gets, and we can promise that any family photo taken with the falls in the background will be the best ones ever. There is a catch, though, as the falls are located inside the gates of Yellowstone National Park, which with the exception of the North Entrance, are all closed during the winter months. To see this amazing site, you must book a guided tour. We highly recommend Yellowstone Back Country Adventures for this and other winter-time tours.
Horse Butte Lookout
The snowmobiles come into play again for this next family photo opportunity, as the Horse Butte Lookout Snowmobile Trail provides an excellent way to get to one of the most scenic spots in the area. Offering panoramic views of the mountains, the trees, and the stark and nearly desolate beauty of a Montana snow-covered landscape, the photos taken here deserve to be on a Christmas Card and perhaps you can even include the snowmobiles as props, providing even more color to your shot.
West Yellowstone Town Christmas Tree
The West Yellowstone Christmas Tree provides the perfect background for any holiday pic, even in the daylight hours and when your family and friends see how happy you look, how beautiful the tree is with its lights shimmering in the dark sky, and how stunning our landscape can be when blanketed in snow, they will wish they could have joined in all the fun. Traditions become traditions for a reason and the picture of the family in front of our Christmas tree is one that will definitely bring you joy.
At Home with Sweet Home Montana
The best family photos are the candid ones, and throughout your stay, our Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaways will offer plenty of opportunities to snap the perfect picture. Line up along the railing of the front porch of your escape, tall ones in the back with the littlest ones on their shoulders, and the ones who are neither big nor small standing in front. Gather around the Christmas tree you put up and decorated, colorfully wrapped gifts adding excitement to the background. You can’t help but to keep watching all the goings on from behind the lens of your camera or phone, afraid to put either down, as you might miss the picture that will best reflect the wonders of your visit. Maybe this will be the year that you don your matching pajamas and pose with happy smiles in front of a roaring fire, reminding you of the best vacation you have ever experienced every time you see the resulting photo.
Reserve your favorite Sweet Home Montana escape today!
The holidays are when we begin to appreciate family moments the most, spending more time at home our spouses and our children, playing, relaxing, and devouring the holiday feast, something you can continue to do when you choose to make a white Christmas visit to our West Yellowstone piece of paradise. And because the food that we eat over the holidays is as important as the decorations, the presents, even Santa Claus, you will be reassured to know that our Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaways offer fully equipped kitchens in which you can prepare the entire meal from scratch or heat up a takeout feast for less muss and fuss. For those who prefer to dine out on the holiday, there are some restaurants in town that will be open for business and this guide to helping you enjoy your Christmas dinner in West Yellowstone will point you in the right direction!
Three Bear Restaurant, 205 Yellowstone Avenue
This family restaurant is famous for its reasonable prices, its delicious comfort food, and for being open on Christmas day, cooking dinner for your family so that you don’t have to. As of this writing, the information we have states that they will be open regular business hours on Christmas eve and Christmas day, but that could change and they don’t state whether reservations are accepted, so you might want to call ahead of time to ask about both. Offering a rustic and colorful charm every guest feels at home when seated at their tables, tucking into a feast that fills the belly and warms the soul.
Hank’s Chop Shop, 221 N Canyon Street
Hanks Chop Shop is another family style restaurant open for Christmas, offering a comfort food menu made with locally sourced ingredients, their holiday menus are known to hit all the right spots in your stomach. Famous for being a popular selfie spot (due to the giant Sasquatch standing outside their front door) as well as for being so obviously passionate about the food they serve, Hank’s is worth visiting on any day of the year, not just during the holidays. Reservations are not accepted.
