The sign outside of Mentzer's Livestock in Drummond, Montana
My Partner Kim has this week off so we decided to try and do a couple of fun things in our area. There is a big (for Montana) candy store in the small town of Phillipsburg (aka P-Burg) that is not too far from where we live. We had been meaning to make a trip over there for a while and decided to take advantage of our free afternoon, hopped in the Pontiac and drove over.
The drive over was nice. It was a brisk Montana spring day and traffic was sparse. We took I-90 towards Drummond. From there we would get on the MT-1, which would take us the rest of the way to Phillipsburg. We usually put an audio book or some podcasts on a usb drive to keep us entertained on road trips. This trip, we had an audiobook version of the saga, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing. The book is an intense retelling of the story of shipwrecked scientists who survived for months on end on drifting ice packs in the Antarctic Sea in 1914. The author interviewed survivors of the expedition and used their diaries from the time to reconstruct their tale. It is a great piece of literature and a real testament to the resiliency of humankind. I would highly recommend it.
We got to Phillipsburg in the late afternoon. Phillipsburg is an old smelting town turned ‘ol’ timey mountain town tourist spot.’ There is less than a thousand people who live there and many of the stores there are only open weekends or seasonally. There are a few things Phillipsburg is known for: its brewery—which has won international awards, its Montana sapphires, and its candy store. Today, we were here for the candy (although when we got home we were upset that we forgot to get a beer while we were there).
The Sweet Palace candy store is on Broadway in downtown P-Burg. P-Burg’s downtown has been pretty well preserved/restored and the town really has the feel of an early 20th century western town, complete with places to tie up your horse along with the parking spots. The candy store is pretty amazing and has just about any candy you could want, all sold by the pound. They greet you with free salt-water taffee samples at the door and free samples of fudge when you leave. It is definitely a very unique place. (I wish I would have gotten better photos of it. You can also find it online.)
Like a Kim in a candy store
After we picked up some candy we checked out a bit more of the town. It really didn’t take that long given how small the town is. We then headed back home.
There may be some from suburban America that are familiar with the infamous Pizza Hut/Taco Bell. But only those of us in Montana (and maybe Wyoming) know about the 'Friday Night Pizza/Soap and Suds-laundry/shower/car wash.' And just so you know, Friday Night Pizza is not just a clever name. The resteraunt is only open Thursday thru Saturday nights.
On our way home we stopped in another small town—Drummond, population 309—to get some gas. Drummond is the heart of cow country in Montana. Montana actually has 3 cattle, on average, for every person in the state. When you approach from the East, there is a sign letting you know that the people of Drummond are “World Famous Bullshippers.” It is also home of Mentzer’s Livestock, aka Mentzer’s Used Cow Lot.
Drummond and P-Burg are both great examples of the varied and unique aspects of Montana culture. Although we do have a few cities scattered throughout our vast state, the bulk of it is made up of these small interesting communities that are miles from where most people are willing to live. After Drummond we moseyed back towards home, continuing the story of how Captain Shackleton led his crew through the long and dark Antarctic winter on the car stereo.
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