Takeout Is Good, Too
It will be cold and snowy during your West Yellowstone Christmas adventures and you may be reluctant to spend a lot of time out in the elements, preferring to stay in where it is warm, cozy, and a fire in the fireplace is adding romance to your holiday. Ordering your meal from Hank’s Chop Shop will ensure that you enjoy a traditional dinner and will mostly get to stay home, but what if the traditional is not what you are craving? Maybe it is a large pizza with all the trimmings that is making you salivate and fortunately for you, the Wild West Pizzeria & Saloon will be open for pick-up on Christmas Eve! Located at 14 Madison Avenue, travelers can finish up their last-minute shopping with a stop in the saloon, perhaps taking the time for a drink before picking up your pizza and heading back to your holiday hideaway for a night of family memories. Reheat your pizza for dinner the next day and enjoy; for some reason pizza always tastes better the second day, but only if you heat it in the oven. Popping a slice in the microwave is guaranteed to be a disappointed, but when you heat the entire pizza in the oven, soon your rental will be filled with the savory scents of tomatoes, cheese, and all the herbs and toppings that make pizzas the international food of love. The best part of Christmas in West Yellowstone is knowing that you can do whatever you want to do and if eating pizza for the holiday feast is what you want to do, the Wild West Pizzeria & Saloon is here to help!
Feasting at Home with Sweet Home Montana
We’ve offered up quite a few ideas as to how you can get a meal on Christmas Day, but perhaps your favorite kitchen to visit will be the one inside your Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaway. Fully equipped with new appliances, spacious counters, and a cheerful vibe that can only come from the heart of the home, it won’t feel like work putting together a family meal. Pick up the ingredients you need at Food Roundup, 107 Dunraven Street, and when it is time to do the work, pour yourself a glass of wine, stream your favorite Christmas music stations, and prepare for a couple of hours of fun and flavor. This could be the year you share the secret ingredients in your great-great grandma’s homemade stuffing, keeping the recipe alive for another generation. Or it could be the year you choose to make grilled cheese sandwiches for your Christmas feast. It doesn’t matter which direction your meal goes, all that matters is you spend this holiday in our West Yellowstone sanctuaries. Reserve your favorite today!
Not everyone gets to celebrate a white Christmas, and if you are one of the unfortunate ones who doesn’t, you may be looking towards West Yellowstone for your Christmas journey. Offering snowy days and nights that can really make you feel the spirit of the holiday, our small and rustic corner of the world shines brighter this time of year, offering a variety of holiday activities that will make you believe in the magic of Christmas, especially when you choose one of our Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaways for a comfortable and endearing holiday celebration. This guide to Christmas lights and displays in West Yellowstone will help you find the joy and comfort you have been missing over the holidays.
The Shops and Businesses in Downtown West Yellowstone
Although the big cities seem to have toned down the decorating when it comes to Christmas, here in West Yellowstone the tradition of big decorations remain strong. Finish up your Christmas shopping at our local stores, enjoying the lights that reflect off the snow at night, doubling the effect and bringing color to your life. Inside, Christmas music may be playing and more decorations will help you rediscover your love of the holiday, turning the chore of shopping into a happy adventure that will add to your enjoyment of the season. The restaurants of West Yellowstone will also be decorated, their lights shining bright, while also offering Christmas trees that greet you at the doors, reminding you that the holiday will be here before you know it. Serving meals that are hearty and hot, warming your insides as well as your soul, they may not be open on Christmas day, but the days leading up to it will offer your favorite comfort foods.
West Yellowstone Christmas Stroll, December 20
This annual event is one we at Sweet Home Montana look forward to every year, offering a jump start to our holiday celebrations that is festive and fun and encompasses every Christmas tradition, including the lighting of our town tree. Below, we have listed some of our favorite parts of this wonderful event, perhaps leading you and your family towards a new holiday tradition.
- Holiday Selfies – The Chamber of Commerce will be offering a variety of holiday backdrops perfect for family pictures or a quick selfie you can post on your favorite social network site, showing your friends and family how much Christmas fun you are having. This activity can take place all day, and many of the backdrops will feature Christmas lights that will shine even in bright daylight.
- Reindeer Games – The shops will be open extended hours on this day of celebration, giving travelers another opportunity to finish up their holiday shopping, while also offering a variety of “reindeer games” at Santa’s Workshop. Prices will be a shopping spree, so be sure to play.
- S’more Stations – You never know when you need a gooey and chocolatey marshmallow treat to help restore your flagging energy, and for that reason, there will be multiple S’more Stations set up around town in the afternoon.
- Christmas Movies – What is better than watching a Christmas movie on a snowy day in West Yellowstone? Watching it for free on the huge screen at Yellowstone Giant Screen Theater, located at 101 S Canyon Street. Last year, the movie “du jour” was the Santa Clause, but it hasn’t been announced as of yet if it is going to be the same this year or if they are choosing a different Christmas movie to screen.
- Parade of Lights – We love a parade, and the West Yellowstone Parade of Lights offers magical floats that are shimmering and glittering for the big holiday. Snaking its way along the streets of downtown, spreading cheer, excitement, and building anticipation for the events that follow, this small town parade will warm your heart in a big way.
- The Lighting of the Christmas Tree – The parade ends at the town tree, towering over the West Yellowstone landscape, waiting for the click of the switch that sets it alight. The beauty of this moment will burrow its way into your soul and as you stand out in the cold, watching the tree light up the night, staring at the people who surround you, you will know that your Christmas journey to West Yellowstone is destined to become a new family tradition. Pictures with Santa begin after the lighting, adding more joy to the moment.
The Neighborhoods That Surround Your Holiday Hideaway
We love Christmas and the homes that surround your Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaway will be adorned in their holiday finest, encouraging you and your family to bundle up, perhaps fill a thermos with hot cocoa, and take your own Christmas stroll around the neighborhood. Reserve your favorite holiday escape today!
Although Thanksgiving falls in the fall months, November in Yellowstone can be more closely described as winter with the snow season beginning the end of September. Offering a blanket of snow as a backdrop to your Thanksgiving adventures, you will learn all that you have to be thankful for as you relax, play, and enjoy the comforts found in our Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaways. Offering serenity, quiet, and that peaceful vibe that will come in handy during these chaotic holiday months, below we have listed the reasons we believe West Yellowstone is the perfect Thanksgiving destination.
Find Your Joy
In the past, Thanksgiving may not have been as wonderful as you may have hoped it could be. Working full time and still having to get the house cleaned, groceries bought, and all of that cooking made for a rough holiday. The workload increased, but the amount of time you have available in each day still stayed the same, adding to the chaos that often characterizes this holiday, but in West Yellowstone, you will find your joy once more. Wake up early to catch the sun rising over the mountains and then crawl back in bed for a few more zzz’s, knowing you don’t have to be anywhere or do anything anytime soon may be the biggest gift you give yourself. But if sleep eludes you or you just happen to be an early riser at any time of the year, the Macy’s Day Parade starts at 8:30 in New York, which means it will be on television sometime around 5:30 here. Our state of the art televisions will make you feel as if you are standing on the sidelines of the parade, but the fire in the fireplace and the blanket you have tucked around you will ensure you stay cozy and warm.
The Feast of the Day
As you begin to add up your blessings, your next item added to your list may be the one about not having to work your fingers to the bone making a meal for your family to love. Even as West Yellowstone is a small town and many businesses and restaurants will be closed so employees can celebrate with their families, there are generally at least a couple of restaurants open and serving delicious feasts, as listed below.
- The Branch Restaurant & Bar, 315 Yellowstone Avenue – Serving a special Thanksgiving meal with a Montana twist, the Branch has served a roasted quail dinner that delighted the taste buds of everyone who tried it. If quail is a little far out for your own palate, their Apple Brandy Glazed Ham never fails to excite, and the whisky glazed carrots served with both main dishes are something we dream about for the remaining 11 months and 364 days we have to wait until NEXT Thanksgiving!
- Happy Hanksgiving at Hank’s Chop Shop, 221 N Canyon Street – Although Hank’s Chop Shop is known for its wild game menu, they stay completely traditional offering a choice between turkey and ham. Creamy mashed potatoes, homemade pie, and someone else creating, serving, and clearing away the table? Your turkey day meal at Hank’s will be memorable and full of flavor, both things we want to experience on this grateful day of deliciousness in November.
Black Friday Shopping
If it seems like you have barely finished your last piece of pie and Christmas begins, well, it seems that way because it is true! Black Friday shopping, however, is a great way to get into the holiday spirit, even if the shops around here wait until Friday morning to open their doors. We like the less frenetic energy of spending Thanksgiving night at home, watching Christmas movies and playing games with the family, making sure to get a good night’s sleep so as to have plenty of energy for the next morning. Every store in town will be open on Friday, November 29th (Can you believe that Thanksgiving is so late this year?), and whether you choose to shop the big box stores or to explore what the downtown shops and boutiques have to offer, we can promise a good time will be had! Dancing Moose Gift Shop, located at 108 N Canyon Street, is sure to have unusual gifts that your friends and family will fall in love with.
Happy Thanksgiving from Sweet Home Montana
Of course, some of your best moments will be the ones you spend within the confines of your Sweet Home Montana holiday haven. Inside these four walls lies a world of comfort and joy, and if you do choose to make your holiday meal in our fully equipped kitchens, you will soon learn that cooking can be fun. Reserve your favorite holiday escape today and discover your own reasons for enjoying a West Yellowstone Thanksgiving this year!
The annual fall break is beginning to reach levels of popularity that heretofore were only met by summer or spring, but when you choose to travel to West Yellowstone over Halloween, there may be some members of your family that take issue with the trip. Of course, we are talking about your tiniest travelers, the ones who start anticipating next Halloween’s goodies and costumes before they have even completely looked through this year’s stash, and when they ask, “What about trick-or-treating?” you can answer with complete assurance that the Halloween hijinks will not have to be skipped. We at Sweet Home Montana have created this guide to the best places to trick-or-treat in West Yellowstone, while also offering ideas on how to celebrate for the whole family.
Trunk or Treat, Date TBD, Povah Community Parking Lot
The information isn’t complete as of yet, but in previous years, the Povah Community Parking Lot has held a trunk or treat event guaranteed to thrill the kiddos. Generally held the Friday before Halloween, (that would be October 25th this year) they offer all the fun of Halloween while allowing parents to feel safe as their kids race from trunk to trunk begging for the candy they crave. Costumes are key to the fun, so be sure to bring your kiddo’s along for the trip, or if you forgot, you could always pick up something at our local stores. In any case, this fun Halloween activity offers candy, hot chocolate, (it can get cold at night this time of year) and family photo opportunities that will provide the most amazing souvenir of your West Yellowstone vacation.
Neighborhood Trick-or-Treating in West Yellowstone, October 31
West Yellowstone is a small town located at the edge of Yellowstone Park, and unlike larger towns, there aren’t a lot of Halloween events, but we have kids too, and we invite you to join in the neighborhood fun. We love the small-town closeness of neighbors who are always looking out for each other, and your kids will be safe too as you make the door-to-door trek that brings them joy. Even better, your Sweet Home Montana escape will be located close to where you are trick-or-treating, and parents won’t have far to trudge when returning with exhausted toddlers in their arms or on their shoulders! And after you get them in bed, they will be sleeping so soundly, they won’t hear when you sneak some candy from their goody bags. With the guide to candy and wine pairings listed below, we can promise your night of spooks, thrills, sweets, and fun will be one you never forget.
Candy and Wine Pairings for the Parents
Whether you chose to dress in your own costume or simply donned coat and sneakers to chaperone your little goblins and ghouls, you too deserve a little treat (but no tricks!) in the form of stolen candies paired to perfection with your favorite wines. We have listed a few of our favorites below, but a simple tip to remember when choosing a wine, chocolates pair best with red wines and fruity candies pair best with white wines.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – Reese’s is always going to taste best when paired with either a dark cabernet sauvignon or a rich merlot, again sticking with chocolate and red as the theme of the pairing.
- Snicker’s – Yep, you guessed it, a rich and smooth cabernet sauvignon will bring out the highlights of this nougat and peanut rich candy bar. Hopefully some of the neighbors are overachievers and will provide the full sized ones so you can sip, sample, and savor in style on All Hallows Eve.
- M&M’s – It’s a red again for the treats that melt in your mouth and not in your hands, but because there are many different types of M&M’s, you may want to sample the reds you have on hand to try and determine which goes best with which. For your standard M&M’s we highly recommend a pinot noir, for peanut butter ones we suggest a cabernet sauvignon, and for all the others, well, as long as you stay in the red category you should be just fine.
- Starburst – The blast of fruit enjoyed in every piece will best be accompanied by a glass of bubbly Moscato with this treat being one that carries over into real life!
- Candy Corn – This last candy is for the traditionalists out there; a chilled and crisp chardonnay enhances the waxy sweetness of this sugary blast that has been around for over 100 years.
Your Halloween Hideaway
After the trick-or-treating has completed and you have sipped and sampled your way through your kiddo’s goody bags, the best night’s sleep will be had in our Sweet Home Montana Halloween hideaways. Reserve your favorite today!
Every traveler deserves that one perfect vacation spent exploring someplace wonderful, a place that offers peace, serenity, and a natural landscape that will make them long for simpler days in their own hometowns. And if that vacation happens to fall during a season that isn’t usually considered tourist season, a time when traffic jams are rare and wait times in restaurants are shortened, the only thing that could make that vacation even better is knowing that it is West Yellowstone your airplane and rental car are pointed in the direction of, and realizing that every night you will be able to rest your heads on the most comfortable pillows in the state of Montana, simply because you chose Sweet Home Montana for your vacation accommodations. This guide to a West Yellowstone vacation that occurs in the midst of our quiet season is destined to speak to your soul.
The Quiet Season Starts Soon
As summer draws ever closer to its natural conclusion, travelers are returning home in droves, lured by the siren’s song of back to school bells and the realization that the end of the year holidays are almost here. And although you may be tempted to do the same, you also know that your soul needs a few extra days where your responsibilities are few and your free moments are many. You want to sleep in late, greeting the day on your own time schedule and you need to find the moments so serene and peaceful you can tuck them away in your heart to be explored at a later time, perhaps when real life gets too harsh. In West Yellowstone, those quiet days can be found in the months of September and October—April too, but that’s a story for another day! Don’t take that quiet for boredom, however, especially in the fall months when the sounds of elk calling out for a mate may ring through the countryside, and when the call is answered, you too can sleep peacefully knowing the bull has found his cow, and when spring rolls around, new babies will be frolicking in our beautiful landscape.
Faithfully Yours
There are other geysers in Yellowstone National Park, but the first one named is the most famous of all and in the tourist season, Old Faithful can be a little more difficult to access as all the crowds want to witness its predictability. Officially known as a cone geyser, the geyser has erupted every 44 minutes to two hours since the year 2000, with the boiling water reaching heights of up to 125 feet, creating a sensation every time. Enjoy a leisurely walk along the boardwalk that takes you to other, less predictable geysers, springs, and pools known for their beautiful colors and extreme heat and feel as if the entire park belongs to you as you will encounter very few thrill seekers during your adventures. (The Biscuit Basin Interpretive Trail is currently closed due to a hydrothermal explosion, but there are still areas you can enjoy during your visit.)
Play in the Snow
Yes, you read that correctly. Although we can’t predict exactly when, the snow often starts falling sometime in September and October, and although it is chilly, we firmly believe you haven’t lived until you have seen the landscape of West Yellowstone blanketed in the white stuff. For families living in warmer areas, these early season snowstorms can be the first opportunity your children will have to make snow angels and build snowmen, creating memories they will never forget.
Delicious Meals, Little to No Waiting
Parents traveling with young children understand the frustration that can accompany long waits at restaurants, the kiddos are hungry and they don’t care who knows it, but during your late summer or early fall visit, the wait is shortened, and the hearty meals served at places such as Old Town Cafe, 128 Madison Ave, can be quickly devoured, perhaps even before the little tykes realize they are hungry. Also offering lower prices during this quiet season of wonder, your bank account is sure to thank you for visiting West Yellowstone during this most beautiful time of the year!
West Yellowstone Vacation Difference
The quiet moments spent in your Sweet Home Montana seasonal sanctuary will be the ones that help fortify you for the crazy times that lie ahead. Relaxing on large decks that overlook the West Yellowstone countryside where views of trees dressed in their autumn finest or meadows blanketed with snow remind you that it’s the simple things that can provide the largest impact on your peace of mind. Sleep late every morning, play games with the kiddos, and let the peaceful ambience of your Montana home away from home fill you with joy. Our homes will be where you make your most meaningful memories—reserve your favorite escape today!
There are some places in this world where the term fall may not be understood, as the seasons rarely change, and summer springs eternal, and if a spicy summer getaway is what you are looking to enjoy in the fall months, you aren’t going to find it in West Yellowstone. What you will find, however, is a chilly portrait of the season complete with smoke coming out chimneys, the leaves on the trees turning a fiery array of colors, and maybe even a touch of frost upon the ground in the early morning hours. If this is what your idea of a fall vacation should look like, your fall journey to West Yellowstone and stay in our Home Sweet Montana seasonal sanctuaries will make all your vacation dreams come true, and this guide to the top fall events in West Yellowstone will help you fill in the blank spots on your vacation itinerary.
West Yellowstone Community Market, Thursdays in September, Museum of the Yellowstone Front Lawn
This non-profit organization celebrates the works of local artists and the products of local farmers, making Thursdays our favorite day of the week. Every other day of the week the Museum of the Yellowstone tells the history of our Montana town, but on Thursday evenings, the front lawn shines with products and produce of the now. Offering visitors the opportunity to find some of the most unusual souvenirs to help remind them of the fantastic times they had in West Yellowstone while also helping our guests stock the pantries and refrigerators of their Home Sweet Montana seasonal sanctuaries. The future is bright for the artists and farmers of our community and your future promises to be more colorful and tasteful after an exploration of the products offered for sale at the West Yellowstone Community Market.
Chili Cookoff, September 29, Povah Community Center, 10 Geyser Street
The foods of fall are our favorite and this Chili Cookoff, sponsored by Yellowstone Baptist Church offers the perfect way to kick off the season. Everybody has their own ideas on what makes a chili the best chili, and some may prefer their bowl of goodness so hot and spicy it brings tears to their eyes. Others prefer less spice but more meat, and although most chili connoisseurs prefer their chili to be thick, rich, and filled with flavor, there may be some culinary artists that think a thinner, more brothlike dish is the very best. Whatever your preference, every chili in the contest has something that makes it stand out and who knows? Maybe you will get some ideas on how to improve upon your own chili after tasting the delicious bowls of this spicy competition.
Yellowstone Ski Festival, November 28, Rendezvous Ski Trails
Yellowstone is famous for being the site of the first National Park, but did you know that our little part of paradise is known for its cross country skiing and for 40 years, Nordic skiers from all over the country (and Canada) make their way to the Rendezvous Ski Trails for the Yellowstone Ski Festival. Offering skiing clinics, competitive races, and classes that can help you improve your cross country skills or help you develop a love for the sport that will never go away. The ski clinics are led by former Olympic skiers, many of which you may recognize their names, and although we are listing November 28 as the day of the festival, the events, clinics, races, and classes will occur all through Thanksgiving week, giving visitors many reasons to be thankful. Also offering a “Taste of the Trails” event that celebrates the foods prepared by local restaurants, giving the festival a delicious flavor you will love. Last year’s festival, however, was cancelled due to lack of snow, so if you are planning a Thanksgiving visit to Montana, you might want to check the weather if you are planning on attending.
Your Own Impromptu Events
Not every West Yellowstone event has to be a city or community sanctioned one, and some of your favorite fall events in West Yellowstone may be the ones that take place in your Home Sweet Montana vacation escape. Horror movie binge-a-thons over the Halloween holiday will be especially gory and frightening when watching on our state of the art televisions. Accompany your horror move fest with a feast of Halloween themed meals, including Mummy Dogs (hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough, mummy style, and baked until golden and delicious) and for dessert, a holiday classic, Dirt and Worms, made with chocolate pudding, crumbled Oreos, and gummy worms. However you spend your fall vacation in West Yellowstone, coming home to our seasonal sanctuaries will make this getaway one that you will never forget. Contact us and reserve your favorite escape today!